Chapter 12: A Job Offer

“What?” she asked, in a low voice.
Though she hadn’t known what he might say, she had never imagined he would offer her a job.
“I’m not doing this as a favor, before you think that. But it could be a good thing. I would be close to Cody and you could grow in your career while being with your son,” Finn explained, his voice tinged with a bit of hope.
Gwen suddenly felt dizzy. She was still trying to adjust to the latest changes, and now there was another offer on the table. One that wasn’t bad at all. But she had to remind herself of why it could turn out to be a terrible idea.
Even though Finn didn’t sound naïve, she knew that it could be very complex for her to work with him. Co-parenting was already something that was starting to give her nightmares. She could hardly imagine working closely with her ex.
At that moment, it was pretty clear to Gwen that her feelings for Finn still existed. She was trying very hard to ignore it, but every day it was more obvious that what she thought it was numb inside her heart actually wasn’t.
Of course other concerns were taking most of her time and thoughts, but deep down she could feel the tiny reactions her body had every time Finn got close to her.
His eyes still had a huge power over her. His voice still made her think of improper things.
And she wondered if he felt the same way. Maybe he tried to find her all those years just because he wanted a closure. An explanation. It didn’t mean he still loved her.
There was also Vivienne. He tried to explain to Gwen what their relationship was, but it only made it more confusing. He had said that she wasn’t his fiancée, but at the same time, he allowed her to act in a certain way that hinted at intimacy and mutual feelings.
“So, yeah, that’s pretty much it. I could use someone like you in the marketing department. And we could also have you as the spokesperson of the company,” he continued.
“I… I will think about it,” she replied.
Spokesperson would be a little too much for Gwen at the moment. It was going to bring too much visibility for her, and the media would dissect their shared past.
Neither she nor Finn would want that.
But the idea of the marketing department actually sounded really good. His company was one of the biggest in the whole country, and she had the necessary skills. And she could use some new experiences. Besides, working for Finn would allow him to be close to Cody without the need for her to stay away from her son.
“Actually, let’s say I do accept it,” she continued. “But I don’t want to be a spokesperson, I just want to work inside, in order not catch too much attention. I just need something to make a living and provide for my son.”
“I already said I’d do that. He’s my heir, Gwen. So that shouldn’t be a concern anymore,” Finn stated, his eyes glowing. “So, does it mean you accept then?”
The probability of her regretting that decision was huge, but wasn’t she saying that she wanted to be the owner of her life and make her own choices now? So why should she reject an amazing opportunity out of fear?
She would have to trust the law, and Finn especially, to believe that everything would be okay with Cody.
He’d be vibrant after discovering that he had a father.
She always had a hard time explaining to Cody why his father wasn’t present. She always said that his father was working a lot and lived far away, so it was impossible for him to visit. It wasn’t a complete lie, but she didn’t want Cody to think that he was dead either.
It was a hard decision at the time, but she didn’t feel like lying completely to her son. Cody was growing and he’d start to ask questions she wouldn’t know how to answer. So it could be a good thing to finally introduce him to Finn.
“Yes,” she replied, trying to sound decisive. “But just the marketing position. And also, I think we should introduce you to Cody first, before tossing him to the media and society. He is a nice kid, but he can get really shy sometimes.”
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to put him on the spot like that. But you do understand how this business thing works, right? The whole heir thing, I can’t simply hide him forever,” Finn said, grabbing a cigarette and lighting it up.
Gwen’s eyes went from his face to his hand with a disappointed look, which made Finn feel like the worst man on Earth.
He looked away, unable to stare at Gwen while inhaling the smoke.
She cleared her throat and carried on with their conversation, like that scene didn’t cause a tremendous wave of memories in their minds.
“Have you thought that maybe Cody won’t want to follow your steps?” she suggested with her chin up. “I don’t want my son to feel like he’s trapped inside a fate he can’t escape from.”
Finn stopped his hand in the middle of the air, her words punching him right in his stomach. Because that was a low blow for him. He didn’t have a choice back then, and still doesn't now.
“You’re right,” he said in a low voice, after a few seconds. “He does have a choice, but he needs to know that he also has this option, even though he can’t understand it now.”
Gwen nodded, although he wasn’t looking.
“Why don’t we wait a while for you to announce him as your heir then?”
“Because I want people to know that this company already has one. This will prevent some a**holes from trying to steal it from me, or even trying to marry me with someone I don’t want.”
Gwen had no idea what that meant, but she didn’t want to ask either. It might have something to do with Vivienne, of course, but since Finn sounded very annoyed already, she didn’t want to make him angrier by asking questions.
After all, people would start to notice that Finn was spending a lot of time with a little boy, so it wouldn’t be easy to hide.
“Anyway, when can you start?” he asked, finally looking at her with those expectant green eyes.
In that moment, Gwen knew her future was not going to be easy. At all.