He nodded. "I promise."
Fuck. One hot mess after the next.
*
The interview went well, a little too well. She was beyond perfect for the position, and would be a trusted ally in the office for both Damon and his father. The biggest issue wasn't having her around, but knowing that Christa would be haunting the edges of the place now too. She would use Delilah's new job with M&B to get closer to Damon and see if she couldn't whittle her way back into his life. It was inevitable. The bitch had tried everything else. Damon couldn't stop himself from thinking this too was another ploy.
He finished up a few things and got up to walk down to Bethany's office only to find her gone.
"She's at UT for the afternoon. I guess she's a teaching assistant for one of the cost accounting professors up there." Sadie stood behind him, a shy smile on her pretty face. The girl was a lawsuit waiting to happen. Why they'd decided to hire the daughter of a senator was beyond him. Probably a favor to the girl's father, but fuck was she spoiled.
"Nice to know. Are you keeping tabs on everyone now for us? Should I up your salary?" He gave her a tight smile and crossed his arms over his chest.
"No. Don't be silly." She reached out and brushed her fingers down his arm before turning her head a little. "Like the new nose? I had to thank Bethany for being a lunatic. I didn't realize how much I hated it before."
"Interesting." He turned to see Ben walking down the hall and almost sighed in relief. "Hey, man. You getting everything together for Friday?"
"That, I am, Sir. Everyone has the client files and we're locked and loaded to go clean this shit up for you." Ben slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced over at Sadie. "We'll get you on the next traveling engagement. This one just filled up."
"Yeah, no problem. Well, see you gentlemen later." Her eyes lingered a little too long, but Damon ignored it and turned to face Ben.
"Did you get to talk with Bethany?"
"Yeah, why? She seemed good with going with us. It will be great experience if nothing else."
"No, I think she's fine with it. I just didn't know if she mentioned anything about us."
Ben's eyebrow lifted. "You guys, as in the fake relationship you've created to thwart off these other crazy girls?"
"No, we are dating now."
"What? She's your sister."
Damon pressed his friend with a hard stare. "There's no blood relation, and the last time I checked, I'm free to date who I'd like to date."
"Of course, but damn..." Ben ran his hand through his thin brown hair and glanced around. "What happened to the busty blond?"
"She's an old friend from college. Nothing more. We dated back then."
"Set me up with her." Ben chuckled.
"Happily. Look, her twin sister, Delilah, just interviewed for the Senior Manager position we have open on the team. I need to talk with my father, but I'm pretty sure she's getting the position. Just watch out for her and Bethany, okay? Delilah is a really sweet girl, but I don't want anyone messing with Bethany for the sake of messing with her. Got it?"
"Of course, boss. I wouldn't let anyone mess with anyone." He shrugged. "I got it under control. We'll figure it out."
"Good. The situation with me and Beth is confidential until I say otherwise."
"You bet. Thanks for trusting me with it."
Damon nodded and turned to walk back to his office, reaffirmed in his decision to keep the information about the engagement hidden. If Ben, who thought a lot about Bethany and was one of Damon's college buddies, had a negative reaction, then the rest of the firm would act ridiculous about it, and their board of directors would flip their shit.
It wasn't worth all that... not yet at least.
Chapter 6
Bethany
The rest of the day was a blur, and after watching the late night show, she fell asleep on her couch. Damon not calling or texting was something that would bug her all day no matter how badly she tried to shake it.
"Everything is fine." She leaned over the bathroom counter in the coffee shop beside campus the next morning. Dr. Tarrington had been out the day before when she finished making preps for his first day of school, but wanted to meet the next morning to go over a few things. She couldn't deny him, even though meeting him meant getting up an hour earlier than she planned.
She walked out of the bathroom and brushed her fingers through her hair as he waved from the counter at the front of the restaurant.
"Bethany. Over here." His smile was warm, his face incredibly handsome. He had his glasses perched on his nose, which only seemed to make him more attractive. It was a dangerous position for him, and yet he must have loved his job enough to deal with the friction it caused.
"Hey, Dr. Tarrington. How are you?" She moved up to stand beside him, leaving a good bit of space between them. Kendal didn't need any drama related to possibly dating a student, and she was aware of how people talked when given a reason to.
"I'm great. Let me buy you a coffee and a muffin or bagel?" He adjusted his glasses and glanced back up at the menu.
"Sure. I'll take a tall vanilla latte and a blueberry scone."
"Nope. Only muffins or bagels." He winked at her and shook his head. "Just kidding. Give the woman what she wants."
She started to pat his back in a friendly manner and decided against it. She'd only heard a little of his story, but wanted access to the rest. It was none of her business, and wouldn't do her any good, but after hearing him talk about his life being ruined a few years back, she had the odd sense to help protect him for the year she'd be working beside him.
Maybe it was because he was Damon's best friend.
She took a seat near the back of the coffee shop and pulled out her phone, checking for a missed message from Damon and coming up empty again.
"Waiting on someone?" Kendal stopped beside the table and handed her a cup.
"No. Just wondering why Damon hasn't called. We didn't talk at all yesterday. I had a message from him on the counter that could have been taken as controversial or even hurtful, and then nothing." She huffed. "I'm not bringing this up with you. We're here to get you ready for your first class this afternoon, not mull through my insecurities."
He chuckled and set his coffee down. "Let me grab our scones and we'll chat about all of it."
"Fine." She took the top off her coffee and glanced up to find several of the girls around her focused on Kendal. She turned her attention back to the steaming caramel-colored liquid in her cup and blew softly. There was no saving the poor man from his stunning good looks. That was his momma's fault. She smiled at the thought.
"What's so funny?" He sat down, his green eyes studying her as if waiting for some revelation to occur.
"I was just smiling at your situation. It's not funny, but maybe you should just change professions, or hey..." She reached across the table and squeezed his forearm, thinking nothing of it. He tensed under her touch. "Maybe you should find someone off campus to date." She pulled her hand back. "Sorry. I keep trying to make sure I don't act too comfortable around you."
"That's much appreciated." He leaned over and pulled his bag strap over his neck before digging out a folder. "Dating isn't as easy as it seems. You guys are still in college and surrounded by people your own age who are looking for a connection. That's not how the rest of the world functions, as I'm sure you already know."
"Very true." She took a tentative sip of her coffee. "Maybe Damon knows someone he can set you up with."
Kendal chuckled. "No, but thank you. All the women in his past have been bitches, pardon my French. You're the exception to the rule, I think."
"Thank you?" She laughed and put the top back on her coffee before taking a bite of the scone he pushed toward her.
"What was the note about yesterday morning?" He leaned back and crossed his legs in a manly fashion.
"This." She held up her left hand. "He wants me to leave it at home when I'm at the office, but anywhere else, I can wear it. It cost more than a car. I hate the thought of taking it off, even for a second."
"Because you might lose it?" He lifted his eyebrow, questioning her motive.
"Yes, among other reasons. Why are you not asking questions about this? Did he tell you already?"
"Yes. We had lunch yesterday. After seeing each other for the first time in a long time at your friend, Jake's, apartment, we decided to start having lunch once a month. It just happened to fall on Monday this week." He shrugged and took a bite of his scone. "These are awesome."
"Yeah, I love this place." Bethany pinched another piece off of hers. "And what do you think? Too soon? Too much?"