Page 9 of Help Wanted

Sidney was laughing so hard she needed the napkin to wipe the tears away again. “Not your type?”

“He had these hideously hairy knuckles.” Kenley shivered.

“Okay, so you didn’t sleep with King Kong. What did you do for Hasher and Bourne for the last six years?”

And with that, Sidney moved on to the important part of the interview. The part where Kenley could prove herself a worthy employee. Which was exactly what she hoped to have the chance to be.

* * *

Sidney waddled into his office with a file and a smile.

“Yes?” Zane waited.

“I want you to meet an applicant while I take the next appointment. Not that it matters. I want this one, so you’re going to hire her no matter what.”

“You know forcing me just makes me dislike the person already,” he warned.

“I know, but you’ll change your mind when you meet her. She’s perfect. She’s an extremely organized multitasker with no responsibilities, which would make it easy for her to jump on a plane when you have an emergency. You’re going to love her, I promise.”

“Can you just send her in so I can get it over with?” He held out his hand for the employment file sent straight from heaven. He would hire the perfect person and be done with it. After all, why would he need to waste his time on anyone else if she was so perfect?

“Her name is Kelsey Carpenter. I’ll send her right in.” Sidney pressed her palms together and looked up at the ceiling as if thanking God himself for sending this angel to work for him.

“Thanks.” He plopped the folder down on the schematics he’d been wrestling with since the night before.

He opened the file as the woman walked in. Sidney hadn’t even given him a chance to read a single word, or develop his own questions. He raised his head to see her standing there with a bright smile on her face just like the one that had haunted his dreams for years.

He choked and looked down at the paper.

“You’re not Kelsey Carpenter,” he said stupidly. This wasn’t happening. Courtney Bishop had just walked into his office. He’d had a huge crush on her all through high school. And now she was here. But when he scanned the application for her name to see if she was married, he didn’t see the words he expected.

“No. It’s Kenley Carmichael. Sorry. Sidney kept getting it wrong and after she cried when I corrected her, I just thought it was easier to let it go.”

No. This wasn’t Courtney. Her voice was different. It was her hair and that billion-watt smile that made him think of Courtney. This girl was taller and didn’t have a beauty mark on her chin.

“Yes. She’s been getting a lot of things mixed up lately,” Zane tapped the pages together and tried to focus on the print.

“It goes with pregnancy.” She laughed.

“You have kids?”

“No. But I have friends who do.” She winced as if her answer wasn’t acceptable.

She tilted her head as he scanned her paperwork, not seeing anything. This woman had completely unnerved him. The way she’d walked in his office exuding confidence and flipping her blond hair over her shoulder. This woman might not be Courtney Bishop, but she was the type.

The kind of woman who thought she was too good for him. The type who wouldn’t even remember his name or give him the time of day.

Back in high school it had been the classic tale of the dorky comic-book nerd in awe of the princess cheerleader. She had broken his heart every time she went out with one of the football players and she hadn’t even known it.

Not that he’d ever had the courage to ask her out. Or spoken to Courtney like she was a real human woman.

Eventually, he grew into himself. In college he had the good fortune to attract a bossy girl who’d told him what to wear, how to cut his hair, and had forced him to wear contacts. Once he’d been transformed into the sexy guy she wanted, she grew bored and moved on to another struggling project.

He was able to relax into a middle ground and came out of college confident and ready to take on the world. Which he was doing just fine on his own, despite his sister’s constant disapproval with his lack of a love life.

His sister’s words from a few seconds ago echoed in his head. You’re going to love her.

Sidney didn’t know he’d already loved a girl like this a long time ago and she’d crushed him thoroughly. Not that he was blaming Kenley personally, but he was sure she had left some shy boy’s heart in rubble too.