As she entered the library, she knew. With Roger things seemed to go haywire. She had scheduled this meeting thinking she’d take the red-eye bus from Boston and return that night. But now she was staying a few days. And for what? To see New York with Roger? No. She didn’t care where she was. It was time with Roger she’d been looking forward to. New York was just an excuse.
After this little getaway, she needed to go back home and focus on herself. Not this photo and definitely not Roger. Neither is what will secure my future. And that is what’s important to me. She’d never been unemployed, and she had been now for a week. She wasn’t about to make it two. Not if she could help it. I’ve come too far now to screw it up because I find a guy interesting. Putting a label on it as anything more would only hurt in the long run. It was short lived and, as two mature adults, they both knew it.
When Gia texted him saying it was taking a bit longer than expected, he wasn’t surprised. If she was meeting up with an old classmate, that meant getting through the good-old-days conversation first. Roger was good at blowing off small talk, but Gia wasn’t. Maybe she missed home more than she let on.
He knew she enjoyed the big city, but he’d already figured out the traffic and constant noise wasn’t appealing to her. For Gia, the city represented financial security. Her delay provided him the perfect opportunity to touch base with Brice and help that along.
“Roger, I stopped by your hotel on my way into the office today. I was surprised to learn from the front desk that you would be out for a few days. Did you forget what I asked you for?”
Brice was just as damn demanding as his brothers. None of that bothered him. He did things his way. If Brice didn’t like it, he could find someone else.
“You need to know the results, not my every move,” Roger replied.
“And do you have any?” Brice asked.
“I’ll let you know in a few days. But I didn’t call for that. I want to talk about Gia.”
“Again? I already told you Brittney will be contacting her for a position.”
“I know. But I think it’d be best if you could find something . . . not so mundane.”
“She’s a compliance specialist. What else do you want with that job?”
“Brice, don’t go by her résumé. I need you to find her something requiring research.”
He laughed. “I’m a scientist, research and development is my job. I can tell you she is not working in my lab. I don’t care how good of a friend you are to my brother. No one fucks with my lab.”
Roger shook his head. “Not that kind of research. How about your brothers? Maybe Dean could use her?”
“He researches investment opportunities. Is that what she’s looking to move into?”
No. Damn it. It seemed so cut and dry when he’d thought about it. Caydan was out. Logan was a surgeon, so he was off the list. Alex was a novelist; they create their own worlds. Shaun was a financial guy, just as fucking boring as compliance. At least to Roger anyway.
“Can’t you create something that is not in the lab, yet still working for Hendersons?”
“It sounds like you have something in mind. What exactly does she want to do? From what she told Lena and Brittney she was open to anything that fit her skill set.”
“I know what she said, but that’s not what makes her happy.”
“She told you that?” Brice asked. “Because the last thing I need is a person coming on board that really doesn’t want to be here. I fire those types of people.”
“Not in so many words. I just know what would suit her better.”
Brice laughed. “Roger, let me give you some advice. A woman isn’t one of your jobs. You can’t fix them, mold them, or hell, change them. All you can do is love and accept them for who they are. If you try anything else, trust me, it will blow up in your face.”
Slow the fuck down, Brice. Who said anything about love?All Roger was trying to do was help Gia find her dream job. “You’re missing the point, Brice. I’ve gotten to know her and she’s missing her calling.”
“And you’re missing mine. Roger, I’ve only known you for about a year, but I know enough to realize one thing. You like control. No different than I do or Caydan or a lot of others I won’t mention. I can do as you ask and make up some job we don’t have. But women always find out. I’m not sure how, but they do. Shit, if we could connect to what data source they have, we wouldn’t get ourselves in so much trouble.”
This wasn’t getting him anywhere. It might not be the job he’d envisioned Gia doing for the rest of her life, but it would hold her until that one came up. Roger laughed to himself. Hell, I’m starting to sound like her now.
Turning the conversation, Roger said, “I’m hoping to have more information about who is in the picture within the next few days. Is that all you’re going to want?”
“Guess that depends on what you find.”
“Okay, I’ll let you know.” He ended the call as he saw Gia leaving the library and approaching the car. When she got in he said, “I thought they were going to lock you inside.”
“I’m sorry. I never thought I’d spend the day there. If they weren’t closing, I might still be sitting at the desk.”