Hey! The replies are wonderful! And yes I see you replied Kristina..(lol.
Hope yall are enjoying this. It takes me awhile to get this written, so I
usually like doing long chapters. Anwayz enjoy!
Chloe and Brady continued their staring of wits even after Belle left the room. Chloe suddenly felt a little self-conscious when all the sudden Brady let out a small laugh and leaned forward. He rested his arms on his knees and let his face rest on his fists. He then turned serious, looking into her eyes then over her face for a moment then back up to her eyes again and asked with a suddenly husky voice that was low and smooth, "Are you a career woman Mrs. Lane?" Chloe was a bit taken back by the question and with the way he said it she almost melted right there.
"I take pride in my work and it is very important to me Mr. Black" she answered still unsure of where this was going. His eyebrows raised at her answer and he leaned back in his chair. He brought his hand to his chin and his eyes squinted a bit as he asked, "Seems you did impressively well in most of your subjects, in college, which leads me to believe that you not only worked hard, but you were naturally intelligent on your own as well?" She just knew these questions were leading up to something she didn't think she would like. As he awaited her reply she saw his mouth twitch in the slightest hint of a smile which led her to believe he was getting humor out of all this. "I..I suppose so Mr. Black", Chloe replied. She couldn't believe she came off so nervous. 'Stop it Chloe, this man will not intimidate you' she told herself.
"Well Mrs. Lane with your outstanding qualifications and right on the brink of starting a wonderful career, why would you get married and start a family soon after graduating? I don't understand." As it sunk in all Chloe could do was stare at him with a dumbfounded look on her face, which she quickly covered with a glare in her eyes as she pondered how to answer him. She leaned back and finally broke his gaze, and looked down at her folded hands. Usually she would have come back with a quick-witted reply, but not with this particular question. It hit her where an old wound wasn't completely healed.
'What the hell kind of questions are these, and who does he think he is asking about my personal affairs' she thought as her anger started to get the best of her. "Well frankly Mr. Black I don't think that's any of your business" she replied looking back up to his eyes with conviction in her own. At this point she didn't care if she got the job or not. He stared at her for a moment reading over her face slowly and she was sure he would hit her with something smart, but he just raised his eyebrows and decided he wouldn't press this issue just yet. He leaned up to his desk and looked down at the papers again.
"So, Mrs. Lane did you meet your husband in college?" he asked as the huskiness that was there before started to fade. "Yes I did" Chloe replied. He didn't look up he just read some more from her file. "I also see that you were widowed three years later." he paused, "Must have been very hard for you", He commented slowly. He looked up when she was silent. He saw the nervous stare in her eyes, but now it was touched with a hint of sadness. "That would mean your daughter was.four when you became a single parent?" he asked looking straight at her.
"Yes" She whispered looking down at her hands. He looked down at her hands that were nervously picking at each other. "Is this too painful for you to talk about Mrs. Lane?" he asked quietly. She nodded hearing the husky quality in his voice that made her tingle inside. She was glad he took the hint she didn't want to talk about it, but for other reasons than he probably thought. "I hope you know I have to ask if you have arrangements made for late nights and business trips?" he asked the emotionless quality in his voice coming back again making her insides cold. "Um, yes I have, at Natalie's school they have aftercare programs and I also have a very good friend, Mimi, that would be more than happy to watch her whenever the occasion arose" she said quickly. "How very fortunate", he commented with a raise of his eyebrows.
For some reason Chloe couldn't help but pick up on the slight criticism implied in his tone. He couldn't possibly be judging her on how she handled her affairs. Well, if he was she certainly didn't care, if he wanted her then he would hire her, period. She tossed her long braid over her shoulder and commented confidently "Yes, I am very blessed to have a friend like Mimi around." He propped his elbows on his desk and fiddled with his overly expensive pen as he asked, "Do you have any family near by?" "No my husband was an only child and his parents had him late in life. They live in Europe, and don't visit very often" She answered. "Uh huh, I see, well what about your family?"
She didn't think this question would arise in a job interview, and she didn't see what it had to do with her working capabilities, but if he insisted on knowing. She figured after he played his twenty questions and found out all the juicy details of her frazzled life, there would be no way in hell she would get this job. Still awaiting her answer he shrugged and asked, "Well?" Chloe looked down briefly "I don't have any family" she answered quietly. "You don't have any family?" he asked incredulously twirling his overly expensive pen. "That is what I said Mr. Black, I was orphaned as a child. I lived with an elderly maid for a short time, but when she passed away her estate went to her real family, and I was placed in a children's home." She said smoothly trying to catch a reaction in his metallic blue eyes.
He raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair, still playing with his pen. His eyes flickered only for a fraction of a second before returning their steely gaze. "I see" he commented dryly. Chloe studied him awhile, but couldn't read his face. Only his eyes showed some hints of emotion he only exposed briefly from time to time. She suddenly was fully aware of his muscled strength underneath his expensive designer suit and the rugged, masculine feel to him that made him more attractive than regular guys. 'Could there possibly be a softer side behind that superficial exterior?' Chloe thought.
