If You Can't Stand the Heat... (Harlequin Kiss) (25 page)

‘I have skills,’ she said firmly.

‘And a certain level of...sensitivity,’ Julie added.

Ah.

‘Please,’ Kelly said quietly, hating the slightly scratchy tone that had crept into her voice. ‘I really need another chance. I’ll do anything, work for anyone... You won’t hear a peep of complaint from me, I promise.’ Her voice caught on the last few words.

Oh, hell. Here came the waterworks. Great.

Kelly wasn’t normally one for crying. In fact, it had been months since she’d had a good bawl, but every time she thought she was recovering from the events of the last couple of years, life dumped another obstacle in her path. To be honest, she was exhausted, and maybe the game of kiss chase she’d had with Payne this morning had just been the cherry on the cake. She scrabbled around in her handbag for a tissue. There had to be one somewhere! Essential piece of kit when you were mum to two boys under six.

Drat. She couldn’t find one. And then she remembered why; she’d used them all up wiping mud off Ben’s fingers before she’d dropped him off at her brother’s house. Seems Ben had decided his uncle’s front garden was a good place to dig for worms, and she hadn’t wanted him to get muddy fingerprints on her new sister-in-law’s cream sofa.

She sniffed back as much as she could and swiped at her face with her hands. Julie leaned across the desk and offered a tissue from a pink box covered in cartoon cats. Kelly took the last one, and Julie tutted and sighed before throwing the empty box in the waste paper basket. The underling rummaged in a drawer, produced an identical box and placed it on the corner of the desk. It had the feeling of a well-oiled routine.

Julie’s tone was much more sympathetic when she spoke. ‘It’ll be okay. You’ll find something else. Aside from the...ah...personnel problems, your work has been top-notch.’

Kelly shook her head. ‘It’s not just that...’

Another sniff. One that gurgled.
Nice.
She blew her nose.

She could handle the job thing. She was strong. A survivor. Everyone said so. And she didn’t want this woman to think she was a snivelling ninny.

‘Sorry,’ she said, composing herself and sitting up straighter. She needed to get back control of this situation, and the best way she knew how was with the bald truth. ‘It’s just been a rough couple of years. My husband ran off with his twenty-two-year-old personal trainer just after I was diagnosed with cancer, so you can see why I’m not particularly keen on the male species at the moment.’ She looked up and met Julie’s gaze. ‘I’m okay now, though—scans clear for over a year—but I couldn’t work for a while and I had to sell the house....’ She waited for a moment while the stinging sensation in her nose faded. ‘This job at Aspire was going to help me save up for a new one, so I would just really, really appreciate it if you’d give me a call if something new opens up.’

She hid the crumpled tissue in her clenched hands, placed them in her lap and waited. The manager and her underling stared back at her, jaws a little slack. Her no-varnish story had taken them by surprise. Good. Kelly started to feel as if she was on level ground again.

No one said anything for a few long seconds. Then Julie cleared her throat and leaned forward. ‘Were you serious when you said you would absolutely, categorically
not
date someone at work?’

Kelly nodded, even though the question confused her. Hadn’t they said that was fine?

‘And do you think you can bring some of that gumption you’ve just shown me into the office each day, starting Monday? Because you’re really going to need it if I give you this chance.’

Kelly nodded even harder. Bringing it with her wasn’t a problem; it was keeping it locked away that was the struggle.

‘Then, Ms Bradford,’ Julie said, giving her what
might
have been a smile, ‘I think I have the perfect post for you.’

ISBN: 97801460318522

IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT…
Copyright © 2013 by Joss Wood

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