Shanice looked worried. “Is he verbally abusive to you?”
“No. He’s cautiously polite when I’m around, but the house is practically empty. His voice carries.”
“You must be attracted to him.” Ashley looked dreamy-eyed. “I mean, who wouldn’t be?”
“Handsome is as handsome does, my granny used to say.” Shanice’s phone buzzed. She gave it a cursory glance and put it on mute. “Grace has reason to be careful.”
Grace couldn’t agree more. “My guard went up the minute I saw him.”
“Why?” Nicole studied her.
To avoid the scrutiny, Grace looked down while she smoothed her napkin across her lap. “He’s living the American dream and seems to hate his life. It’s what I notice whenever I have a conversation with him that lasts longer than two minutes.” She let out her breath. “The thing is, I’m exhausted. The commute can take up to two hours each way. I’m lucky to have an hour to play with Samuel. I’ll never have the energy to take online classes. And the money isn’t very good. I don’t know what he pays the temp agency, but I’m barely making ends meet. I need a regular job with better pay so I can be on my own again.”
Nicole frowned. “Are the Garcias pushing you out?”
“No, but Selah is taking over completely. I think she’s glad I’m away all day.” She blinked back tears. “Samuel is becoming very attached to her.”
Shanice leaned forward. “You’re still his mother, Grace.”
“Does he know that?”
“Of course he does, honey.”
“Better keep the job until you have another lined up,” Nicole suggested.
“I think so, too,” Ashley chimed in. Even with tenure, Ashley never took her teaching job for granted. The school district budget could bring layoffs.
“I know, but I still have to try. I have two interviews coming up. I’ve already put Mr. Velasco’s office in order. The next temp will have no problem maintaining the system if he hires a replacement quickly.”
“Sounds like he’s satisfied with the way things are.”
Grace looked at Shanice. “I’m sure he is, and I’m also sure once the word is out, he’ll have women lined up at the door, eager to replace me.”
Roman always knew when Grace Moore came into the studio. The air in the room changed. He’d finished another transfer and was taking a break, sketching ideas for a new series of canvases while pretending he didn’t know she was standing in the doorway. She cleared her throat softly. He looked over his shoulder. “What’s up?”
She tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear. A nervous gesture? “I have to leave early Wednesday and Friday next week. I have two job interviews scheduled.”
His pulse shot up. He thought everything had been going so well. “You already have a job. You work for me.”
“You pay the temp agency for my services, Mr. Velasco. And I told you—I need to find a better-paying job, closer to home.”
“Are you late getting home to fix dinner for your partner?” She wasn’t wearing a ring, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a significant other in her life.
“Everything is caught up in the office, and I—”
“Where do you live?” Roman faced her, determined to fix whatever needed fixing.
“Burbank.”
“It’s not that far, less than twenty miles as the crow flies.”
“I’m not a crow. I spend hours in my car every day, time I . . .” She hesitated. “Time better spent in other ways.”
What other ways? he wanted to ask, but figured she’d tell him it was none of his business. In truth, it wasn’t, but he still wanted to know. She wasn’t giving him a chance to pry.
“Your office is organized, and I’ve written a brief procedures manual for your next personal assistant. I’m not leaving immediately, but I thought I should let you know I’ll be leaving as soon as I find another position more conducive to my needs.” She took a step back, clearly eager to put an end to the conversation.
“Not so fast.” The stool scraped across the floor as he stood. “I’m not hiring another temp.”
“That’s your decision.” She shrugged as if she didn’t care what he did. “The filing system is straightforward. You could manage it by yourself.”
“The last thing I want to be is an office lackey.”
She raised her chin. “It’s not exactly what I dream of doing for the rest of my life, either. You have the option of hiring someone to do it for you.”