She took a deep breath. “Does Warren have a specific retirement date? Because it’ll take at least four to six months to do schooling, then I have to write the exam, and -”
“I know. Warren doesn’t have an exact date, but even if he leaves in the next few months, we’ll make it work, Rosie.”
She couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face. Jace gave her an identical grin. “Congratulations.”
She laughed. “Don’t congratulate me yet. I still have to look into the schooling, make a plan, and figure out how I’ll juggle working and going to school.”
“It won’t be easy, but if anyone can do it, you can. Listen, I know this week is busy for you because you’re leaving on holidays, but when you come back from your vacation, schedule a meeting with me. We’ll look at the education part together and figure out what you need from me and the company to help you succeed. Okay?”
“Okay. Jace, thank you.” She gave him a look of sincere gratitude. “You have no idea what this means to me.”
“Happy to help, Rosie. I think you’re gonna be a great agent. And you know what? Even if Warren wasn’t leaving, I’d find a way to keep you. The company would be lost without you.”
She shrugged. “Not sure that’s true, but I appreciate you saying it.”
“It’s true.”
“Do you have any ideas in mind for who might replace me as your assistant?” She asked.
Jace cocked his head at her. “Do you?”
“Bria,” she said. “She’s smart and fast and she’d be great at it.”
He nodded. “She would. But I think we’d have to work hard to talk her into it.”
“Maybe,” Rosalie said. “But you should seriously consider it.”
“I will.” Jace smiled at her. “Excited about your upcoming holiday? Going somewhere fun?”
“No, actually. Staying close to home.”
“Oh. Well, it’ll still be nice to have some time off. Did you know Lincoln’s on holidays too?”
“Is he?” She prayed that her face wouldn’t betray her. “Good for him. Is he going out of town?”
“No, he’s staying in the city.” Jace had a weird look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Nothing.” He checked his cell phone. “I should probably get going. I have a showing in an hour. Don’t forget to send me a meeting request about the agent thing, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks again, Jace.” She stood and, after a moment, held out her hand. Jace stood and shook it firmly.
“You’ll be an amazing agent, Rosie. I know it.”
“Thank you.” She smiled happily at him and left his office. She grabbed her lunch from her desk and took a sip of the coffee that Lincoln had left for her. Her pulse was still pounding, and she couldn’t stop from grinning. She was about to have her cake and eat it too.
She took her lunch to the kitchen. She had just stuffed it into the fridge when she smelled Lincoln’s aftershave. Her body tingled with awareness and she turned to smile at him.
“You look like a kitty cat who’s eaten the canary, Rosie-girl,” Lincoln said.
She laughed. “Do I?”
“Yep.” He stepped a little closer. “What’s going on?”
She checked the doorway to the kitchen before saying, “I’m going to become an agent.”
Lincoln gave her a look of surprise. “Really?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I’m taking the plunge.”
“Oh. Well, good luck,” Lincoln said as his phone buzzed. “It’s a tough job, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
There was doubt in his voice, and a bit of her good mood deflated. “You don’t think I can do it?”
“What? No, I didn’t say that.” Lincoln was texting and he looked up from his screen. “No, I’m sure you’ll be just fine. You’re smart and the only thing clients like better than a pretty agent is a smart one.”
He just called you ugly!
He didn’t, she snapped at her inner voice. He called her smart and that was a compliment. Besides, she knew Lincoln thought she was pretty, would he be so flirty if he wasn’t?
He flirts with you because he knows you’re hot for him and he uses it to get what he wants from you.
Fine, maybe he did. But that was going to change. He found her attractive – God knows, he’d stared at her tits enough times for her to know that he wasn’t completely immune to her looks – and as soon as she got her kink on and wowed him in bed, he’d be hers.
Why wait? You booked your vacation for the same time as his because you planned on seducing him, remember? Ask him out.
That was true. But she’d also thought she’d be further ahead in her plan to be an expert at kinky sex. She’d been so busy the last month, she hadn’t even had a chance to look for a shifter to help her. Heath had been her first chance and somehow, she’d blown that in less than twenty minutes, without even trying.
It’s now or never, Rosie. Besides, you can fake being kinky. How hard can it be? Just tell him that you’re up for whatever he is. It’s just sex for God’s sake, you’re not exactly a blushing virgin.
No, she wasn’t, but vanilla sex with one guy didn’t make her a kink master either.
Just do it, Rosie! God. Be brave for once in your damn life.
Be brave.