Chloe and Brady continued their staring of wits even after Belle left the room. Chloe suddenly felt a little self-conscious when all the sudden Brady let out a small laugh and leaned forward. He rested his arms on his knees and let his face rest on his fists. He then turned serious, looking into her eyes then over her face for a moment then back up to her eyes again and asked with a suddenly husky voice that was low and smooth, "Are you a career woman Mrs. Lane?" Chloe was a bit taken back by the question and with the way he said it she almost melted right there.
"I take pride in my work and it is very important to me Mr. Black" she answered still unsure of where this was going. His eyebrows raised at her answer and he leaned back in his chair. He brought his hand to his chin and his eyes squinted a bit as he asked, "Seems you did impressively well in most of your subjects, in college, which leads me to believe that you not only worked hard, but you were naturally intelligent on your own as well?" She just knew these questions were leading up to something she didn't think she would like. As he awaited her reply she saw his mouth twitch in the slightest hint of a smile which led her to believe he was getting humor out of all this. "I..I suppose so Mr. Black", Chloe replied. She couldn't believe she came off so nervous. 'Stop it Chloe, this man will not intimidate you' she told herself.
"Well Mrs. Lane with your outstanding qualifications and right on the brink of starting a wonderful career, why would you get married and start a family soon after graduating? I don't understand." As it sunk in all Chloe could do was stare at him with a dumbfounded look on her face, which she quickly covered with a glare in her eyes as she pondered how to answer him. She leaned back and finally broke his gaze, and looked down at her folded hands. Usually she would have come back with a quick-witted reply, but not with this particular question. It hit her where an old wound wasn't completely healed.
'What the hell kind of questions are these, and who does he think he is asking about my personal affairs' she thought as her anger started to get the best of her. "Well frankly Mr. Black I don't think that's any of your business" she replied looking back up to his eyes with conviction in her own. At this point she didn't care if she got the job or not. He stared at her for a moment reading over her face slowly and she was sure he would hit her with something smart, but he just raised his eyebrows and decided he wouldn't press this issue just yet. He leaned up to his desk and looked down at the papers again.
"So, Mrs. Lane did you meet your husband in college?" he asked as the huskiness that was there before started to fade. "Yes I did" Chloe replied. He didn't look up he just read some more from her file. "I also see that you were widowed three years later." he paused, "Must have been very hard for you", He commented slowly. He looked up when she was silent. He saw the nervous stare in her eyes, but now it was touched with a hint of sadness. "That would mean your daughter was.four when you became a single parent?" he asked looking straight at her.
"Yes" She whispered looking down at her hands. He looked down at her hands that were nervously picking at each other. "Is this too painful for you to talk about Mrs. Lane?" he asked quietly. She nodded hearing the husky quality in his voice that made her tingle inside. She was glad he took the hint she didn't want to talk about it, but for other reasons than he probably thought. "I hope you know I have to ask if you have arrangements made for late nights and business trips?" he asked the emotionless quality in his voice coming back again making her insides cold. "Um, yes I have, at Natalie's school they have aftercare programs and I also have a very good friend, Mimi, that would be more than happy to watch her whenever the occasion arose" she said quickly. "How very fortunate", he commented with a raise of his eyebrows.
For some reason Chloe couldn't help but pick up on the slight criticism implied in his tone. He couldn't possibly be judging her on how she handled her affairs. Well, if he was she certainly didn't care, if he wanted her then he would hire her, period. She tossed her long braid over her shoulder and commented confidently "Yes, I am very blessed to have a friend like Mimi around." He propped his elbows on his desk and fiddled with his overly expensive pen as he asked, "Do you have any family near by?" "No my husband was an only child and his parents had him late in life. They live in Europe, and don't visit very often" She answered. "Uh huh, I see, well what about your family?"
She didn't think this question would arise in a job interview, and she didn't see what it had to do with her working capabilities, but if he insisted on knowing. She figured after he played his twenty questions and found out all the juicy details of her frazzled life, there would be no way in hell she would get this job. Still awaiting her answer he shrugged and asked, "Well?" Chloe looked down briefly "I don't have any family" she answered quietly. "You don't have any family?" he asked incredulously twirling his overly expensive pen. "That is what I said Mr. Black, I was orphaned as a child. I lived with an elderly maid for a short time, but when she passed away her estate went to her real family, and I was placed in a children's home." She said smoothly trying to catch a reaction in his metallic blue eyes.
He raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair, still playing with his pen. His eyes flickered only for a fraction of a second before returning their steely gaze. "I see" he commented dryly. Chloe studied him awhile, but couldn't read his face. Only his eyes showed some hints of emotion he only exposed briefly from time to time. She suddenly was fully aware of his muscled strength underneath his expensive designer suit and the rugged, masculine feel to him that made him more attractive than regular guys. 'Could there possibly be a softer side behind that superficial exterior?' Chloe thought.