Dearest Virgins (Complete Series Box Set) Read online

  “Oh hang in there, hon,” Isabella said, squeezing my hand. “Maybe you should try a distraction?”

  I frowned. “Like what?”

  “Men.”

  I smirked at her. “Ha ha…”

  “I wasn’t making a joke,” Isabella said. “When’s the last time you went out on a date?”

  “Uh… not sure,” I admitted.

  “I’ll tell you,” Isabella said immediately. “It was four months ago.”

  “No, it wasn’t.”

  “Just about,” Isabella nodded. “Almost four.”

  “So three.”

  Chris laughed as Isabella narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re really shady about relationships…”

  “Am I?” I asked innocently.

  “Yeah, and you’re picky.”

  “I am not picky,” I said defensively. “I’m just… discerning.”

  Isabella laughed. “I think they’re synonyms.”

  “How are things with you, Chris?” I asked, pointedly changing the subject.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Isabella said. “We’re talking about you.”

  “Actually, I’m curious too,” Chris said.

  “Why?” I asked, surprised that he was interested in my dating history.

  “Well… because in the time I’ve known you you’ve had two different boyfriends and they’ve ended for no apparent reason.”

  “Um, there were reasons,” I said.

  “Which are?”

  I glanced at Isabella, and she caught on immediately. “Uh, Chris?” she interrupted. “Would you mind checking on my car?”

  “What?” Chris asked, looking surprised.

  “The lot was full, and I parked across the street. Could you just go make sure I parked in a legal zone… please? I just saw a tow truck go by and I’m a little nervous.”

  Looking slightly confused, Chris shuffled off, and Isabella turned to me urgently the moment he was gone. “Shit, sorry!” she exclaimed.

  “Why on earth were you drilling me about my past relationships?” I demanded. “I don’t want Chris to know I’m a virgin.”

  “I forgot… and I wasn’t specifically referring to your virginity.”

  “No… but that’s the primary reason all my relationships have been so short-lived so far…”

  “Really?” Isabella asked. “All of them?”

  “Pretty much,” I said. “Some of them have been kinder about their reasons for ending things with me… but I always know the real reason.”

  “Even Casey?” Isabella asked.

  “Even Casey.” I nodded. “He wanted to take things to the next level and I just… I didn’t feel like it was the correct time.”

  “You are twenty-six…”

  “Let’s discuss this later please,” I said. “Chris is coming back.”

  “Everything’s fine, Izzy,” Chris said, as he slipped back into his chair. “Your car is parked legally.”

  “Thanks, Chris,” Isabella said, shooting him a wink. “You’re a doll.”

  “Did you ladies finish discussing whatever it was you wanted to talk about in private?” Chris asked shrewdly.

  I blushed a little, but Isabella didn’t flinch. “You’re a smart cookie.”

  “That I am.”

  “I can’t figure out why you’re still single.” She smiled.

  Chris laughed. “I think I’m just waiting for the right girl.”

  “Oh?”

  “Something tells me she’s right around the corner though.”

  “Is that so?” Isabella asked. “Care to elaborate?”

  “Not really,” Chris smiled. “Ah, excellent… our food’s here.”

  We had a few minutes of silence while we took the edge off our hunger and then Isabella looked towards Chris. “So, Chris,” she started. “Is there someone special in your life… or am I just making assumptions?”

  “There’s no one special in my life,” Chris replied. “Except, of course, for you ladies.”

  I laughed distractedly, but my mind was elsewhere. I was feeling a little inadequate of late. Not only did it seem like I was incapable of holding down a job, but my personal life also wasn’t doing much better. My last relationship had been with Casey. It had lasted almost six months, and I had thought we’d been doing really well. And then that old problem had reared its ugly head… again.

  He couldn’t understand why sex was such a big deal for me and I resented the fact that he seemed to think I was being childish for refusing to sleep with him. In the end, a small fight had become a big one, and Casey had walked out of my life, and that had been that.

  I had gone on a few dates afterward, but none had amounted to much, mostly because I anticipated the same reaction from those guys that I had gotten from all the ones before them. Feeling jaded and disheartened, I had put dating on the backburner to focus on my career… and then that had blown up in my face too.

  Isabella was the only one of my friends who knew I was a virgin. We had been friends since college, and she had found out by accident. She had been exceptionally supportive of me at the time, but I was starting to notice that she was getting increasingly impatient with my stance that sex was important enough that I felt it warranted waiting for the right person.

  “Hello?” Isabella waved a hand in my face. “Earth to Molly.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “Zoned out a little.”

  “That tends to happen when I talk,” Chris sighed.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I guess I’m just a little preoccupied with my work situation. I’m going through my savings at an alarming rate, and I already live in the cheapest possible apartment building in the cheapest part of town, which means if I don’t get a job soon, I’m going to be living in a cardboard box.”

  “Fuck… well, have you thought about asking your parents for money?” Isabella asked.

  “No,” I said immediately. “No way… I have to do this on my own.”

  “Okay, then I can lend you some money–”

  “No,” I interrupted. “I’m not taking money from anyone. I have to make my own way.”

