The Inheritance (Forever Bound #1) (7 page)

“I will,” he mumbled. “Thanks!”

He hung up and sat at his desk. He input his login information and pulled up his email. He skimmed over the list of names and located the resume of the first candidate.
Charles Dailey,
he thought to himself. He hadn’t considered a guy responding to the job, but he wouldn’t knock anyone out, without giving them a fair shot. Then he scanned over Charles’ education and job background, and he frowned. He didn’t have one thing that would necessarily qualify him to do the job. He printed off the resume and looked it over. This would prove to be futile, he was sure of it. His phone buzzed in, and Lily’s voice took over the intercom. “Mr. Charles Dailey is here to see you.”

“Send him in!”

A second later there was a knock on the door. He looked up and smiled. A twenty-year-old student from the community college, getting ready to get his degree in Engineering, appeared in front of him. He stood up and shook his hand. “Mr. Dailey, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The boy simply stared at him, aimlessly shaking back. “You may call me Charles, Sir,” he replied, grinning brightly.

Derek smiled and took his seat, as Charles slowly sat down in front of him. Derek saw him gawking around the office as if he’d never seen anything like it. He considered asking him what was so impressive, but he pushed the notion aside. “Tell me a little about yourself,” Derek replied, grabbing a piece of paper from his desk but never losing eye contact with Charles.

“Well, I attend Belfast Community College,” he started. He pointed to the resume in front of Derek. “But…you already know that, right?” Derek smiled and nodded. “I’m a hard worker, diligent to a tee. I, uh, I have two sisters…twins. They’re fourteen. I don’t lead a very interesting life.” His words turned soft and quiet. He shrugged. “That’s about all, I guess.”

Derek looked down at his resume, so Charles wouldn’t notice the awkwardness in the room. He didn’t want his life story in a nutshell. He asked the question to get a better understanding of why he would be a good fit for the job. “Why would you be a good fit for this job?” he asked.

There were about two minutes of silence, and uncomfortable fidgeting before Charles replied with his answer. “Mayor Worthington, I need a job. When my mom noticed the position was open, she immediately recommended me for it. My mom’s a police officer downstairs.” He smiled, pausing, like he wanted Derek to respond. When Derek didn’t say anything, he proceeded. “I’m eager to learn new things, and I feel that I would be the perfect candidate.” He smiled.

It took Derek only a minute to know that Charles wouldn’t fit into the position, but he didn’t want to hurt the young man’s feelings, so he continued with a couple more questions. Each answer he received was vague and slightly swayed away from answering the real question. When he was comfortable enough to dismiss the man, he stood up from his desk.

“Thank you for your time today, Charles.”

Charles slowly stood up. “Did I get the job?” he asked.

Derek wanted to laugh, but he again refrained from how he wanted to act. “I have several other candidates, but I hope to know by the end of the week. You’ll hear either way.”

Charles seemed disappointed but shook Derek’s hand anyway. “Thank you,” he mumbled, turning from him and leaving the office.

Derek sat down and glanced at the next resume. An older woman was set to arrive at any moment. He hoped it would prove a better experience than the first one, but he could only imagine what he was in store for.

Charity grabbed the clothes from her hamper and tossed them into the laundry basket. She picked it up and headed down the hall and to her washer and dryer. She was grateful to have the ability to do her laundry inside her apartment, as many other required you to go to the laundry room. She reached the machines and placed the basket on the floor, then started removing her clothes and tossing them into the washer, tossing the colored clothes into the washer first. She reached down and grabbed out a few more pairs of pants, then started digging in the pockets to empty whatever she found.

She paused when she withdrew a napkin from her work pants. She tossed the pants into the washer and opened the napkin to find Damian’s message. Damian had been a constant thought on her mind since seeing him the day before at the restaurant, but she couldn’t call him. It was unheard of, and no matter how handsome he was, it didn’t compare to the amount of humiliation she would feel. She tossed the napkin into the nearest wastebasket and tried to ignore it. It was easier said than done. When she started the washer and tried to walk away, it was like a magnet brought her right back.

She glanced down at the wastebasket, and she could see his name sprawled on the napkin. “Why can’t I just walk away?” she asked herself out loud.
He’s sexy. He’s single. He makes your toes curl.
The voices in the back of her mind told her several reasons she had trouble moving past that night. She closed her eyes, and his naked body reentered her mind. His hands touched her in places that she’d forgot existed. His mouth kissed her tenderly and sensually that she could ignore its power.

Her phone rang, bringing her out of her daze. She quickly retrieved it from her pocket. “H…hello?” she answered.

“It’s me!”

She sighed, trying to calm her racing heart as she heard Ana’s voice. “Hey you,” she stated. “What’s up?”

She turned away from the wastebasket, taking Ana’s phone call as a saving grace and a sign that she needed to forget about him. “Well, what are you doing Friday night?”

