“You’re done with Keller. I need you completely entrenched in Diosa.”
“Have you hired the account manager yet?”
He shakes his head. “No. We’ve yet to find a suitable candidate.”
“What about Mr. Keller? He gave me some work to finish up. Am I supposed to tell him I can’t?”
“Leave Keller to me. I’ll find someone else. There are plenty of eager people out there looking for work. You deserve something a bit more stimulating.”
The heat in his eyes is unmistakable, and I can’t help the blush that stains my cheeks. He might not have meant that as innuendo, but it certainly sounded like it.
He clears his throat. “Anyway, I will need all the help I can get with this account. We can’t mess this up.”
“Give me the account. Let me manage it.” The words tumble out of my mouth.
“Surely not,” he says so nonchalantly that it hurts even worse. “You’re not qualified to lead Diosa. This client will open doors for Cavendish that weren’t available prior. I can’t take chances with previous losses still on the books.”
I know he’s right, but it still stings.
“You don’t have anyone else. At least let me help you with the interview process.”
A harsh breath rushes from his chest. “I mean no disrespect, Miss Bennett, but what makes you think you could find someone better than HR?”
“I know Diosa. Qualifications and résumés don’t always produce the right fit.”
“And you believe you could spot the perfect fit?”
“Yes.”
This is the most bizarre situation I’ve ever been in, and I can admit that I’m in over my head here. But this is my chance to shine. I have to prove that I’m more than somebody’s assistant.
“Well?” I prompt, sounding bossy as hell, even though I’m mortified inside.
His head bobs. “I’ll give you a chance to leaduntil we find someone,but if you mess this up even a slight, it’s on you.”
I don’t like his lack of confidence in me, but I can’t blame him. He’s taking a chance, and we both know it.
“Great. I’ll make a preliminary plan ASAP, and if you can get me with HR so I can begin sorting through applicants, that would be helpful.”
“I’ll have the CVs delivered to your office within the hour. Take the rest of the weekend to work on a solid plan. We’ll meet next Monday.” He twists his chair, grabbing the phone and raising it to his ear. “Send Keller my way, please.”
I grimace. The last thing I want to do is speak to Mr. Keller. Why can’t he just call him in? Pushing that down, I internally remind myself that this is all a test. A test I can’t fail.
I offer one last smile, stand, and walk toward the door.
“Raven,” he calls to my back.
“Yes?” I ask, turning over my shoulder.
“Don’t make me regret this.”
My lips press together, and I don’t say anything as I walk out the door.
The man is insufferable. I can only thank God, or whoever is pulling the strings, that Paxton Ramsey came to my rescue and opened that damn door before things went further. I have no doubt that if we’d had sex in that room, I’d be unemployed right now. Mainly because I wouldn’t be able to stomach working with him.
Even though I know it’s probably a bad idea, my fingers type frantically, searching through Google to look up Paxton Ramsey. The man really deserves that fruit basket for saving my ass that night.
When I finally find him, I’m speechless. He’s an agent who represents many actors and musical talents on both coasts. His company has a satellite office in LA with a small team and is looking to branch into sports.