Jump Start

21. Twenty-one

Twenty-one

Thomas

H earing the bath run, I thought it might have been the perfect opportunity to go and speak to Chris about something I’d had in my mind for a while.

“Harps?”

“Yeah?” she answered. I saw her undress through the crack in the door, and paused for a moment, just as her bra and panties fell to the floor.

“Are you right, pervert?” Her eyes caught me through the door. I laughed out loud. Oops.

“Just going to chat to Chris for a bit. I’ll come back and grab you before dinner.”

I stepped in to kiss her briefly, resisting the urge to get in the bath with her. Striding out of the room, I had one thing on my mind. Making her happy.

As I arrived at Chris’s hotel room, I realised I was potentially about to ambush him with a proposal with no backup, and not much of a justification. I figured he was a good enough bloke to go along with the notion, to some degree. I took a breath in and knocked on the door. “Chris, it’s Jacko.”

The door opened moments later with Chris on the other side, half-dressed, with a beer in his hand. I raised my eyebrow. “Hard at work, I see. ”

“Give me a break, I wasn’t expecting company.” He motioned for me to walk in.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he perched on the corner of the king-size bed and motioned for me to sit on the lounge chair adjacent.

I paused before speaking, needing to choose my words carefully.

“I have a favour of sorts to ask and I don’t know how to ask it.” Which was the truth. Chris readjusted his sitting position and ran his hand over his bald head.

“Well mate, just hit me with it, yeah?” His apprehension was warranted.

“Obviously, I am in love with Harper.”

“I could have told you that in week one, but go on,” he quipped sarcastically.

“Harper’s boss is a prick and she’s unsure if she wants to work there anymore. She’s not put me up to this, and pretty sure she’d have my balls in a vice if she knew, but is there anything at Echidna you could offer her? If she was interested, of course.”

“Jacko, if Harper was interested in working with us, I would create a position for her. She’s an incredible writer and we don’t have a journalist in the team. We have Holly on social media, which is crucial, but it could do with some writing and depth behind it.”

“Legit?” I shifted my position on the chair. “I didn’t expect you to go for this.”

Chris smiled. “Well, we all love Harper, and I think she would be a fantastic asset to the team, for sure.” He stood up and reached out his hand.

“I’ll have a chat with her, but if she asks me where this came from, I’m not going to lie, mate.” I shook his hand.

“Thanks, Chris, I know. I knew you wouldn’t.”

I left the room feeling excited for the future, but also not quite sure how Harper would take it once she found out it was my idea. I threw those thoughts to the back of my head. Now, we just had to enjoy a team dinner together with no outside pressures.

Was I being selfish for wanting her around all the time? Maybe, but I wanted her to be happy and I knew Chris was in the position to support her. Plus, everyone at Echidna loved her.

As I re-entered our room, Harper was still in the bathroom.

“You coming to this thing or what?” I yelled through the closed door, knowing it would piss her off. Not sure why I insisted on pushing her buttons so often. Probably because I loved the fire she gave me in return.

***

Harper

Just as I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup, Thomas yelled out from the other side of the bathroom door. “You coming to this thing or what?” I smiled.

“Yeah, just give me a second, geesh.” The problem with dating a race car driver was the constant impatience, always having to stick to a schedule to the absolute second.

“It’s just dinner. You know there’s no winner, right?” I snapped at him as he walked down the hotel corridor together .

“My, my, someone’s hangry,” he joked as he kissed my cheek again, making it impossible to be annoyed with him.

“You’re just trying to be cute, so I don’t lose my shit at you.”

“Is it working?” he asked with a pretend pout. I nodded to confirm that it was indeed.

Dinner with the team was always fun. I genuinely loved them so much and they had made me feel welcome since day one. I was at the bar when Chris stood next to me, briefly speaking with someone else.

“How’s it going, Harps?” he asked as he signalled to the bartender for a drink for the two of us.

“Thanks! Yeah, I’m good, how are you?”

He smiled and handed me the glass of champagne. “Have you got a minute to chat out on the balcony?”

I nodded, suddenly feeling self-conscious. As I walked behind Chris, I caught Thomas’s eyes. He winked at me and kept talking to Holly.

Chris walked ahead of me, then perched his arm on the railing and clinked our champagne glasses together. “To a great weekend ahead, here’s hoping!”

I echoed his sentiment.

“Harper, I wanted a moment with you to ask how you are feeling about your current role at the Daily . I know you’ve had some recent trouble with your boss, and I thank you for not telling him what happened with Will.” His eyebrows squished together; his face concerned. I always liked Chris’s demeanour. From day one, he was so kind to me. Whatever he had to say to me out on the balcony, he must have wanted a private moment, so I would humour him at least for a while.

