“Sounds like you need to hire a clone,” Kylie chimes in, setting her menu aside.
I glance at her with a smirk. “If you find one, let me know.”
“That’s it!” Jax slams his fist on the table.
The waitress returns with our drinks and sets them down quickly. Her eyes are wide with surprise as she glances at Jax. “I’ll give you guys a few more minutes.”
“Please.” Kylie smiles at her. The waitress nods, and Kylie elbows Jax in the side. “Will you calm down?”
“Yeah, Jax. You’re scaring the staff.” I pick up my glass, grateful for the water.
“I’ve just come up with the most brilliant plan and solution combo.” Jax takes a sip of his rum, pausing for dramatic effect. “Kylie just moved here, and she’s looking for a job. Plus, she’s a beast when it comes to real estate. So what if Kylie was your assistant?”
I choke on my water, coughing loud enough to turn a few heads. Kylie? My assistant? The thought both terrifies and intrigues me. I glance at her, eyes wide and unmoving.
“Sorry.” I wipe my mouth, clearing out the last of the water from my windpipe. “But I don’t think that she would fit in at Ronsberry Law Firm. It’s not the easiest job being the personal assistant to the CEO.”
“Oh, come on.” He pouts. “She is a perfect candidate. Who better to help you with beastly real estate transactions than the beast of real estate?”
“Please stop referring to your sister as a beast.” She grimaces. “It’s weird.”
I rub my eyes, entertaining the thought. Jax isn’t wrong. I could use someone to help me while I sort all of this out. I hate when Jax is right. Nothing good ever comes of it. But if she is as good as Jax says, I would have more time to sort through the fine print of my marriage agreement. Plus having her so close wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Would it? But what do I do about Isabella? Jesus, it’s been a while since I’ve completely forgotten she existed. What a welcomed turn of events. If only I can forget her entirely.
I steal a glance at Kylie. How would I even begin to explain to her that I’m married?
Kylie will definitely kill me. But she’s going to find out either way at this point. And it’s not like I’m in a real marriage. Maybe they have fake business arranged marriages where she comes from. As if. She stares at me from across the table, her silence growing by the minute.
I suck in a breath. “What do you say? Do you want to be my assistant?”
CHAPTER10
Kylie
Me?An assistant? They have to be joking.
“No offense, guys, but I didn’t just spend seven years in school just to end up as someone’s assistant.”
Even if I would be working for Johnathan, being an assistant is a big slap in the face. A girl has some standards. Especially after moving her whole life across the country.
“Everyone has to start somewhere, Kylie,” Jax says. “And wouldn’t you want to work for someone that you know rather than some random guy in a suit?”
A friendly face is one thing. But when all I can imagine is Johnathan bending me over his desk, I highly doubt that much work is going to get done.
“What am I even being offered? An assistant sounds like pennies compared to real estate.”
He looks at me as if he was just presented with a challenge. “I’ll pay you twice the going rate of what you’re qualified for. For a starting position, of course. And if you decide to leave me, it will look good on your resume.”
His slick smile seizes my heart, and I can’t help but smile back. “Are you trying to bribe me?”
“Maybe.” He shrugs. “I mean I’m sure that being new in town gives you plenty of connections to draw from. Or were you waiting for those big real estate agencies to just give you a call once you landed?”
He’s baiting me. It isn’t the worst offer in the world. Jax did say he was just promoted to CEO of Ronsberry Law Firm. Having a strong connection in this city could be just what I need to land an even bigger firm. A bigger plus would be seeing Johnathan every day and getting paid for it. Maybe things could get serious between us over time. Is it too farfetched an idea? Or are his social ranks too high for me to even be considered more than a quick fling on an island?
“Come on, Kylie,” Jax pleads. “Just take the job. Or do you want me to go weeks with sleepless nights wondering what will become of my baby sister? I’ll be left to wonder if you’ll end up a real estate queen or unglamorous hooker. Oh, the agony.”
“I promise to be a complete gentleman,” Johnathan chimes in, holding his fingers up like a cub scout. “No funny business. After all, you’re my good friend’s sister.”
Too late for those kinds of promises. But I guess I don’t really have much of a choice if my own brother thinks I’ll end up a hooker otherwise. And it’s not like I have anything lined up anyway. If I turn this down, the only thing I’ll be doing Monday morning is job hunting.