Connor laughs. “This isn’t a paper pushing job. This is an on-the-ground job. I have a competitor who—”

I can’t swallow my groan. “I’m not doing it. If it’s some kind of shady, underhanded—”

“You’d be taking a position at a New York resort. A social media manager position. It’s right up your alley.”

So it is. I’ve hired out for a number of smaller social media positions since I left Global, and all of them have been successful. Just not successful enough to pay all my bills. Or get me steady work.

“Is that all, then? Work as a temporary social media manager?”

I can practically see him smiling through the phone. “Perhaps a little bit of...intel-gathering. Maybe a bit of sabotage, if you can swing it.”

“No. Goodbye, Connor.”

“Wait.”

For some reason, I do. “What?”

“Nothing that would jeopardize your freelance career. Not that you can jeopardize it much more than you already have....”

“If you’re only going to insult me, then—”

“The resort is the Bliss Resort & Club.”

My entire brain goes dark at the mention of the name, then it lights up with the most incredible mix of embarrassment and old desires. I’m gripping my phone a little too tight. “You mean...Roman Bliss?”

“That’s the man in charge,” Connor says lightly, as if he doesn’t know the first thing about my feelings for Roman Bliss. It was one happy hour after a long day two years ago. I had one drink too many. I got talkative, and Connor never forgets. I grind my teeth together. He’s playing to my biggest weakness, and he knows it. “I just need you to do enough to position my clients as New York’s premier resort.”

“It’s not fair. It’s unethical.” The words ring false in my own ears.

“Well, if you’re booked solid, then I can always look at other—”

“No.”

The bug is moving again, from side to side, taunting me. Should I take a swing at it? That’ll mean holding the phone with one hand and smacking the frying pan with the other, and there’s boiling soup on the stove in front of me. It looks like certain death.

But I can’t decide because my frustration is too much to swallow. The last year has not worked out the way I thought it would. More than once, I’ve thought about crawling back to Global and taking the least terrible assignments until I can get back on my feet. Frankly, the data shows that if I don’t get a job now, I’m going to have a tough time renewing my lease in two weeks.

“Is there going to be...” I clear my throat. “Housing?”

“The details of the position say that the new hire will also receive on-site resort housing, yes. One month. Then you’re free to do whatever you want.”