“I would never share anything that happens here at the team. You guys are like family now.” I paused. Chris smiled warmly, so I continued. “I haven’t been happy there for a little while now. I wanted to take this weekend to think of what my next move may be.”

Chris’s smile grew as he said, “Nothing like a loud race weekend to do so.”

I laughed. “That’s exactly what Thomas said.”

The area fell quiet, a slight awkwardness in the air. I believe I knew where the conversation was now going, but I didn’t want to lead it there myself.

“Harper, the reason I was asking is because I wanted to see if you were interested in a role I am thinking of creating for Echidna, Chief Communications Officer. You would essentially be the link between Echidna and the press. Holly would still do social media, but she would be working under your guidance. I think you would be perfect for the role, and we would love to have you onboard.”

My face must have been reading like a stunned mullet because he prompted me shortly after. “Harps?”

I took a breath in. “Chris, wow, this is so much to take in. Thank you so much for thinking of me. Are you going to advertise the role to the public?” I wanted to be in with a fair chance and not just be handed the role. “Does Thomas know about this? I would have to speak to him, I think, as well.” I instantly envisioned Thomas and I fighting over who would get to sit at the desk or the couch of his office.

“Harper, I will be one hundred per cent honest with you. You are the only one I am considering for this. Thomas already knows as it was his idea at first, but I have thought about it, and I think you would be the perfect fit. ”

Thomas already knew? Why was he orchestrating jobs for me in secret? I couldn’t work out if I was mad or grateful.

“I see. Can I take some time to think about it? It’s a lot to process.”

He leaned in and squeezed my shoulder. “Yes, of course, take all the time you need. You have my number.” He smiled and walked back into the room where the rest of the party was.

It was an exceptional offer, a role much more tailored to my tastes and I was sure I could mould it into what I was happy with.

Thomas appeared with a strange look on his face. Worry.

“What are you, my job pimp or something?” I said sarcastically as I leant in to hug him.

“Sorry, I just wanted to help, and Chris thought it was a really good idea.”

“I appreciate that, thank you. Can you just tell me next time you decide to do something like that, so I’m not stunned like a kangaroo in headlights?” He let out a belly laugh, obviously feeling a little bit of relief over keeping his plan so close to his chest.

“So, what did you say?” Thomas asked, unconvincingly hiding the hope in his voice.

“I said I’d think about it. Is it a good idea for us to be working together? Like, you’d actually need to listen to what I have to say,” I said, poking my tongue out at him.

“Harper, I always listen to you. You can have my office. I’ll just live off the couch.” His faith in us coexisting in the office was genuine and sweet, but I still had my reservations.

“I need a bit of time to think it over. Are you hiding anything else up your sleeve? ”

“No more secret jobs lined up. That’s the only one,” he promised with a wink.

I was so grateful for his support. Who would have thought six months ago that we would be in this situation? Considering working together full-time.

***

As I showered and got ready for bed, I thought more about what the offer would mean. Every line of thought arrived at the same result. I’d be silly not to take the role. My only reservation was that if things didn’t work out with Thomas, I would have to leave. It wasn’t like he could leave his own racing team.

I didn’t feel particularly comfortable going back to the Daily for any amount of time. Harry had shown his true colours, and regardless of whether he was heading towards retirement or not, I didn’t want to be working for someone like that.

“What the hell are you doing in there?” I heard Thomas’s voice from the bed and smiled at myself in the mirror.

“Can’t a girl just have a minute to herself?” Footsteps indicated that he was on his way to the bathroom. Apparently not. He slowly peered through the door.

“You know, if you lived with me, you could have your own bathroom entirely, do whatever you want with it.” His tall stature was slightly hunched as he leaned on the door frame.

I rolled my eyes. How could he just ask me that so casually?

“That’s a strange way to ask someone to move in with you,” I said, turning to face him, toothbrush in my hand.

“What’s your answer? ”

“One life-changing offer at a time, please,” my reply sarcastic and short.

“You should move in with me. We could drive to work together and flirt in the office all day.”

“Some of us would actually have to work for a living,” I joked, hoping for levity when I added, “It’s a no. For now, anyway. You live in the middle of nowhere and I’m a city girl.” I couldn’t help but notice the slight change in his face. Disappointment.

The idea of living with Thomas in his big, beautiful house was attractive, and so was being driven to work every day. I would think about it. Better not to give in too easily.