Ana mentally attempted to ignore the napkin and think about her schedule for that day. She finally walked away from the wastebasket, putting some much-needed distance between the two of them. “Well…I work until six-thirty, then I’m free, I guess. Why?”

“This Friday night Jesse is having a party at his house. It’s sort of a party welcoming the fact that I’m moving in.” She paused, before adding. “Then…this weekend we’re moving me in. You’re welcome to help, if available.” She laughed.

Charity still couldn’t believe it was happening so quickly. She had the weekend off, so she was definitely available. “What time’s the party?”

“Whatever time you can get there. We’re saying seven. It’s only a few friends and a backyard barbecue. Nothing fancy.”

“I’ll be at the party, and you just let me know when and where and I’ll be there this weekend.”

“Thank you so much, Charity. Hey, someone’s beeping in on my other line. I’ll catch you later.”

“Okay, bye!” Charity said, before disconnecting the call.

She sat there for a while until there was no changing her mind. She was sure it was the wrong choice, but there was no stopping her. She got off the couch and walked back to the laundry room. She reached into the wastebasket and retrieved his number. Getting the courage to call him wasn’t easy, but she did finally dial up his number. After the third ring, she thought about hanging up, then he answered the phone.

“Hello?” Even his voice was sexy, catching her off guard. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Then he said it again. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

“Yes!” she blurted out. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Um, I mean. Hello, Damian. This is Charity.”

“Hm…Charity? I don’t believe I know the name.”

Her heart sunk. She clamored for something to say. Then settled on, “Oh…I…maybe I have the wrong number.” Before she could disconnect the call, he started laughing.

“Wait a minute. Charity…are you the beautiful waitress that ditched me in my hour of need?”

“Hour of need?” she asked quietly.

“I was starving.” He started laughing, which lightened the mood and caused Charity to join in. When things grew quiet, he continued. “I’ve been waiting for your call, but honestly…I didn’t think you would.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” she slowly admitted.

Again, another moment of silence and he added. “I’m glad you did.”

She smiled, walking out of the laundry room and into the living room, where she sat down and relaxed. “What are you up to today?” she asked. The moment the question left her lips, she knew it sounded like someone fishing for an invitation out. She quickly remedied the situation. “Just making conversation.”

He chuckled on the other end of the line. “Busy at work. I have a party I’m catering for and probably won’t be done until eight or so.”

She sat up. She had interrupted him. He clearly wanted a way out of the conversation so he could get back to work. “I won’t keep you. I simply wanted to say hi.”

“You don’t have to go,” he hurriedly stated. “I simply meant that should we get together tonight, it would have to be a late nightcap or something.”

“What?” she asked. “I didn’t call so we would go out. I’m not interested in that, at all. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t starve to death or anything.” Even Charity felt the lies in her statements. He wasn’t dissuaded at all.

“Besides the party is twenty miles outside of town. So, if we get together tonight it would be best to do it in Briar Ridge.”

Her mouth dropped. “You’re obviously not hearing me. I can’t believe I didn’t notice the lack of hearing you possess.”

“What about ten o’clock?” he asked. It was like she wasn’t saying anything at all. He ignored every word. “I’ll text you the address.” Before she could utter another word, he hung up.

She stared at the phone and placed it down on the coffee table, not fully sure what happened. She denied she was going numerous times before she suddenly was hit by facts. She couldn’t wait to see him, and she already needed to find the perfect outfit.

***

“I’ll be sure to call you by the end of the week,” Derek replied, shaking the hand of interviewee number five.

She smiled. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mayor Worthington.” She bounced out of the office like she was going to meet the ice cream truck. He groaned and tossed the resume onto his desk, sinking back into his office chair. It was a nightmare. Each person reminded him more and more, of how much he despised these type of situations.

He stared at the computer screen, getting hypnotized for a moment, that he barely noticed the knock at his door. “Hey…how’s it going?”

He slowly moved his head to stare at Jesse. “Don’t you have a job?” he asked. The sarcasm was thick in Derek’s voice.

“Ouch!” Jesse replied with a stiff laugh. “That’s the joys of working in the same building as you. I can get away at the drop of a hat.” He hesitated, as Derek leaned back in his chair and continued to stare straight forward. “Clearly not a moment too soon. You look awful.”

Derek snickered. “Gee…thanks!”

“You can always count on me,” Jesse teased. “But seriously…you look awful.”

Derek heaved a sigh and picked up the resumes from his desk. “Do you know how many people I interviewed today that had zero qualifications?”

Jesse raised an eyebrow. “All of them?”

Derek nodded. “You got it. I’ve never been so frustrated.”

Jesse laughed loudly. “Right. You’re the mayor of this city…I’m sure you’ve had a few frustrations in your life. They were that bad, huh?”

