Meant to Marry Me

Thank goodness the new office space was furnished. Trent was glad he got to check one more thing off of his list. He had been in communication with his firm in Kentucky to see if anyone from there wanted to relocate to Nashville, and a few of his proven associates were on board to transfer, which was exciting. It would leave him slightly short handed in his other office, but the manager of that office, Katherine, was fully qualified to hire replacements.

Trent had spoken to his most trusted advisors to make sure they were on board with him opening a second location, and everyone had thought it was a great idea. Business was great back home in Louisville, but now more clients could use their services in adjoining states, and it was exciting to know they'd have a chance to spread their wings a little and acquire new accounts as well.

Between moving into a new apartment, getting all of his belongings from his house in Kentucky, and signing all of the paperwork for the new building, he'd been very busy. He was lucky to have people back at his office in Louisville who could help him set up interviews. That afternoon, after he'd finished unpacking a few more boxes in the apartment, he headed to the office to meet some potential new hires. He really needed someone who could run the business while he was out on the road with Bree.

He also needed a secretary--perhaps that was the most important role he needed to fill. It was difficult to sit at his desk and do some work but then go check to see if anyone was there for an interview at the front of the office, so he'd ended up setting up a work space at the receptionist's desk, which he would've preferred not to have to do.

Trent was just sending an important email to a client when the door opened and a woman with dark hair poked her head in. He finished writing the sentence he was typing and then turned to look at her.

"Hi," she said. "I'm looking for Walker Accounting Services. Am I in the right place?"

"You are," Trent said with a smile, standing to greet her. "Sorry--we haven't got the signage in yet."

"No, it's okay. I just wanted to make sure." She stepped over as he came around the desk to greet her. "I'm Celia Devoe."

"Trent Walker. Nice to meet you." He shook her hand and then gestured to a chair across the desk from where he'd been sitting. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." She sat down and then opened her portfolio. "This is a nice office space," she said, pulling out a paper and placing it on the table.

Trent slid her resume over closer so he could see it. He'd printed one off earlier from the files his receptionist back in Louisville had sent him, but it was always nice to make sure he had the most updated information.

Celia was impressive on paper. She had her master's degree in accounting and had been working at a major firm for about seven years. It was a family firm, though, and Trent was under the impression the owner had just given his son a sizable promotion he likely didn't deserve. If Trent had to guess, he'd assume Celia was the one who should've gotten that raise, but since she hadn't, now she was here.

"So, tell me a little about yourself," he said. He always started off interviews that way, just to loosen the person up and get them to relax a little.

"Well, I love numbers, obviously, or I wouldn't be an accountant. In my free time, which I don't really have a lot of, I like hiking. Nature is very calming to me, so I spend as much time outside as possible. I'm also a sports fanatic. If the Titans are playing, you better not call me." She laughed, and Trent found himself chuckling along. She looked athletic--not that he was noticing. He wasn't. Not on purpose. She was wearing a nice white shirt and black slacks, very professional, but it was apparent she had muscle tone in her upper arms. Even without him meaning to look.

It was evident she was already comfortable without him having to get her to chat about anything else, so he began asking her the normal accounting questions he asked a potential new hire. Within minutes, they were having a conversation about the industry rather than a question and answer session. Celia clearly knew her stuff. She was highly accomplished and had run a department for several years. Trent was impressed with every aspect of her professional life. A check of the time told him he'd already kept her for over half an hour, and he had someone else coming in soon. "Well, Ms. Devoe, I think you've answered all of my questions. Do you have anything you'd like to ask me?" He'd already explained to her how he was expanding his company and why, from a professional standpoint. He never discussed his personal life during an interview.

"I think you've answered all of my questions," she said with a shrug. "Normally, I have a slew of questions I'd want to know before I took a new position, but I'm excited about what you're doing here. I love the idea of helping you build a Nashville team, and I'm sure I can be an asset in helping you acquire new clients. I guess my only question would be, when can I start?" She chuckled, making it evident she was joking and didn't expect an answer.

So it caught both of them off guard when Trent found himself saying, "How about Monday?"

Celia's eyebrows shot up over her light green eyes. "Are you serious?"

"I am." he nodded. He hadn't spoken to anyone else half as qualified as she was. "I suppose you'll want two weeks to let your existing employer know, though."

"Yes, I believe that would be the professional thing to do. But in two weeks... I'm all yours."

Trent ignored the connotation that could've had--he knew she didn't mean anything other than professionally. Still, he had a lot in common with Celia, and she was a lovely woman. Thank goodness he was in love with Bree, or he might be tempted at work. But he wouldn't be here that much, so it wasn't worth the worry. "Sounds great," Trent said. "I'll be in touch soon with the details."

He stood, shook her hand, and then walked her to the door, confident he was making the best decision for the firm. If Bree could ignore Zach at work, he could certainly do the same with Celia. Who knows--if they were both single, maybe he could set the two of them up on a date.

He sat back down at his desk, glad he'd filled that position. Now, he needed a receptionist. Perhaps an older woman with gray hair, bad teeth, and a hump....