Right.
“So, uh, I heard you were on holidays next week,” she said.
Lincoln nodded without looking away from his screen. “I am. Two weeks.”
“That’s good. I am too.”
“Oh yeah? Nice. Where you going?” His thumbs tap-tap-tapped.
“Staying here, actually. Jace mentioned you were staying in the city too. Maybe we could get together? I’m a good cook. You could stop by my place for dinner and we could talk about what it’s like being an agent. What do you think?”
A smile crept across Lincoln’s face as he stared at his screen. Tap, tap, tap, went his thumbs again.
After almost thirty seconds, she said, “Lincoln?”
He glanced up at her. “Sorry, what was that?”
“I was just saying that Jace mentioned you’re sticking around the city as well. Would you like to come by my place for dinner one night?”
“Oh, uh…”
The unease on his face made hers burn.
“To talk about being an agent,” she said quickly. “I could use some tips and would like to learn more about what a day in the life of an agent is like. I’m, uh, a great cook.”
Lincoln glanced at his watch before grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. He gave her a vague smile and headed toward the door. “Sounds nice. But I’m not sure what my schedule is like yet. I’m meeting with some other friends and stuff during my holidays. Can I get back to you on it?”
“Sure. You’ve got my number.”
“Sure do, Rosie-girl.” He winked at her, bit into his apple, and left the kitchen.
She slumped against the counter, feeling awkward and stupid and…oh my God… did she just ask Lincoln out?
You did. And he turned you down flat.
No, she argued. He said he would get back to me on it.
You’re not stupid, Rosie. Don’t act like you are.
“Shit.” She banged her fist against the counter as her face reddened and tears threatened. “You are stupid, Rosalie.”
“You’re far from stupid.” Bria had entered the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. “Why would you think… Rosalie? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Something’s wrong.” Bria touched her arm. “Please tell me.”
Rosalie sighed. “I just asked Lincoln out and he turned me down. I think.”
“You think?”
“He said he’d get back to me on it.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, Lincoln is…”
“I know. But - and don’t you dare say a word to anyone about this - I took my holidays at th
is time because I knew he was taking his. He always takes holidays at this time of the year and he always stays in the city. My plan was to ask him out and to spend some time with him. But he blew me off. He said he had plans with friends and a pretty busy schedule.”
She sighed and had to refrain from banging her fist on the counter again. “I’m such an idiot.”
Bria frowned. “You’re not. I don’t think he was lying when he said he had a busy schedule.”
“How do you know?” Rosalie asked.
Bria lowered her voice. “Jace told me that every year at this time, there’s a shifter’s kink fest.”
“What? I’ve never even heard of it.”
“Me either. But, apparently, it’s been happening for like the last fifteen years. It’s held in Crossroads village.”
“That’s a shifters only part of the city, right?”
“Yes and no,” Bria said. “It’s predominantly shifters who live there and all the stores and whatnot within Crossroads are shifter-owned, but humans aren’t like, forbidden from living there or anything. It’s just most of them don’t.”
“Right.”
“Anyway, they hold a kink fest every year and Lincoln goes to it. Jace told me all about it. It’s a ten-day event and it has live bands, strip shows, a sex toy expo, public floggings and other, like, BDSM type of shows, as well as pole dancing competitions and that sort of thing. It’s capped off with a big dance party that Jace says can get pretty raunchy. Like – public sex raunchy.”
Rosalie knew her eyes were as wide as saucers, but she couldn’t help it. “How does Jace know all of this?”
Bria grinned at her. “He hasn’t been to the festival, if that’s what you’re wondering. But he is Lincoln’s best friend, and Lincoln isn’t shy about sharing details.”
“Oh. So, uh, are humans allowed to go to the kink fest?”
“It’s shifters only until the last day, and then they open the doors to humans. They can also attend the dance party, but I guess the festival charges them more for it.”
Rosalie pulled absentmindedly on a piece of her curly hair. If she went to the dance party at kink fest, Lincoln would realize she wasn’t the naïve, innocent human, he thought she was. Seducing him at the dance party would be the perfect opportunity to show him how kinky she could be.
Great plan, Rosie. Only, you’re not kinky. Remember?
Not yet she wasn’t. But she could be kinky by the time the last day of the festival rolled around. Maybe.
“When is the festival?” She asked Bria.
“Uh, the fifteenth to the twenty-fourth, I think Jace said. You can find information about it online,” Bria said. “Why?”
