by Abbi Glines
“You’ll get it,” I said the words too easily. I hadn’t even taken a moment to consider the power behind them. I knew what I was doing, and I did it anyway. What was wrong with me? I used to never manipulate fate. I let things happen as they were meant to be.
He grinned. “You seem so sure of it. Maybe that good vibe will help me in the interview,” he said.
Oh, it would help him alright. He would be taking more than a good vibe in there. He’d be wrapped in sorcery he didn’t ask for, but he would get the job. He’d be happy. That was good but my controlling it was bad.
I felt the unsettling stare from Mary and I didn’t meet her gaze again. If the enchantment that she’d sensed from my appearance had bothered her then what I’d just done would have her clinging to Heath for the next week.
“I need to go. Tell Margo I’ll call her later,” I said.
“I will. Let me know how your interview goes,” he replied. “Wait, where is the interview? You didn’t tell me.”
“A friend of Duely’s is a designer. She needs a personal assistant. That’s all I know right now. I’ll let you know more once I do.”
Heath frowned. “Duely has friends like that?”
I laughed. Duely was a wild creature in the eyes of my friends. They had no idea the kind of friends Duely had. His charm had been used to its full advantage. “Surprising I know. But he’s a charmer, even if he’s got a colorful personality.”
Heath didn’t look convinced but he wasn’t charmed by Duely. “Okay,” he said and he started to say more when I saw the black Charger pull into the parking spot to my right. Time to go.
“I’ll text you later,” I said then headed to my car without looking back in Rathe or Heath’s direction.
When I reached the door to the car, I unlocked it with a glance on instinct. Grabbing the handle to the driver’s door, I opened it then, unable to stop myself, I looked toward the Charger.
Rathe was standing outside the driver’s side door. His back to Heath as he watched me. I paused and held his gaze for a moment but that was all I could allow. Giving him a small nod and smile. That was friendly enough. Climbing into the driver’s seat, I was proud of how I handled that.
When I pulled out onto the road, Rathe was there in my rearview mirror watching me leave. The tightening in my chest came instantly and that weakness proved how human I was. This crush or whatever I had on Rathe might be hard to overcome, but it was also reassuring me that my mother didn’t know me. I was half my father. Rathe was reminding me of that with every emotional crack he caused in me.
Twenty
The Interview
Lala Longstreet didn’t want to meet with me at her Savannah offices. She told Duely to send me to her home, which was a four story townhouse in the historic district of Savannah. Duely had called shortly after I’d left Heath and Rathe in the parking lot of their apartment.
She had said to come as soon as I could, because she was heading to the airport at two for a showcase in Manhattan tonight. I did as directed and went right to the address he’d given me. Pulling up to the front, I looked around and wondered how much these places sold for. They were part of Savannah’s history and in a prime location. I hoped this meant she had the income to pay a salary that could afford my going to nursing school.
Even if she wasn’t going to offer me an amount that was more than what I made as a server, Duely had gotten me this interview. I was thankful for that. I wouldn’t have known to even apply for something like this. I’d planned on doing a little research on her before the interview, but there hadn’t been time. Now I was going in there, knowing only what Duely had told me. Which was very little.
I reached her front door and scanned for the doorbell. However, the door swung open before I could find the bell and ring it. A petite woman with wild curly dark blonde hair that brushed her shoulders, stood in front of me. Her lips were painted a bright red, her eyes were large round and brown. She could not be more than five feet tall and one hundred pounds fully dressed but something about her made her presence feel much larger.
“Fucking stunning! Duely told me so of course but I wasn’t prepared for this kind of stunning. The bastard lies when it works for him,” she said with a roll of her eyes and pursed her lips.
I didn’t get a chance to respond to that, thankfully. She stepped back and with a overly dramatic wave of her hand, she continued. “Come inside and I’ll pour you a drink. Before noon I’m a cosmopolitan girl. I move to the harder stuff after lunch. Will a cosmo work for you?” she asked walking through the large open foyer toward the first arched doorway to her left. I followed quickly because for someone with short legs, she walked fast.