Derek slowly nodded. “The best one was the second woman, and she’s about three years shy of retirement age. Frustrating!”

“It’s not like the position has been posted that long. You have plenty of time to get a viable candidate.” Jesse, being encouraging, stated.

Derek tossed the resumes into his trash and looked up. “You’re right. So, what brings you here?”

“The party,” Jesse replied. Derek frowned, at first trying to remember what party Jesse was talking about. “The one I told you I was going to have so you could meet Ana.”

“Right!” Derek wiggled his eyebrows playfully in Jesse’s direction, and Jesse grinned.

“Don’t be jealous,” he replied.

“Whatever!” Derek mumbled. “So…the party…and what about it?”

“It’s Friday night at seven o’clock.”

“This Friday?” Derek asked in disbelief.

“You better believe it. What better time than the present?”

He wanted to ask what Ana’s parents thought of the sudden jump in relationship status, but he didn’t say it. Jesse’s parents wouldn’t care as they were enjoying retirement and living to the fullest. Last Derek knew they were away on a Caribbean cruise. He doubted Jesse even told them.

“I’ll try to make it.” Jesse opened his mouth to argue, and Derek held up his hand to stop him from arguing. “I’ll do my best. It’s a busy time, and there are only two days left.” Jesse looked annoyed by his answer, so he continued. “I swear that I will move heaven and earth to
try
to be there.”

“You do realize that this job doesn’t mean you can’t have a life, too, right?”

Derek laughed. “My father apparently taught me well.”

“Look where that got him,” Jesse pointed out. “A life without friends and a sad journey until it ended.” Derek watched as Jesse got up and moved to the door. “You don’t have to live your life like that. The people will understand.” He left Derek’s office, giving Derek time to think. Jesse was right on one thing…he always put his job responsibilities as a priority, but that had to take precedence, and nothing would change that.

***

Damian motioned to the chair and waited for Charity to sit down. She smiled, still confused why she chose to go out with him. He sat down across from her, his eyes never leaving hers. “You are so beautiful,” he said with a grin.

“Thank you!” she replied casually, but her heart pounded so loud against her chest that she thought for sure he would hear her. He grabbed his menu and looked down, tearing his eyes away from her. She looked down in the menu, but the words all ran together. She couldn’t even read the words, as they turned blurry. She finally closed the menu and glanced around the busy restaurant.

She met up with him further than she ever drove for a guy. She’d never been to the place before so she chose to just follow his lead. When the waitress came back for their order, and he ordered the Filet Mignon special, she just agreed, nearly choking out the words. She’d never spent that kind of money on food, but she had just enough in her wallet to cover it.

“Nice place,” she replied, a little on the timid side.

He nodded. “I used to work here.” She opened her mouth, then closed it. He smiled. “A long time ago.”

“Have you lived here your whole life?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Not my whole life. I moved here with my mom when I was just ten.”

“What about your dad?” she asked.

He didn’t seem to mind to have to talk about his life. “He died the year before.”

“Oh…I’m sorry.” She replied, suddenly feeling bad she was noisy.

“Don’t be. It was a long time ago, and I’ve gotten past it.”

His words were tense and abrupt, but it didn’t stop her from pushing on. “How’d he die?” she asked softly. He looked down at the glass of wine the waitress had poured and when he looked up, she regretted asking. His eyes were dark. “Forget I asked,” she quickly said. “I can be a little too noisy for my own good.” She grabbed a sip of her wine and his lips curved up slightly.

“I really don’t mind answering. He committed suicide on my ninth birthday.”

Her jaw dropped. It was the furthest idea from her mind. “Wow. I truly am sorry, Damian.”

He shrugged. “Life goes on, right?” He nonchalantly took a drink from his wine glass, and the hurt appeared deep in his eyes. She needed to drop it. It wasn’t too hard to accomplish because he quickly changed the subject to her life. “What about you? Have you lived in Belfast your whole life? Do your parents live near you? Do you have any siblings?” He smiled genuinely, leaving her comfortable to talk about it. Plus, she didn’t feel like she could backpedal when he already talked about his.

“Born and raised in Belfast,” she replied. She paused, stumbling on the next question. She didn’t open up to too many people about her parents dying. She never thought it was their business, but again Damian had been so honest with her, and she didn’t feel she could lie to him. “My parents died when I was in college. They were killed in a house fire.” She swallowed hard, forcing the ever-growing lump out of her throat. “I have a younger sister. She’s getting ready to go to Harvard Law.” She smiled. She was proud of Tiffany. It was the one thing in her life she could brag about. “She’s a lot smarter than I am and I can’t imagine her not being in my life. She got me through our parents’ death.”

“Whoa…” he mumbled. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” He reached across the table to touch her hand, but she slowly pulled it back.