I thought my boss was doing his daughter a favor when he asked me to help out. But one strange message on her phone made me realize I’d walked into something I knew nothing about.

“My dad didn’t choose you by accident. And it wasn’t for my sake.”

I stared at Georgia. “What does that mean?”

She glanced toward the prom venue, then back at me. “Brent, my dad’s been watching you for months.”

My stomach tightened.

“What does that mean?”

“Watching me do what?”

“How you handle problems. How you treat people. Whether you lose your temper.”

I frowned and immediately started sweating. “Wait, did I do something wrong? You’d tell me if I did something to make him upset, right?”

“No. That’s the problem.”

Before I could ask another question, her phone buzzed.

“Watching me do what?”

Georgia glanced at the screen and groaned. “It’s Dad.”

She showed me the message.

“Remember our agreement. Don’t make things too easy for him.”

“Georgia, what exactly did I agree to?”

She sighed. “Something my father thinks is brilliant.”

She showed me the message.

***

I’d started working for Sheldon when I was 19.

His company supplied restaurants and grocery stores with food packaging and cleaning products.

I needed that job more than he probably realized.

My mom, Denise, was raising my younger sister, Janelle, alone.

I needed that job.

Money was always tight, so I gave Mom part of every paycheck for groceries, utilities, and whatever Janelle needed for school.

I never showed up late.

I never called out unless I absolutely had to.

And if Sheldon asked me to stay an extra hour, I did.