I loved my bestie. Her and my family were the only things that had kept me going through this truly sucky time. And I’d sworn I was done crying. So why were my cheeks wet? I swiped at them while I tried and failed to muffle the hitch in my breath.
A dead giveaway that I was crying.
It probably killed Lyla, but she let it go. “No, I just want you to give this position a chance. It’s summer, so you don’t even have to technically give up your job yet. Just take the interview. Meet Zoe. She’s ridiculously cute. I guarantee you’ll be in love before the meeting is over. And I know you said it doesn’t matter, but you need to hear the salary.”
And then she said a number that was less than impressive.
“What are you even talking about? That’s less than I make now, and definitely not worth giving up my retirement contributions and health benefits for. I’d be better off staying where I’m at.”
“Briar, that’sper month. It’s five times what you make now. And it includes benefits,” she added.
My eyes widened. “Arrange the interview.”
And for the first time in a long time, I felt a flicker of excitement. Maybe my IVF dreams weren’t so crazy after all.
* * *
I pulled up to the gates just as my GPS dinged.
“You’ve arrived at your destination.”
I couldn’t see much from my vantage point, but judging by the other houses I’d passed, I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Technically I’d grown up in the Valley, but it might as well have been the Midwest given the differences. These mansions were nothing like my childhood home. Mine was a three-bed, two-bath ranch house. These were all concrete towers of glass and steel and just…so huge.
“Definitely not in Kansas anymore,” I muttered to myself as I rolled down my window and pressed the call button on the security panel like Lyla had told me.
“Yes?”
“Hi. Um, Briar St. Clair. I mean, I’m Briar St. Clair here for my interview.”
“Pull through the gates and park on the right side of the driveway. Do not block the garage doors. I’ll meet you at the door. Don’t ring the bell.”
“Oh. Okay. Thank—”
A buzzer cut me off.
Right.
I rolled up my window and watched the gates slowly open. The whole time, the list of instructions ran through my mind.Right side. Don’t block the garage. Don’t ring the bell. Was this a test?
Still, I couldn’t not obey the disembodied voice’s instructions. I’d always been a rule follower. I parked on the right side of the driveway—well away from the garage doors—and then stood on the front doorstep and waited for whoever to open the door. I didn’t recognize the voice, but somehow I doubted it was Kingston himself who’d answered the buzzer.
And I was proven right when the door opened and revealed a twenty-something guy, shorter than me who had at least five days’ worth of facial scruff on his chin. “Briar?”
“Yes, hi.” I stepped forward and offered my hand.
He shook it and offered me a smile. “I’m Adam. Nice to meet you. Please come in. Oh, but first, I need your phone.”
“My phone?” I frowned as I dug through my purse for it.
“Yeah, it’s just a security measure. Need to be sure no photos or videos are taken without King’s permission. You’ll get it back when the interview is over.”
“Um, okay.” It sounded paranoid, but I wasn’t a famous actor, so what did I know? I handed over my phone.
“Thanks for understanding. If you’re hired, you’ll sign a non-disclosure agreement and can have your phone whenever you want. But until you sign one, we confiscate at the door. Follow me.”
I tried not to gape as we walked through the gorgeous tiled entryway and past the huge floating staircase with suspended glass balls cascading around it. But when I spotted the huge, floor to ceiling windows—or folding doors maybe? I’d never been inside a house like this—and saw the view of the citybeyond, I couldn’t hide my gasp. It was all right there and picture perfect. If I squinted, I could see the hazy shimmer of the Pacific Ocean. Insane.
Adam cleared his throat from the far side of the room and got my feet moving again. I smiled apologetically and hurried to his side. This time, I stayed close as he led me to a pair of sofas in the corner of the overlarge living room. That city view was still visible, since it was the entire far wall. It was mesmerizing.