  “So much pride,” Isabella said, shaking her head at me. “I never understood that about you.”

  I smiled as Chris cleared his throat.

  “What?” Isabella asked.

  “Well, I might have a solution to your problem,” Chris said, though he sounded unsure.

  “Okay?” I said.

  “My company’s been looking to hire a personal assistant for a while now… but they’re not having much luck. The pay’s really good, and it’s close to where you live, Molly… about a ten-minute walk I’d say.”

  I exchanged a glance with Isabella. “Your company’s hiring?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And this position has been available for a while?” Isabella asked.

  “Yes.”

  “So why didn’t you tell Molly about this sooner?” Isabella asked.

  “Well, because you’d be personal secretary to my boss… Tim Preston.”

  Isabella frowned. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”

  “Wait,” I said. “The name sounds familiar to me actually…”

  “He’s the CEO of Tech Theories,” Chris explained. “One of the local newspapers actually did a piece on him a while back. He started the company when he was twenty-eight, and he managed to make it a success in a record amount of time. And the reason he was able to do that is that he’s hard-working, ambitious, and ruthless. He doesn’t have the best reputation…”

  “Oh,” I said, realizing why Chris had been reluctant to tell me about the job.

  “I mean, the job’s a good one, you’ll learn a lot, but I just didn’t think you’d be suited for it. You’re just so…”

  He trailed off suddenly and something about his tone had me bristling inwardly. “I’m just so… what?” I asked curiously.

  “Uh, well, you know?”

  “I don’t actually… that’s why I’m asking.”
>
  “You’re so sweet,” Chris said. “You’re sweet and polite and kind and… wonderful. You wouldn’t know what to do with someone like Tim Preston. He’s an asshole.”

  “I can handle myself,” I said, trying to sound strong and confident.

  Chris gave me a smile that clearly told me that he didn’t think I could handle myself. It wasn’t just that he thought I was sweet and kind… he thought I was naïve, maybe even a little weak? I wondered if I was reading too much into it, but something about that conversation had gotten me feeling as though I needed to step up and prove myself. I wasn’t some shrinking violet… I could do a good job no matter how hard the circumstances were, no matter how much of an asshole the boss turned out to be.

  “I’d like to apply for the job,” I said. “Would you mind giving me the details?”

  Chris raised his eyebrows a little, but he nodded without further comment.

  “Thanks,” I said, pushing aside my nerves and willing myself not to be the weakling that Chris thought I was.

  Three

  Tim

  “I missed an appointment yesterday,” I complained as I barged into Lauren’s office.

  “Who with?” Lauren asked.

  She wasn’t usually rattled, and I had always admired that about her. But there were days when it annoyed me too. A small part of me registered that maybe Lauren was right when she accused me of being difficult. Maybe working as hard as I had for the past six years, and even the years preceding that, had taken its toll on me… maybe a calm and likable personality was the sacrifice I had paid for my success.

  That was a reasonable price… right? I sat down in front of her and looked around her office. It was a shoebox, but it was well organized, and I could tell that Lauren kept on top of things. I noticed there was a picture frame on her desk, but it was turned away from me so I couldn’t see what the picture inside it was.

  “Made any progress?” I asked. “I need an assistant.”

  “You’ve been saying.”

  “You were interviewing people this morning, right?”

  “I’m still interviewing people,” Lauren replied. “I have another potential candidate coming in now.”

  “Excellent,” I said. “Then I can check them out too.”

  Lauren raised her eyebrows. “You want to be here?”

  “Sure.” I nodded. “Why not?”

  “I don’t want to scare anyone away.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “This employee is going to be working closely with me… they might as well meet me right away. In any case, I’m a pretty good judge of character.”

  “Fine,” Lauren said with a shrug. “You’re the boss.”

  The door opened, and a mousy girl with big round glasses poked her head in the door. “Lauren, your next appointment is here.”

  “Thank you, Carol,” Lauren nodded. “You can send her in.”

  I frowned as I got up and vacated the seat I was in. “What was that?” I asked curiously.

  Lauren raised her eyebrows. “I believe the correct question would be, ‘Who is that?’ and the answer would be Carol.”

  “I vaguely remember hiring her,” I admitted. “But that wasn’t my question.”

  “No?”

  “Is she your secretary?”

  “She helps me out a little bit,” Lauren admitted.

  “So yes?”

  “It’s not all she does.”

  “I can’t believe you have an assistant and I don’t.”

  “Don’t even think about poaching her if this next interview doesn’t go well,” Lauren said immediately. “I need her.”

  “I might need her more.” I smiled. “I’m the boss.”

  Lauren gritted her teeth. “She’s coming in,” she pointed out.

  The door opened, and a small woman walked in. She had soft brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was wearing black pants and a crisp white shirt. She looked professional and earnest, but I could also tell she was a little nervous.

  “Lauren,” I said. “Why don’t you ask your assistant to bring in a chair for you?”

  Smiling at the annoyed look on Lauren’s face, I turned to the woman who had just walked in. The smile on my face seemed to put her at ease because she seemed to relax slightly and she gave me a tentative smile in return.