“I’m more of a water before noon person,” I replied with honesty.
She stopped abruptly and stared at me in horror. Those already large eyes seemed even wider. “Water? Who the fuck has Duely sent me? Just go!” She pointed toward the front door.
I stood there frozen. I hadn’t been prepared for such a violent reaction to my request for water. I was too shocked to move.
Lala began to cackle with laughter. I continued to stand there and watch her. Was this woman okay? Had Duely gotten me an interview with a lunatic?
“You’re going to be fun. That shocked expression was priceless! I owe Duely one for this.” She was still laughing as she went into the kitchen. I didn’t know if I was supposed to be leaving or following her.
“Come on, Cat. I’ve still got to force a cosmo down you before noon. Water my ass. That’s just sad, girl.”
I went into the kitchen and she gave me a big white straight teeth smile. “When you grew up in a trailer that had no heating and air with holes in the floorboard that you had to keep stuffed with towels and hope the critters couldn’t push through them and get inside, you drink before noon. And you don’t fucking drink alone,” she explained, while shaking a pretty blue shaker that had the letter L in crystals on the front. “My momma was an alcholic, so this is the worst thing I could be doing, but it’s all about moderation, sweetheart. Moderfuckinration,” She said pouring the light red drink into two martini glasses. It appeared she wasn’t kidding about me drinking too.
I wasn’t confident this woman wasn’t certifiable, so I didn’t think declining the cosmo again was a good idea. She picked up one of the glasses then nodded her head at the other one. “Go ahead and get it,” she said then started back around the bar, waving her empty hand at the rest of the kitchen. “Great place, isn’t it? I love old fancy shit.”
I nodded in agreement then took my glass. “It’s a beautiful home.”
“Come, let’s go sit down and talk. I don’t have a lot of time. Barney booked this damn showcase without asking me, and it’s last minute. I’d tell Barney to go fuck himself, but he’s annoying when he gets in a mood. I would rather do this showcase and get it over and done with. Before he gets here to make sure I get to the airport in time, I am warning you that although you’re a headturner, he won’t be interested. He’s a gorgeous bastard and my last assistant embarassed herself trying to get his attention until I realized she had a thing for him. I should have told her in the beginnging it was a waste of time. Barney loves to have his dick sucked but not by the likes of you. He does enjoy it when Duely sucks his dick,” she said, as I followed her into another room. “Sit,” she instructed, pointing at the sofa.
I walked over and sat with my cosmo then took a sip. Lala’s excentric name no longer seemed odd. It fit perfectly. She winked when she saw me drink. “Good for the soul or just the brain. Terrible for the liver, I hear, but Betty White is kicking it just fine and is a vodka drinker. That’s the only proof I need of its magic. Now, I travel a lot. I don’t like it, but that’s the way it goes. This place is my main residence. The Lala Longstreet offices are outside the city but not too far of a drive. You’ll be given a corporate card for gas and for all other expenses. Company ca
r is an Audi this time, I believe. Or did Barney say it was a Cadillac? I can’t remember. It’s a 2020, and I’m sure it’ll suffice. Numbers for anything I throw at you are here.” She reached for the bright pink leather journal on the table beside her then tossed it at me. I caught it without spilling my drink on the expensive looking white velvet sofa. I was perched on the edge of the sofa for fear of hurting it.
“Dry cleaners, personal shoppers, family,” she said that last one with a disgusted snarl on her lips. “They’re all bastards, so avoid them if you can. Your phone will have their names already programmed with warnings to not answer. You accidently talk to one of my relatives and you’ll be more careful next time. Trust me.” She took a gulp then went on talking. “Business associates, etc., it’s all in there. Also programmed into your corporate cell phone. Barney will have that, the extra set of keys to the house, office, alarm codes and instructions, and the keys to the car. Okay, that’s about it. Any questions?”
