Page 13 of Wicked Takeover
He wanted to believe it was because she couldn’t help herself. His shaft thickened at how adorable she was. All dressed up to play boss, her clothes severe to the extreme, her gaze feminine and wanting.
Lauren lowered her fork. “You keep staring at me. Why?”
He could have asked “why not?” but figured she wouldn’t appreciate it. He might also have told her how attractive she was but sensed that would be a huge mistake. Most likely, she wouldn’t believe him. She’d probably think he was trying to save his job. “You have sauce on your mouth.” He pointed to his own to show her where.
She swiped a napkin across her lips.
He couldn’t help but tease. “Warned you not to mimic Van Gogh too much.”
“Don’t worry. No way am I getting a tattoo on my chest.”
God help him, after that he couldn’t keep his eyes north of her boobs. “I would hope not.”
She pressed in her chair. The way she sat and her bulky clothes hid her rack from him.
Dante fought a sigh and ignored his attraction to her. Time to get down to business while he had the chance. “You seem to like Jasmina.”
“Of course. She’s great.” Lauren looked puzzled he’d think anything else.
Dante knew how the world turned. He’d been in the real part with an honest-to-God career in the corporate community that stole his joy before he came to Wicked Brand, which was more like play than work. He leaned forward and kept his voice low so the others wouldn’t overhear. “I don’t want you firing her.”
Lauren’s color deepened. However, she didn’t say he was nuts or dead wrong.
He wished she had. “I know what you’ve been thinking. You need the dough. You can either take what your dad paid himself or what Jasmina makes. As far as Frank is concerned, he put more money into this place than what he took out, so that’s not an option for you. You certainly can’t get rid of Van Gogh; he’s what makes the parlor special and has kept us in business. You need me because I can also ink. Van Gogh’s a genius, but he can’t handle the volume by himself. Given what Jasmina does around here, you could easily take over her responsibilities and use what she earns to help meet your obligations. Am I right?”
Shame flooded Lauren’s face. She glanced away. “I’ve been out of work since December. Even though I’ve sent out hundreds of resumes, no one’s offered me a job. My benefits are going to end soon, and my savings are nearly gone. I have to survive.”
His heart sank worse than when she’d reacted to his comment about her being Frank’s little girl. He didn’t want to hurt her. If he’d had the power, he would have made everything better. “I hear you, and I’m sorry. But you still need to understand something. Jasmina brings a lot of business in here. She has tons of friends from high school and at the local colleges. One of the cheerleading teams is coming in this afternoon. That’s twelve girls who want at least one tat each. All because of Jasmina. I don’t think there’s a person alive who would find it hard to love her. She’s the best salesperson this place ever had. That’s why Frank hired her, not because she’s pretty or knows how to answer a phone. She’s been great for this place. That leaves me as the weakest link.”
Lauren looked appalled. “You want me to fire you? No way. You said you do tattoos. Van Gogh can’t do all of them.”
“He’s not going to have to, because you’re not firing me, and I’m sure as hell not quitting. Decide what you need salary-wise to get through your financial situation until you can sell this place. Take it from my pay, not Van Gogh’s or Jasmina’s. They need it. Van Gogh has student loans. Jasmina has her heart set on getting through her program.”
Lauren stared at him as she might an alien life-form.
He shrugged, sensing why. “It’s only money. Someday, I hope you’ll understand that. Until then, you really should try to relax. Have a little fun. Lose the suit. Enjoy your time here. Trust me, it’s not that bad.”
“I didn’t say it was.”
“Yo, Dante,” Jasmina called from the front. “Your appointments are here.”
Female giggles drifted down the hall.
Dante didn’t take his focus off Lauren. “Jasmina can show you where the books are.” He stood. “Do we understand each other?”
“Hey, Dante,” a female voice called. “Where are you?”
He shouted, “Be there in a sec.”
“Hurry.” She made a purring sound.
Numerous giggles followed.
“Welcome to Wicked Brand.” He gave Lauren a wink and left.