  I noticed she had deep dimples on both cheeks and a smile that was slightly tilted to one side of her mouth. She was pretty, but she wasn’t the type of face that you would put on the covers of magazines. So I didn’t understand why I couldn’t look away from her.

  “Take a seat,” I said, as I sat down in Lauren’s chair.

  Lauren brought another chair into her office and sat down beside me. “You must be Molly Stanley?”

  “I am.” She nodded, as her eyes zipped between Lauren and me.

  “I’m Lauren, head of human resources here at Tech Theories,” Lauren introduced herself. “And this is–”

  “I’m Tim Preston,” I interrupted, stretching my hand out to shake Molly’s.

  I saw her eyebrows go up a little and I knew she recognized my name. “How did you hear about this job?” I asked, taking the lead on the interviewing process.

  “My friend works here,” Molly replied, after a short pause. “He told me there was a vacancy.”

  “Your friend works here?” I repeated. “Who might that be?”

  “Ah… his name is Chris. Christopher Tucci.”

  “Should I know that name?” I asked Lauren.

  “The important thing is I do,” Lauren said, as she shot me a glare before turning to Molly. “I’ve read through your resume, Molly. It seems you’ve worked at several different places over the last couple of years.”

  I saw Molly wring her hands together and I saw the nerves re-enter her body. She bit her lip a little, and I saw the dimple on her left cheek emerge for a moment before disappearing again. Her eyes were beautiful. They were almond shaped and a deep chestnut brown that carried every reflection.

  “I’ve had a string of bad luck,” Molly said. “The last two companies I worked for were laying off workers because they were both downsizing and because I hadn’t been an employee for a significant length of time I was let go.”

  “I see.” Lauren nodded, as she looked down at the resume in hand. “How long were you at Barclay’s for?”

  “Almost six months,” Molly replied.

  “And The Design Collective?”

  “Five months,” Molly replied.

  “That’s not very long at all…”

  “The companies were downsizing,” I interrupted. “They were letting people go. Molly was laid off because of the fact that she’d been there only a short while.”

  “I heard her, Tim,” Lauren said pointedly, raising her eyebrows at me.

  When I turned back to Molly, she was looking uncertain, but I found that I was really enjoying myself.

  “And before these two jobs… where did you work?”

  “A small private company. I did mostly secretarial work but I decided to leave eventually because I didn’t see any room for me to grow there. Shortly after that I was hired at Barclay’s. I also did a little waitressing during that time… I know it’s not relevant but… I included it anyway.”

  “I see that.” I nodded. “You went to college in San Francisco?”

  “I did,” Molly nodded. “University of California. I graduated four years ago with a degree in advertising and marketing.”

  I nodded. “Are you originally from California?”

  “No, I’m from Ohio.”

  “You don’t say?”

  Molly smiled. “The plan was to move back to Ohio after I finished my degree, but I just fell in love with San Francisco. I knew I had to stay here. ”

  “Do you go home often?” I asked, without thinking about the question.

  “Uh… not as often as I would like,” Molly replied. “In fact, I don’t travel as often as I would like. I hope to change that in the future.”

&n
bsp; “This job doesn’t exactly offer travel opportunities,” I pointed out.

  Molly smiled. “That’s okay… that’s what vacation time is for.”

  Lauren cleared her throat pointedly, and Molly’s gaze snapped to her. “Are you well versed in software apps and IT, Molly?”

  “I have a working knowledge of both, yes.” Molly nodded. “I took a couple of IT courses in college and my first job after I graduated involved a lot of online work. In any case, I’m a really fast learner. I promise you, I can do a good job here if you just give me a chance.”

  She turned to me on the last sentence, and my eyes met hers. I was trying to decide if her brown eyes held flecks of green when Lauren interrupted us again.

  “Basically this job entails call screening, scheduling, typing up memos… that sort of thing. Of course, the duties will increase the more experience you gain.”

  “Of course,” Molly nodded emphatically. “I can handle that.”

  “Well, we have lots of candidates up for this position, Molly,” Lauren said. “But I will keep you informed about the–”

  “You’re hired,” I said, cutting off Lauren.

  She looked at me in stunned silence, but I just gave her a calm smile and turned to Molly. “You’ve got the job,” I said. “You can start on Monday.”

  “Are you serious?” Molly asked.

  “I’m always serious,” I said.

  “Oh my God,” Molly said, and she looked absolutely shocked. “I got the job.”

  I let out a low chuckle. “You’ve got the job,” I said. “You do realize you’ll be working directly under me… as my assistant?”

  “I do.” Molly nodded, and I could tell that she was trying desperately to stop smiling, but she didn’t seem to be making any progress. “I’m sorry,” she said, in embarrassment. “I’m just so excited about this.”

  “I don’t blame you,” I joked. “Most people are excited to be working with me.”

  I ignored Lauren’s subtle eye roll and watched as she walked Molly out of her office. “Thank you, Mr. Preston,” Molly said, turning towards me at the door. “And you too, Lauren.”

  “You can call me Tim,” I said. “I don’t like to be addressed so formally.”

  “Oh, okay… Tim,” Molly said, in a shy voice.