I had too many to count. “I-“
“Oh the salary, I forgot the most important thing.” She shook her head and took another drink. “It’s sixty five, and you can use the car for personal use.”
The car I was still trying to wrap my head around but now she tossed out sixty five like that made sense. Sixty five what? Sixty five an hour was impossible but sixty five a day I couldn’t make it on, even with the car perk. “Uh, I’m not sure if I understand the sixty five-“
“It’s just starting,” she cut me off. “Every six months, there is a chance for a raise. There are also bonuses when I need you to travel with me. Raises aren’t huge, and it’s accoriding to performance and shit. Barney can explain it better.”
That cleared nothing up. If she would let me get out a complete sentence, I might get some clarification, but I wasn’t sure I would understand this job if I had an entire day to discuss it with her. She was all over the place and didn’t stop talking for more than a minute.
“What I’m asking is... are you saying it’s sixty-five dollars a day? Is that what I’m understanding?”
She paused with her drink in her hand then burst out laughing. A loud deep belly laugh. I was starting to get annoyed with this entire situation. She was nice and definitely entertaining but I couldn’t accept a job I didn’t even understand. I had no clue what it was she wanted me to do or how many hours a day or week. If asking for her to clarify the salary was going to make her laugh at me like this then the other stuff would have her doubled over unable to catch a breath.
I waited and tried very hard not to let my annoyance show in my expression. This was Duely’s friend, regardless of her behavior, and he’d gotten me this interview. I owed him to be appreciative and not rude.
Finally, Lala wiped the tears from her face and beamed at me. “You’re going to be perfect,” she stated. I hated to tell her I wasn’t going to be anything. If I couldn’t keep up with her during a simple interview, I’d be lost trying to work for her.
“Sixty-five thousand a year, honey,” she said, still grinning.
Sixty-five thousand dollars. I stared at her waiting for her to burst out laughing again at her own joke. When she just drank and waited on me to say something, I began suspecting she may be serious. She was going to pay me sixty-five thousand dollars a year? How was this woman successful? She was mad.
“I’d think your silence meant it’s not enough but I’m guessing since you thought I was going to pay you sixty five dollars a day that you’re shocked speechless. I’m glad we can agree on salary. Now, Barney will be here in ten minutes, and I’m not dressed to go. I need to get travel attire on and then pack a bag or something. Barney needs to meet you, and give you all the things. If you hate the car, we can negotiate that too. I buy local, and I’m sure I can get the car dealer I use, Debo, to exchange it for something you prefer. Drink up, Cat. Explore the place until Barney gets here. I need to go get ready,” she said, jumping up out of her highback chair. “Welcome aboard,” she added then left the room.
I sat there with my cosmo, suddenly alone. I heard her feet hit the stairs, and if she hadn’t said sixty-five thousand dollars, I would be sneaking out right now. However, sixty-five thousand would give me independence. It would pay for nursing school. I wanted to be ecstatic but I had so many questions that I hoped Barney was going to answer for me. If I had some idea of what it was this job consisted of and an idea of weekly hours then I would know if this unreal offer was going to change my life or not.
It wasn’t ten minutes before the front door opened and footsteps made their way down the hallway. A tall man with dark hair expertly styled, a smooth face with such sharp features it was without a flaw, and full lips stopped at the doorway to the room I was in. This had to be Barney. He was too beautiful to be a man, but yet, he was. His creamy mocha skin was to be envied. The clear blue of his eyes were almost like seeing the sky on a clear day through glass.
“Hello, Cat. I’m here to interpret everything that Lala must have just tossed at you. Her artistic brain is sometimes hard to follow for everyone but me.”
I smiled then and sighed in relief.
“That’s very good to hear. I have several questions. Starting with, what does this job consist of exactly?”
