“Absolutely, what can I help you with?”

“I was wondering if I could take you to dinner tomorrow night.”

Her brain went completely blank and her mouth fell open. It was so not what she’d been expecting to hear that his words didn’t quite compute. Although she knew exactly what he was asking.

“Oh.”

Cory’s low laughter made her blush, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. It was such a gauche response, but her brain had yet to catch up to this morning’s events. She hated to admit Baz had rattled her.

He’d kissed her again and—

“I hope that’s a good response to my question and not a bad one.”

“Actually . . . it is. I’m sorry. I was caught up in something when I answered the phone and my brain’s still trying to catch up.”

“Well, then let me make sure you understood the question. I’d like to take you to dinner tomorrow night. Are you available?”

Well, technically, yes, she was available.

And she’d been attracted to Cory last night. At least, the part of her brain that thought he’d make a great catch had been attracted.

Handsome, great smile, and a nice body. Smart, too, because Greg didn’t typically deal with stupid people. And friends with Tyler and Jared, so he wasn’t a freak show.

And you’re hesitating, why?

“Uh . . .”

“And just so we’re clear, this isn’t a business meeting. I enjoyed talking to you last night.”

Oh, well, hell. The man had no problems laying things right out.

So . . . what the hell?

“Sure, I’d like that.”

She could practically hear him grinning through the phone. “Great! Let me know where I can pick you up.”

“Actually, I’ve got a late meeting. Would it be okay if we met at the restaurant?”

That was something her dad had always told her and Vi. Better to have your own wheels on a first date rather than rely on a date to get you home.

“No problem.” Cory rattled off a name and address that she’d have to Google before tomorrow night. “I look forward to getting to know you better.”

“Oh. Thanks. I, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Have a good day, Tru.”

“You, too.”

Then he hung up, leaving her staring at her phone for several seconds.

What. The. Hell.

When had she suddenly stepped into an episode of some stupid TV sitcom?

She didn’t have time to contemplate that, however, as the first of her potential receptionist candidates arrived for an interview.

Tru knew during the first few seconds after the girl opened her mouth that she wouldn’t fit in. She stuttered and stammered and could barely look Tru in the eyes as she spoke. What the hell had she been smoking when she’d brought this girl in for an interview?

Well, shit. This was sizing up to be a long day. At least it would keep her mind off the date she’d just agreed to.

The next two women fared better, enough to reassure Tru that her people-reading skills were still mostly intact.

The fourth woman . . .

Tru absolutely hated the fact that the first thing she noticed about the woman was her tattoos.

She had one just peeking out of the collar of her white-button down shirt tucked neatly into a pair of form-fitting but not too clingy black pants and another on her wrist that appeared only when she’d shook hands with Tru.

Neither tattoo was overt nor offensive, but hers would be the first face people saw when they entered the ManDown offices. The first impression an outsider would have of the company. A position previously held by Tru.

Jessalynn had bright red hair, obviously colored but tucked up into a prim little roll at her nape. Her makeup was understated but the girl didn’t need much. She was one of those women who screamed sex-on-a-stick from her double-Ds to her more-than-a-handful ass. Bombshell perfectly described her.

So are you looking for a carbon copy of yourself?

Tru’s nose wrinkled before she could stop herself.

Apparently she hadn’t been fast enough because Jessalynn Hughesman released a very quiet sigh.

As if she knew she wasn’t getting the job.

Which made Tru feel like a bigoted heel. And like she had a pole stuck up her ass.

With a mental slap upside the head, Tru turned her focus back to the receptionist candidate.

“Tell me a little about what you’ve been doing at your most recent job.”

“Mostly fending off entitled trust-fund babies who think a receptionist at a brokerage firm is just dying for the chance to get one of them in bed without the benefit of dinner and a drink.”

Tru’s mouth fell open at Jessalynn’s bold statement. She didn’t have a snappy comeback, and her expression must have read to the other woman as being horrified at her candor because Jessalynn huffed out another sigh.

“Look, I’m sorry I wasted your time. Obviously, I’m not what you’re looking for in this position. I’m sure I’ll have better luck elsewhere. You have a nice day now.”

The resigned defeat in the other woman’s tone hit Trudeau hard.

“Wait. Please. Sit down.” Tru waved at the seat Jessalynn had just vacated. “I need to apologize. My mind was wandering and I’m really sorry. So you’ve been working for Bachman, Litman and Kline for . . . two years? Has it been this bad the whole time?”

Jessalyn slowly sank back into the chair with a carefully blank expression. “No, of course not. It’s really not that bad. I shouldn’t have said—”

“Wait.” Tru held up her hands. “Before you take it all back because you think I’m a total bitch and I’m going to tattle to your bosses, please don’t. Tell me a little bit about the job that you do like.”

Jessalynn swallowed and took a deep breath before answering. “Honestly, not much. That’s why I’m here. I need a change and I’m willing to take a pay cut to get it. I know that probably makes me look bad and, yeah, sometimes I can be a little too . . . truthful.” Her mouth twisted. “Or so I’ve been told. But I’m a damn good worker. I have great phone skills, I can file, type a hundred words a minute, and I’m good with computers. Hell, I can even take dictation if you need it.”

“This job doesn’t only require phone skills. I’m ultimately looking for someone who can manage the office. That used to be my job but I’ve taken on more responsibility in the company and I need someone I can trust with things like scheduling and ordering supplies. I’m sure you realize we’re a film production company, so you’re going to need to learn how to deal with people who have way bigger egos than you’ll find at a brokerage firm.”

Jessalynn’s eyes had started to widen as Tru spoke until Tru couldn’t help but smile. This girl was a few years younger than her, only twenty-two to Tru’s twenty-six, and right now she looked it. She hadn’t when she’d walked in.

“I . . . This is Greg Hicks’s company, right? I mean, I know who he is and I know what he does, but I kind of figured the job was basically to answer phones and get coffee and fade into the background.”

“Is that the kind of job you want?”

Jessalynn shook her head. “No. Look, I know what my resume says, okay? My degree is from a two-year community college because that’s all I could afford. I’m working on getting my bachelor’s degree in management, but honestly, I don’t make enough to pay my rent and eat and go to college.” She started to say something else, then thought better of it but the hesitation was barely perceptible. “I’m not afraid of hard work, Ms. Morrison.”

A quick glance back down at her resume showed that Jessalynn had jobs listed from the age of fifteen. She’d worked at a mini-market for seven years and had also held a job at a coffee shop during a portion of that time, all while attending college.

Actually, she still had the coffee-shop job, unless she’d just forgotten to put an end date. So she worked forty or so hours at the firm, then worked another job, as well.