Her phone chimed again. Claire wanted to wrap her arms around her. Instead she bunched her hands into fists. She wasn’t going to react. She wasn’t in a playful mood and Jason would catch on. He’d soon lose interest and give her back the phone.
Jason read the text and frowned. “Have you ever been to one of those contests?”
“No,” she admitted reluctantly. She didn’t even know where they were held or if there were rules. “Why?”
“Then you may have a problem.” Jason gave her the phone. “Looks like Max is coming for a visit so he can see you in action.”
Visit? That didn’t make any sense. Max wouldn’t waste his time visiting a rural small town. She read his last text.
I’m going to be in Seattle next Friday. Would love to meet up.
She doubled over as her stomach twisted violently. “Nooo.”
Another text popped up.
Consider this challenge your interview—transform yourself in one week and the job is yours.
The panic clawed her chest as she gulped in air. “This isn’t happening.”
* * *
JASON WATCHED CLAIRE with growing concern. She shoved her hands in her long blond hair. Her blue eyes were dull and her full lips were pinched. Her fair skin had gone white. The woman had always been uptight but he had never seen her this upset before.
He glanced at the message on her phone. “Transform?” he asked as he curled his arm around her shoulders. She felt soft and delicate against him. “What is he talking about?”
“Max Blair helps celebrities manage their public image on social media. He is a big deal and he’s interviewing me for a job.” She covered her face with her hands. “But I have to pass a test by reinventing myself into a wild party girl.”
Claire Miller, a party girl? He couldn’t wrap his head around the idea. This Max Blair knew how to test her. Claire didn’t have the attitude to be a wild woman. She was quiet and gentle. Serious. Intense. Always had been. At times it turned into anxiety. When that happened, he tried to distract her until she calmed down. He wasn’t always successful.
But this test was something else. Claire didn’t like revealing anything about herself, but he discovered something new every time he saw her. Like when she had unintentionally shown her deep romantic streak when she gathered the love stories of his grandparents and parents for a Valentine’s Day feature on the website. Claire had tried to act as if it was all to emphasize the family aspect of the winery, but she couldn’t hide her true interest from him.
“Are you going to do the interview?”
“I want the job.” She stumbled to the bar stool. Claire sat down and flopped her arms and head onto the bar. “Everyone in my industry would kill to be Max’s protégé. I want to be the one. I want everyone envying me for a change. Have my colleagues know my name and listen to what I have to say.”
He was missing something. “Then what is stopping you?”
“It means I have to appear...bolder than I am.”
Bold? No, that wasn’t Claire Miller. She was like his favorite dry Riesling—a balanced contrast of sharp and sweet. He would have added flowery, considering her secret romantic side, but now he wondered if there was an underlying hint of spice.
“This interview technique is questionable,” Jason said. “Are you sure he’s not one of those creeps who uses his position to get women into bed? Does he use job openings as a casting couch?”
“Jason, please.” Her voice was muffled. “Now is not the time to share your paranoid theories that I’m walking into danger.”
“Paranoid theories?” he repeated. He had pulled Claire and his sister, Kim, out of one bad situation after another for as long as he could remember. He didn’t ask for the role as their protector but he couldn’t stop being concerned. Especially about Claire. She seemed more vulnerable and more trusting than his sister.
“You didn’t answer my question, Claire. What do you know about this guy?”
Claire sighed. “He’s a legend and has launched the career of many influential people in the field. Max can make you a star or he can send you back into obscurity. He gets hundreds of résumés in a week and he approached me for a job. Me.”
Jason realized Claire had been seduced simply by the way she was offered the position. “Is this your dream job?”
She rocked her head from side to side. “I never allowed myself to dream about it. I didn’t think it was possible.”
Jason sat down next to her. “What about your business? You built it from scratch. You are the boss.”
“I know.” She lifted her head. “I love my work. I love being in charge. But this offer...I could be more. I could be a star in my industry.”
Jason watched her silently. He didn’t think that accolades would have been important to Claire. She didn’t seek the spotlight.
She rested her head against her hand. “The thing is, I’m sure I could do this assignment. I can create an image and maintain it. Make it feel authentic. I’ve done it many times for my clients. But can I do it to myself?”
Jason shrugged. “How is it different than working with one of your clients?”
Claire smiled at his suggestion. “I can be a different person online. That’s what’s so great about social media,” she said as she splayed her hands in the air. “With the right strategy you can appear more successful, more popular and more interesting than you are in real life. But face-to-face? Forget it.”
“It’s not that hard to do something wild and crazy. Take my word for it. All you need is poor judgment and witnesses. The problem is living it down for the rest of your life.”
“Not you. You’re the golden boy. You could do anything and it doesn’t stick to you.” Claire slowly pushed her hair from her face and sat up straight. “In fact, you’re an expert on this. You could help me reinvent myself.”
Jason’s eyes widened. “Excuse me? I don’t know anything about transformations or changing an image. That’s why I hired you to promote this place.”
“But I don’t have a personal image.” She pulled at the lapels of her blazer and smoothed her hands over the pink blouse she wore underneath. “And it’s time to work on that. With your help.”
“No way, I’m not doing it.” He wasn’t sure what all it would entail, but his imagination was going wild. Jason didn’t like that determined look in Claire’s eyes. He raised his hands as if he could stop her. “If this guy is making you do weird assignments for an interview, what is he going to make you do once you get the job? I’m not so sure about this Max Blair.”
She slapped her hand against the bar. “Jason, I’m calling in a favor.”
“No.” He stood up and crossed his arms. “When I said I owe you one, I meant something like a reference or a free case of wine.”
Claire slowly rose from her seat and met his gaze. She had a spark in her eye that he hadn’t seen before. “Do you know how many favors I’ve done for you? How many times I made your project my top priority? You wouldn’t want that to stop now, would you?”
“What are you saying? That you’ll stop working for me?” He couldn’t let that happen. Claire’s work was critical to his success. Not only that, but she made his work life easier.
“No, I will continue to work for you because we have a contract.” She copied his stance and crossed her arms. “But I won’t break my neck trying to meet your insane deadlines and emergencies.”
“You wouldn’t.” She couldn’t.