Barney smiled. “Lucky for you, it doesn’t involve understanding anything Lala chatters on about,” he said then took the pink leather journal she had tossed at me. “We will start with this,” he began.
Twenty–One
The Nirvana
I took the job as Lala Longstreet’s personal assistant. My job didn’t begin until her return from New York, and Barney had confirmed that would be on Wednesday, two full days from now. Until then, he had given me all the information I needed to prepare myself for a day working with Lala. The brand new dark silver Audi that was parked in the back of Duely’s bar had only ten miles on it when I had picked it up at the address Barney gave me. I’d been so nervous about driving a car like this I’d gone as far as putting a protective spell on it.
Sitting in the living room of Duely’s apartment, I had Lala’s daily agenda laid out in front of me with my own notes about how to best manage the day. The details about her family members were disturbing. The sister that Lala had a restraining order on was the most concerning. There was a packet that contained all the different photos that had been taken of Koko Longstreet. She changed her appearance regularly, and I needed to know the different ways she’d looked in the past to recognize her if she showed up at the house, offices, or walked up to me anywhere. Barney had warned that I needed to be careful with her as she could be unpredictable. I’d handle her just fine, and once we did meet, she wouldn’t come around again.
There was so much to remember here. Koko was just a small portion of all the information I had been handed. I had been at it for two hours and the bar below me had gotten rowdier as the time drew closer to midnight. I should put it all away and sleep, but I wasn’t tired. I should be ready to pass out after this day, but I was wired up. My brain would not shut off or slow down.
I had just about decided I would go find an apartment tomorrow. I had plenty money saved for first and last month’s rent and a deposit to get utilities turned on. If I was being honest, I could buy some furniture and most of my essentials, too. The money I had saved was to go toward nursing school, but with this new job, I would be able to enroll for next semester. Then there was my car I could sell for a couple thousand. I had to do something with it, and I didn’t need two cars. The idea of not having it if something didn’t work out with this job worried me but then I could say the same about getting an apartment and using my savings to do so. Ugh!
This was all so stressful. I couldn’t make up my mind the best thing to do. I wanted to get my own place, but I also needed to be smart. Not jump the gun and make a mistake. Duely wasn’t rushing me out of here. I just needed to get settled somewhere soon.
A knock on the apartme
nt door snapped me out of my internal debate, and although I wasn’t expecting someone, I was glad for the interruption. It was likely one of Duely’s friends seeing if he was up here. That or Duely had sent me something to eat from the bar. I put down my new iPad, also given to me by Barney, on the chair beside me then stood up and stepped over my circle of notes and papers to check the peep hole. I was hungry, and although the bar food wasn’t that great, I hoped that Duely had sent some up. Standing on my tip toes, I moved the small metal flap covering the peeop hole over and checked to see who was out there. It wasn’t food.
It was Rathe.
I dropped back down to the heels of my feet and sighed in defeat. I couldn’t seem to get any distance from this man. I didn’t have to open the door. I shouldn’t open the door. I knew I was going to open the door.
Why would he be here? Why would Duely have let him in the back? Why hadn’t he just called or texted? Why couldn’t he just listen to my plea for time away from him? Stubborn man.
“Open the door, Catalina,” he called from the other side of the door.
I stuck my tongue out at the closed door. I had work to do and decisions to make. I didn’t have time for him. All of that was reason to walk away from this door and not open it. If I was stronger, I would do just that.
But he wanted to be my friend and he had been a good one so far. I couldn’t deny that. Just because I kept having all these pangs and emotions where he was concerned, it wasn’t his fault. His showing up all the time and reminding me of his existence was a struggle I would have to get over. It didn’t seem like he was going to listen to my request for space.
“Catalina, please,” he said this with more of a urgency to his voice than his earlier demanding one.
Fine. You win Rathe. I give up.
I reached for the door knob and unlocked it then turned it, taking a deep breath before opening it up to him. “Hey,” I said not moving to let him inside. I could at least see if he’d say what he wanted then leave.
