Hired To Love

Chapter Two

Bennett

"The plans for the hotel in Wailea, Hawaii have gone accordingly. Both our construction team and the town mayor have approved the blueprints. I have the estimated budget here and if you approve, you may sign and we could start the construction by next week."

I looked up from my phone to see a few nervous pairs of eyes blinking at me. I turned to my wild-haired assistant, Henry, who had the same apprehensive expression on his face. I'd forgotten I was in the middle of a meeting. I had no idea what we were talking about. I cleared my throat. "If my mother agrees to it, let's go along with it."

"Uh, Bennett, your mother said for you to oversee this," Henry whispered to me. "If we go to her she will scold us."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Were they still talking about the building of the hotel resort in Wailea? Or had we moved on to something else? I couldn't concentrate today.

It was all that girl Henley's fault. It'd been one week and she had yet to call me. Every few seconds I glanced at my phone wondering if I'd see it vibrating with an unknown number on display. What was taking her so long anyway? I figured she'd call the next day and we'd work out a deal. But she hadn't. And the last two times I'd been back to the restaurant she hadn't been there.

"Mr. Calloway?"

"Ah, let me see the projected costs again," I said, hoping I could piece together everything by that. It didn't matter what I said anyway, my mother would get the final say on the plans no matter what.

After the meeting, I went back to my house and found Sebastian waiting for me by the front door. He held up a hand in greeting. "How'd the meeting go?"

"Boring. They don't really need me. All I say is yes or no. What are you doing here?"

"Hiding from my mom," he said, following me inside.

I raised an eyebrow at my friend. "You can't at your house? Why don't you just lock your doors?"

"She has keys."

"Change the locks."

"She'll have keys," he said, shaking his head. "She's crazy. She won't come here though. I think she's afraid of your mom."

I wouldn't have been surprised. Most people were. I definitely was. "Don't be noisy," I warned him.

He waved me off. "I'll do my own thing, don't worry about me."

Sighing, I plopped onto my couch and checked my phone.

Nothing.

Tsking, I tossed it away from me.

"You look like your prom date ditched you," Sebastian commented from across the room, where he'd taken a seat at my computer desk. In his hands was a newspaper he'd produced from God knows where.

So much for him not being noisy. I gave him a moody look but realized I was just proving his point so I looked away. "Why hasn't she called?"

"Who?"

"Henley."

"The girl from the restaurant?"

I nodded.

"Well, your note was a little weird," he informed me, opening the newspaper.

"I was drunk though. She knew that."

He shrugged. "Did you leave a bad tip?"

I blinked. Did I leave her a bad tip? I remembered writing the note, but I couldn't remember writing a tip. "I can't remember what I left her."