Three Broken Promises (One Week Girlfriend #3)(50)
Author: Monica Murphy

Chapter 19

Jen

My head is spinning. Colin wants me to manage his new location? Is he crazy? Is this some sort of handout position? Of course it is. I’m not capable of doing what he wants me to do and he knows it. I have no experience managing a restaurant, running a business, handling all of the office-type day-to-day things. Just thinking about juggling all of that responsibility makes me break out into a sweat.

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, but I’m thinking it’s more of an “I must take care of you because you’re my responsibility” offer. As usual. Does he really believe in me that much? He claims he does. Or is he making the offer because he wants to keep me around and take care of me?

God, the man makes me feel so confused! As if I can do nothing on my own. It all has to come to me as a handout. And when I do try and do something on my own, I almost always fail.

Almost? Try always, you dumbass.

Or I end up dragging myself through the gutter to make a few bucks just to live.

“You okay?” Fable appears before me, her brows scrunched in concern. “You look a little sell-shocked.”

“Colin just offered me a job,” I blurt out.

She laughs. “Um, I hate to point this out, but don’t you already work for him? Oh wait, let me guess. He asked you to be his personal sex slave. I bet that pays well,” she adds with an exaggerated waggle of her brows.

I swat her arm, both irritated and amused at her comment. “Shut up, I’m serious.”

“Fine, fine. What sort of job did he offer you?”

“He wants me to manage the new location.”

Her smile fades. “You mean the restaurant he’s opening in Redding?”

I nod. “The very one.”

“Um . . . I thought he already had someone lined up.”

“So did I, but maybe not? I don’t know. But he just offered me the job, not two minutes ago.”

“What did you say?” Fable asks.

“I didn’t get a chance to answer. He wouldn’t let me, and then his dad walked in just as he was about to say something and interrupted us. The jerk,” I spit out.

“His dad is here? Really? Wow.” She grimaces. “You don’t like him, huh?”

“Not at all.” I shudder. The man gives me a bad vibe.

“So what are you going to say to Colin?”

“No, of course. I’m not equipped to handle a job like that. Too much pressure.” I shrug, feeling let down and not really knowing why. I wish I were good enough to accept the job. I’d jump all over it. But I’m not confident I could do right by him, running the new location on my own. “Besides, it’s just a handout. I’d be his puppet and he’d be pulling all the strings.”

“God, Jen, he’s making you an amazing job offer and you still look at it as charity. Don’t you think he wants you to have the position because he believes in you? It would be a huge risk otherwise.” She tilts her head. “You are pretty good at wrangling us around here. Everyone listens to you. You tend to take command when Colin’s not around.”

She’s right, I do. But it’s just because I feel comfortable here. Colin’s never discouraged me from taking control, either. I appreciate that about him.

But leaving me all on my own, taking care of a restaurant and staff as if I know what I’m doing? The idea alone terrifies me.

“I don’t know what to think. We weren’t able to talk much before his dad barged in and basically told me to leave,” I finally answer.

“He sounds like a great guy,” Fable says, her normally sweet voice full of sarcasm.

“He’s a winner. Thank God, Colin’s not like him.” Never, in all the years I’ve known Colin, has he given me a bad vibe.

His father, on the other hand, had a terrible reputation back in Shingletown. Not that he actually lived there or anything. He’d met Colin’s mom on a whim, at some sort of wild concert weekend, or so the story went. I overheard Colin telling Danny the tale once long, long ago and I tried my best to memorize every little detail.

They had a brief affair, Colin’s mom became pregnant with him, and she called Conrad Wilder up out of the blue and told him he was gonna be a father. He had a girlfriend at the time who kicked him out of the house they shared, he came to Shingletown, moved in with and married Colin’s mom, and they were supposed to live happily ever after.

But they didn’t. They lived in a crappy too-small shack, neither of them had a job or the ambition to do anything beyond drink (him) and cause arguments (her), which led to Conrad Wilder bailing on his family right before Colin’s first birthday. Even weirder, they’re still married.

No wonder Colin has such a messed-up view on relationships. Look at the example his parents gave him.

“Families are strange. I totally get that. When I first met Drew’s dad, he creeped me out. Now I realize he was just miserable and in a terrible marriage. He’s really not that bad.” Fable offers me a reassuring smile. “Maybe Colin’s dad is stressed out or overworked. Who knows? I’m gonna say this, though. Ask Colin more questions about this potential job he’s offering you. Don’t just out-and-out refuse him.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m leaving for Sacramento in little over a week, Fable. I lined up a roommate and everything,” I protest, wincing when I see the crestfallen expression on Fable’s face.

“You found a roommate?” she asks, her voice soft.

“Yeah. We confirmed everything today, as a matter of fact. She seems really nice. I sent her a deposit, so . . .” I hate going on about it. The disappointment is clear in Fable’s eyes.

“That’s awesome. I’m really happy for you.” Fable’s jaw goes firm, like she’s trying to pretend she’s fine. I’ve seen her give the look before. “But I’m dead serious. Talk to him. See what he’s offering.”

“Like a handout?” I say, trying to joke but secretly meaning it. All of his handouts have strings. Ones I didn’t use to mind, since they always involve Colin watching over me. He rarely likes to let me out of his sight.

But I’m really starting to resent his constant need to take care of me. I want more from him.

“Will you stop saying that? It’s like you don’t think you’re worthy of the praise or something. It’s really irritating,” Fable says, her gaze going over my shoulder. She stands straighter as her eyes go wide. “Uh-oh, here he comes. And he looks pissed.”