Page 14 of Pressure

“Tell us who Cash Jameson is.”

Cash seemed equally confused but tried to be professional and entertain the question, though he seemed unsure of how to answer.

After a few moments of silence, Joel gestured toward the resume that sat on the table in front of me.

“You’ve told us nothing about who Cash is.” Joel paused and then added, “I want to know who he is. What makes him tick? What drives Cash? All we know is your name and other basics that we could have pulled up on you simply by checking social media or other online searches.” As the crimson deepened on Cash’s face, Joel paused and tilted his head slightly to the side and asked, “So, who is Cash Jameson?”

Cash looked down at the table, and his eyes rapidly shifted from side to side as his brain hurried to come up with an answer to Joel’s question. With narrowed eyebrows, he finally lifted his eyes from the table, slowly looked at the resume, then at Joel. His expression was one of shock. Not shocked that he was asked the question, but because he didn’t have an answer to the question.

“I … I don’t know,” Cash’s voice wasn’t much more than a whisper. “I’m sorry,” he added.

“Nothing to be sorry about, Cash.” Joel stood, but kept his eyes on Cash. “You’re a young man, and answers to that question will come to you in time. It was a pleasure meeting you today,”Joel said as he stretched his arm across the table and shook Cash’s hand again.“Thank you for meeting me,” Cash said.

“Come on, Cash, I’ll walk you out,” I said before making eye contact with Joel again. For once, his expression was hard to read, but I would definitely be picking his brain after I saw Cash out.

As Cash and I walked toward the lobby, I could tell by his quiet demeanor that he wasn’t as confident now as he had been when we walked to the conference room. It was awkward, and I hated this part of interviews. Usually the person will become extra talkative and try to get a sense of my opinion regarding their chance at getting the job or find out when we’ll have a decision made. But not Cash. The only sound coming from him was the noise of the fabric that his twill pants made as he walked.

“I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Lake Tahoe,” I said as we neared the lobby.

“Thanks.”

“Make sure you get out and enjoy some of the weather and recreation while you’re here.”

We came to a stop in the lobby near the sliding Equinox door, and he turned to face me. When I looked into his eyes, his sexy gaze just about set me on fire right there. I felt the need to continue the conversation so I could simply see his mouth and lips move one more time. As the door slid open and the blaring sunlight smacked me in the face, I gestured to the outside and said, “Take in some of those trees and leaves you like so much.”

Cash turned his head to look outside as the corners of his mouth faintly turned upward. While the sunlight drenched his face, I focused on the hint of dark stubble that outlined his jawline. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to take a fistful of his hair in my hand and hold his head still while I ran my tongue up and down that stubbly jaw.

“I will,” he said. As we shook hands one last time, he said, “Thank you for the interview and your time. Please tell Mr. Stafford that I appreciated his time as well.”

“The pleasure was ours, Cash.”

I watched him walk through the sliding door and didn’t move my feet until the door closed. I exhaled the breath that l had been holding as Cash walked away from me. I scrubbed my hand over my face and then headed to Joel’s office.

7

JOEL

Ileaned against the wall of my office near the window where I could see the valet. There stood Cashman Jameson the fifth with his phone in hand. Texting a girlfriend? A boyfriend? A friend? Family?

After I spent far more time than I should on dissecting whom Cash was texting, or if he was texting anyone at all, I forced myself away from the window and sat in the chair behind my desk. I glanced at the emails on the laptop that had stacked up during the interviews this afternoon. I opened one and read it three times. When I realized I had no clue what the context of the email was, I decided I shouldn’t attempt to do things that would require my attention. At least, not right now. I closed the laptop and turned my chair around so I could look out the window again.

Cash.

While I replayed the interview, I could hear his voice still clearly in my mind. A sharp knock on my office door made me turn around to face the desk again. The door opened and Tristenstepped inside, closing the door behind him. Without a word, he sat opposite me and we stared at one another. Tristen gestured toward me and then broke the silence.

“So, what was that all about?”

“Remember back to the day after the Fourth of July party, I told you that I saw a young man that I’d claimed as mine before I’d even spoken to him?”

Tristen was still for a moment and then stood and ran his hand through his hair.

“Cash isthatguy?”

I smiled and then proudly agreed with him. “Yes, the very one.” I stood and went back to the window and scanned the valet, hoping to spot Cash. Once I was certain that he wasn’t out there anymore, I turned to face Tristen again.

“And you switched our meetings with the job applicants. When had you seen him?”

It didn’t take a super sleuth to deduce that Tristen traded the people we were scheduled to interview because he’d already seen Cash. Tristen liked young men around the college age, and it was bonus points if the guy was actually in college.