“Nothing.”
She looked up, expecting to see Roger was playing a joke on her, and this wasn’t really the project he’d hired her for. But there was no hint of that. Turning her attention back to the photo, she tried to gather as much as she could from it. She wasn’t a historian by any means, but it appeared to have been taken maybe around the time her great-grandparents were alive. Guessing wasn’t something she was used to doing. She functioned on facts, and right now she had none. “I’m not sure I’m going to be much help.”
“Why do you think that?” Roger asked.
“I thought you needed . . . something different. Something more like . . . research.”
“That’s what this is.”
Maybe to others, but this seemed more along the line of an investigation, and nothing like anything she’d ever done before. Was she qualified to do that type of work? Absolutely not. Was she about to admit that to him? Absolutely not. If she backed out now, why would he recommend her to the Henderson family? Not that she needed to impress Roger, but she didn’t want to make him question his offer. She could find work on her own, but having someone speak on her behalf with the Henderson family was more than she dreamed would happen. I’m not screwing this up.
“Do you have a deadline?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. But my client would like this information as soon as possible. As I mentioned before, no one can know anything about this photo or that you’re working for me. Is that understood?”
Roger’s tone was firm and direct, unlike she’d heard from him before. The picture looked innocent enough, but the hairs on the back of her neck said otherwise. God, I hope I don’t regret this.
“I gave you my word. The only one I’ll speak to about it is you.” Of course she wasn’t sure she would actually learn anything.
“Good. Now, did you bring it?”
Roger changed subjects so fast she wasn’t sure what he was speaking about. “What exactly is it?”
“Your résumé.”
Gia reached into her purse, pulled out an envelope, and slid it across the table. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
He didn’t pick it up. Instead he said, “I believe you should deliver it.”
“Did you want me to mail it?” she asked.
“No. I was thinking more like giving it to them at dinner tonight.”
Okay, somewhere she’d lost track of what was going on. Things seemed to be getting a lot more complicated than they needed to be. But why should applying for a job be anything different? “We’re having dinner with them?”
“In a sense. There’s a fundraiser tonight, and I know for a fact they will be there.”
“I thought you wanted me to start working on this photo, not crashing some event.” Roger leaned back in his seat and was staring at her. His lack of response was unnerving. But she wasn’t going to give in either. She’d come this far before meeting Roger, she’d be fine without his help. Yet the silence was driving her crazy. So she took back the control. “I’m working on your project, but that doesn’t give you the right to dictate how I spend my nights.”
Gia didn’t miss the slight tensioning of his chiseled jawed before he replied, “You’re positive you want to decline this request?”
“A request would imply that you asked.”
Roger cocked a brow and said, “I thought you’d be more receptive to my assistance.”
That only showed how little he knew about her. “There is a difference. I’d take the time to explain it to you, however I have a feeling it wouldn’t do any good. You appear to be a man who takes charge and does things his way.” Or no way.
Roger laughed softly. “Yes. I can be a controlling ass. But I’m result driven. You want that job?”
“Not at any price,” she said flatly.
Roger nodded. “Good. Because if you’re so easily persuaded, I don’t want you working for me either.”
“So this was a test?” Gia asked.
He shook his head. “No. I would like you to attend the event with me tonight. Mostly because they bore the shit out of me.”
“Then why are you going?” She already knew it wasn’t because he was obligated.