Chapter 45
“Layla, you’re hiding things from your grandpa now?” Robert said, pretending to be hurt.
Layla didn’t hesitate to reply, “You had no problem scheming against your own granddaughter, so why wouldn’t I keep things from you?”
She was starting to realize that her grandpa’s big act of making her marry Stephen might have been part of some plan. But what could she do? They were already. legally married, and even though they’d signed a divorce agreement, it wouldn’t mean anything unless they went to court.
After hanging up, Layla noticed everyone else had left for lunch, leaving her alone.
In the afternoon, she sat there, watching as customers came in and the salespeople rushed over to greet them.
Because her clothes didn’t fit in with the office, no one trusted her to help. So, she just sat back, watching how everyone else worked.
Around Layla, there were employees serving refreshments. They were mostly tall, slim guys who looked well–groomed.
One of them noticed Layla sitting alone and came over with a glass of water. He asked, “Didn’t Sally take you to meet the clients?”
Layla, not familiar with her coworkers yet, looked at him and said, “I’m not dressed appropriately. If I go over there, they might think I’m a customer too, so I’m staying here.”
The guy sat down in front of her and introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Benson.”
Layla glanced at his name tag and nodded. “Do you need something?”
Benson smiled and said, “I just wanted to introduce myself since we’re new colleagues.” He looked at her, impressed by her appearance.
She gave a small nod and looked at Benson’s tray. So, you’re not a sales consultant? You’re on the support team?”
He smiled and said, “That’s right. We switch roles around here, and today, it’s my turn. If things get busy and I’m not with clients, 1 help serve refreshments ”
Layla nodded, thinking she might end up doing the same thing–serving refreshments to clients. She had never once offered Steven refreshments.
“So, are you just sitting here chatting with me instead of working?” Layla asked.
Benson answered straightforwardly, “I don’t have any clients right now, and the walk–ins usually go to the more experienced consultants. So, I’m just here to chat with you.”
Layla asked curiously, “So, why don’t you get to handle the walk–ins?”
“1 started just a week before you.” Benson shrugged. “I’m still new, and I haven’t closed any deals yet.”
With a raised eyebrow, she asked, “Jonah hasn’t fired you yet?
He looked thoughtful and said, “Not yet. But it might happen soon.”
Layla laughed at his response
As they talked, she found out that Benson was fresh out of college. “My friends said that working for Murray Group meant high pay. They didn’t want me when I applied directly, so I ended up here at one of their real estate branches.”
She asked, “So,
o, did your classmates get jobs at Murray Group, too?”
Benson shook his head. “Nope, they didn’t make it in either ”
Layla laughed. “So, did any of them end up in sales?”
“Just me.” He sighed. “I thought sales would pay more, but it turns out only the top sellers make the big money. Definitely not me.”
That aftemoon, the two rooldes didn’t rush to make any sales. Instead, they spent most of their time chatting, and neither of them was too concerned about work
By the time it got dark, they hadn’t even noticed. Layla’s phone rang, breaking the silence. It was Dylan calling from home. “Aunt Layla, dinner’s ready. Are you coming home?”
Layla checked her watch. “We get off at 6:00 pm, right?” she asked.
Benson shook his head, “No, it’s 9:00 pm.”
It was Layla’s turn to sigh. “Great.”
