“Samesies,” April said, immediately kicking herself for using such a childish word in a business setting.
If Gallagher noticed, he didn’t let on. “Excellent choice.”
Their table was ready by the time the drinks arrived, which meant not having to indulge in small talk at the bar, something for which Kayleigh was thankful. She muttered a polite thank you when Gallagher held out the chair for her at the table, and then proceeded to gulp down a good-sized portion of the rum while he did the same for April.
“Thank you again for coming, and thank you, Miss Navarro, for arranging the meeting.”
“My pleasure, Michael, and do please call me April.”
“Splendid. I hope you are feeling better,”
“What? Oh, no, sorry. I wasn’t sick today. We had a bit of an incident at our home last night.”
“An incident?”
“Yes, an intruder.”
Sliding down in her chair, Kayleigh kicked out and caught April on the foot trying to get her to shut up.
“How awful,” Gallagher said, a look of distress on his face. “Did the police take care of it?”
Grimacing at the throbbing pain in her foot, April tried to smile. “It was all a big misunderstanding. The man who entered the house was a neighbor. He was drunk and went to the wrong house. Still, we were all slightly startled and couldn’t sleep much after the fact.”
“Goodness. I’m pleased to hear that it was a simple misunderstanding. It sounds like you are having quite the adventure on your week off, Miss Barnes,” Gallagher said, turning his attention to Kayleigh.
“Honestly, that’s the first bit of excitement I’ve had. Just the way I like it.”
The small talk continued as they ordered and shared some appetizers, Gallagher leading the conversation and showing genuine interest in them both. Kayleigh hated to admit it, but she found herself warming to her boss, which helped her relax. By the time the main course arrived, Kayleigh was on her third drink and feeling fine.
“So, before we get down to business talk, do either of you have any questions?”
“I do, but can I be blunt?” Kayleigh asked, seeing April’s eyes widen at the question.
Gallagher laughed. “I’ve never known you to be any other way. Please, ask away.”
“Here’s the thing, when we are at the office, you come across as this smarmy Lothario, yet out here, you are quite charming. What’s that about?
Dropping his head and lacing his hands across his chest, Gallagher sighed. “I must apologize for my workplace behavior. I am well aware that I make many of you uncomfortable, and that I am an egotistical ass, but it’s nothing more than my trying to appear confident and in control.”
Suddenly feeling brave, April joined the conversation. “You are doing a much better job of that tonight. My boyfriend is across the street, keeping an eye on things to make sure you don’t misbehave.”
“Have I been that bad?”
“Yes, and it’s the main reason why I didn’t immediately agree to the promotion,” Kayleigh said.
Pushing his plate away, Gallagher wiped his mouth with his napkin and placed the soiled linen on top of his unfinished meal. “Again, I apologize. The truth is that the powers that be at FinaCol have been at me for quite some time to hire another manager. It’s no secret, Miss Barnes, that you are the top employee under my watch. You were the obvious choice. If I made you feel any other way, then I have failed in my duty.”
“Why not just tell me that when you called me into your office? It felt like you were looking for nothing more than a date. It also felt like you were forcing my hand by making April do your dirty work.”
“That much is true, I’ll confess. I see you two together and see how well you get along. While part of my plan was to get Miss Navarro to talk you into taking the position, the truth is that I believe you would make a dynamic team. The sky is the limit for you both.”
Glancing over at her friend, Kayleigh could see that April was beaming, reveling in the idea of working side by side. The idea appealed to Kayleigh, too, but she still had some reservations. “If, and that is an if, I agree to take the job, will you promise to tone it down a bit and stop being so cr...rude? You are old enough to be my dad. It’s not cool.”
“It’s funny that you should say, dad. It was my father who instilled this character in me. He was hard on my older brother and me, but where my sibling rebelled, I took the bait. I would go to the office with him and watch as he behaved the way I do now. I believed that if I were to be a success, I needed to adopt that persona. I know now that it’s antiquated and misogynistic, but old habits die hard.”
“So, are you saying you can’t change.”
“I’m saying I will try. My father passed recently, and I no longer feel as though I am in his shadow.” Gallagher stared off into the distance as he spoke. “Perhaps now I can reunite with my brother,” he said, almost as though talking to himself.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” April said.
“You are too kind, but it is unnecessary. I hated that rotten old bastard.”
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence at the table. Gallagher looked embarrassed at having shared something so personal, while Kayleigh and April both struggled to think of something to say to get the conversation started again. It was Gallagher who finally spoke first.
“Well, again, I must thank you both for coming. I should have waited until next week until after your vacation was over, Miss Barnes, but as I said, the company needs me to make a move as soon as possible. I am, though, happy to wait until Monday for your decision.”
Turning to April, Kayleigh took her friend by the hand. “You really want this, don’t you?”
Gallagher stood and cleared his throat. “This seems to be a personal moment. I shall go and take care of the bill and give you both a moment to talk.” He scurried away, waving to their server as he headed towards the back of the restaurant.
They watched him go and began to laugh. “Is that our Mr. Gallagher, or is it a bot?” Kayleigh said.
Ignoring the question, April looked at her friend, tears threatening to spill, and said, “Don’t take this job to make me happy. I’d never forgive myself if you did it for me and ended up miserable.”
“No. I think the time is right. These past few days off have given me plenty of time to think. I wanted the position, but I didn’t want to be beholden to Gallagher. It seems that’s not how it would be at all. I’m going to accept it, and you are going to be my glamorous personal assistant.”
Gallagher returned to the table as Kayleigh and April hugged, both spilling happy tears.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. Do you, uh, have something you would like to share.”
Standing, Kayleigh reached her hand across the table and said, “I’ll take the job. Thank you for thinking of me.”
With a grin that did not seem quite so creepy as before, Gallagher shook Kayleigh’s hand. “You have made an excellent decision, Miss Barnes. You should both come and see me in my office first thing on Monday morning. I’ll have all the paperwork ready.” Turning to April, he said, “Thank you for helping. Please, take the rest of the week off, and do please tell your boyfriend not to assault me when I leave the restaurant.”