Page 13 of Fangs with Benefits

‘You what?’ she cuts me off again. ‘Can you even open a word document? Can you do anything?’

I blink at her undressing of me–the likes of which I haven’t received in at least a century. The last person to speak to me so directly, with such obvious exasperation, was Gregory. Vampires’ hearts do not beat, but beneath her accusing stare, I can almost imagine mine thumping again.

It’s such a rare and surprising sensation, I almost smile despite my embarrassment.

‘I have much to learn,’ I admit.

Molly closes her eyes and shakes her head. ‘That’s it.’ She slams shut her computer and slides it off the desk as she stands and exits the small office in a rush, leaving me staring after her.

Chapter 6

Molly

I wanted him to be joking, I really did. I was hoping that Elijah wasn’t as inept as he acts, but I think, unfortunately, I am actually stuck with the least technically savvy person on the planet. My niece knows how to work a computer better than Elijah, and she’s four.

Well, I won’t be stuck with him for long. I’ve officially found the end of my rope. Took less than eleven hours together.

I slap my palms flat on his desk and stand up, gathering my computer before I walk directly out of his office and don’t stop until I reach Ryan’s office three doors down.

He has an open-door policy, so I knock lightly on the metal frame and when he looks up from his computer, I step right inside and skip the greetings.

‘This guy’s not going to work.’

Ryan’s eyebrows lower, concern evident as he looks past me as if seeking the guy at hand. Maybe Elijah is behind me, I don’t care. He’s gotta go.

‘Molly…’ Ryan starts like he’s trying to calm a wild animal.

‘Elijah barely knows how to work a computer–he didn’t know what an internet browser was,’ I say. ‘I know what was on the job requirements, and he doesn’t have competence in any of it.’

Ryan tilts his head, and his concerned look morphs into one of understanding. It’s the look he gets when he’s about to do some patronising, his favourite fucking activity. ‘I assure you that’s not true.’

‘Ryan—’

‘I interviewed him myself and he was exceptionally adept and technically sharp,’ Ryan defends, popping the p in sharp. I cannot picture this, not when Elijah stared blankly at me earlier when I told him to open task manager on his laptop.

‘Are you sure it was the same guy?’ I ask. Ryan smiles like I’m a silly little thing, but I keep on. ‘Like maybe the guy you interviewed has a twin who’s been living with the Amish for the last thirty years? Because Elijah is a liability.’

Ryan opens his mouth, then closes it. He gives that gentle smile again, scrunches his nose. My blood pressure actively rises watching him, so I drop into the chair across from his desk, laptop clutched in my hands. I lower my voice.

‘That was unkind of me,’ I say, though I could be much unkinder and it would be justified. ‘The thing is, as Elijah’s buddy, I’m concerned about his ability to do the role he was hired for.’

Ryan’s computer pings with a new message, and he ignores it. Big of him.

‘Now, Molly.’ Ryan takes a long breath. ‘I know you might be feeling a little jealous—’

‘I’m not—’

‘Or defensive, maybe? But Elijah went through multiple rounds of interviews and was the strongest candidate for the role. So, any perceived deficiencies might be a reflection of something you are feeling.’

I blink, his words stinging. My cheeks heat with embarrassment at his assessment that I’m just a jealous, slighted girl who was ultimately less qualified for the job that’s now been given to the least competent man I’ve ever met.

‘Did you know him?’ I ask after a moment. ‘Did you work with him somewhere previously?’

Was he in your stupid fucking fraternity or something? I would ask if it wasn’t a sure way to lose my job. The job that, while underpaying me for the work I do, pays my bills, my health insurance, and offers a 4 per cent 401(k) match.

‘I didn’t, but his experience and knowledge spoke for itself.’ Ryan leans back in his chair. I force what I can manage of a smile, which isn’t much. It probably looks as pained and angry as I feel. There’s a veritable cocktail of negative emotions roiling in my stomach, and my eyes are burning, but I will not cry in front of Ryan.

I’ve been working hard for years thinking that eventually my performance and value on this team would be the thing to help me get better-paying opportunities, ones where I’m not showing adults how to fix things they could google. I was naive to even think I’d be considered when management through our entire division is a total boys’ club.