Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 65192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“A little, but it’s not bad,” he says, nodding over his shoulder. “I have a piece on my back.”
“Oh yeah? Of what?”
His eyes get dangerously sparkly again. “I’ll show you if you want. We could head down to your place, let me strip off my shirt in private.”
I bite my lip and warn the frisky voice in my head to keep her mouth shut. It’s going to be weird enough seeing Sam naked, but it will be even weirder if we jump into it too soon, before getting the chance to get to know each other again. And with my furry legs and ungroomed undercarriage in their current goblin state, I can’t risk things going too far tonight.
Besides, his comment reminded me of something very important that’s been bothering me since the second he prowled into my peripheral vision…
“How did you know where I live?” I ask. “Let alone that I was having a party tonight? I don’t post stuff like that on social media. I’m not stupid and I value my privacy.”
A sheepish expression tightens his features. “I may have called your mom.”
My eyes widen so fast, pain flashes through my optic nerve. “You what?”
“I still had your home number and she remembered me from high school. I told her I wanted to get in touch with you about a job offer. It wasn’t a big deal, I promise.”
“It absolutely is a big deal,” I screech, my pulse twitching in my throat. “She doesn’t know I quit my last job, Sam. I haven’t told them yet. I was going to tell them on Sunday, when I went down there for a visit.”
“I didn’t say anything about you quitting,” he says in a calm voice that makes it clear he still doesn’t understand the magnitude of this misstep. “And your mom was very chill on the phone. She seemed happy to hear from me and excited about the thought of us reconnecting.”
Surging to my feet, I begin to pace the fake grass, my panic escalating with every passing second. “Of course, she was chill on the phone. My mother excels at pretending to be chill with the outside world, when in reality she’s spiraling into a vortex of stress and tiger mom anxiety and planning to assault me with questions at the earliest opportunity.”
“Seriously, Jess,” he begins, rising to his feet. “I don’t think—”
“You don’t need to think,” I cut him off, pacing faster. “I think and I know. I bet if I went downstairs and checked my phone right now, I’d already have a dozen messages from her, demanding I tell her what I’m up to with you and insisting I keep the job that she doesn’t know I quit because quitting things gives her stress hives and generally losing her shit that I’ve been keeping things from her. She can’t stand people keeping things from her, especially when that person is also her only child and basically an extension of herself and the entire Cho clan.” I slap a hand to my forehead and lean back against the brick wall surrounding the roof. “God, I can feel the freak-out vibes flowing all the way from New Jersey. I’ll be lucky if she isn’t on my doorstep first thing in the morning demanding an in-person interrogation before I’ve even had coffee.”
Sam leans against the bricks beside me. “I’m sorry. Would it help if I called her back and explained things a little more? Told her about the amazing recruitment package Paradisus is prepared to offer you, maybe?”
I drop my hand from my face with a sigh. “No. Thanks, but…no. She doesn’t trust outsiders. Even outsiders who are also old friends. I’ll handle it on Sunday. I can put her off that long. I’ll just make sure she knows I won’t be home tomorrow anyway, so there’s no point in taking the train up.” I sigh, a hopeful prickle at the back of my mind pulling my thoughts back to the drama at hand. I peek up at Sam, arching a brow as I ask, “But how amazing a recruitment package are we talking about? I know you probably can’t spill all the beans, but it is my birthday, and I could really use some good news.”
“Mid six-figures to start with bonuses built in for meeting sales targets on any game you develop with your team. Five weeks of paid vacation per year, a four-day workweek, and the option to work remotely or to join the team in the London office. Should you decide to relocate to the UK, your flat rent would be included in the package, as well as a meal delivery service for days when you’re at the office. That way, you don’t have to worry about cooking when you get home.”
My jaw drops and my skin flushes hot all over. I try to fight the smile threatening to rip across my face but lose the battle as I whisper in a scandalized voice, “You’re fucking kidding me.”