“Just curious,” Rosalie said.
“Rosie, you can’t go to the kink fest,” Bria said. “It’s shifters only. Besides, I don’t think – I mean, I’m not sure that festival is the right place for someone as sweet as you.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be sweet anymore.”
“Rosie -”
“I need to get back to my desk, Bria. It’s almost eight thirty and I haven’t done any work yet. I’ll talk to you later.”
Rosie hurried out of the kitchen, nearly vibrating with excitement.
This could work.
It had to work.
* * *
“You’re always texting now, Rosalie. You’re here but not really here.” Her mother set the bowl of steaming potatoes on the table.
“I’ve been here for two hours and it’s the first time I’ve texted,” Rosalie said.
“Who is it?”
“My friend, Maggie. We’re having dinner tomorrow night.”
“Maggie? I’ve never heard you mention a Maggie before. How do you know her?”
“I met her on Saturday when I was helping Ava and Bishop move. She’s nice.”
“How do you know that? You barely know her. And who are Ava and Bishop again? I swear, you suddenly think your Miss Popularity, don’t you?”
“Ava and Bishop are clients.”
“Since when do you have to help clients move in? What kind of boss is this Shepherd guy?” Her mom set the chicken on the table with a disgruntled thump. “He’s taking advantage of you, Rosie. He takes advantage of you all the time and -”
“No, he doesn’t,” Rosalie said. “He’s a good boss. He had nothing to do with why I helped Ava and Bishop move. I’m just – I’m trying to make more friends, okay?”
“Why? Why do you need friends? You have me, and you have…”
“Exactly. I have you and that’s it.”
Her mother’s face deepened into a scowl. “What’s wrong with me? I’ve given everything for you, Rosie. Everything.”
“I know, Mom. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with you. I’m saying that it’s good to have friends. I think we both need friends. Did you talk to Mrs. Nester this weekend about going to Bingo with her?”
“No. I spent the weekend alone because my daughter decided that making new friends was more important than spending time with her mother.”
She didn’t want to feel guilty, but she did. She knew it was difficult for her mother to make friends, knew that she depended on Rosalie, but sometimes she felt smothered by the demands her mother made.
She decided to ignore her mother’s comment. There was no point in trying to defend herself and it was a waste of energy to try. Her mother saw things in a different light than Rosalie ever would, that was all.
“The food smells really good.” She helped herself to some chicken and potatoes before reaching for the steamed vegetables.
“Eat lots of vegetables, Rosie. Your pants are looking a little tight,” her mother said. “You’ll never get a boyfriend if you keep gaining weight.”
“I’m not gaining weight. Besides, I thought you didn’t want me to have a boyfriend. You said he would take up too much of my time.”
Her mother made a face before eating some potatoes. “Yes, well, I also want grandchildren before I’m dead.”
“So, guess what?” Rosalie decided another topic change was needed. “I’m going to get my real estate license.”
Her mother paused with a forkful of chicken in front of her face. “What?”
Rosalie ate a bite of steamed cauliflower. “I’m going back to school to become an agent.”
“But you – your job, what about your job? You can’t go to school and work at the same time,” her mother said.
“I can,” Rosalie said. “The schooling can be done at night.”
“Where will you get the money? It’s expensive to go to school. You shouldn’t be putting yourself into debt for a career where you aren’t even guaranteed to have a job afterward. You aren’t doing this, Rosalie, and that’s final.”
Rosalie didn’t mean to laugh but it came busting out of her anyway. “Mom, I’m an adult. You don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do anymore.”
Her mother flushed before stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork. “I only want what’s best for you. You’re young and you don’t know how the world works. I do. But, that’s fine. You don’t want my advice, I won’t give it anymore.”
Oh, how Rosalie wished she could believe that.
“But,” her mother pointed her fork at her, “when you’re broke and can’t make your mortgage, and have to live with your mother again, know that you’ll be following my rules while living under my roof.”
“I’m not going to lose my house,” Rosalie said. “I’ve been saving for school for over a year and I don’t have to go into debt to do it. And Jace told me this morning that he wants to hire me as an agent when I’m finished school.”
“Do you have that in writing?” Her mother snapped.
“No, but I trust Jace. He won’t screw me over.”
“You can’t trust anyone but family, Rosalie. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
Rosalie poked at the food on her plate, her appetite almost completely gone. “I told you about this because I thought
you would be happy for me. This is a good thing for me.”
Her mother took a drink of iced tea before saying, “I only want what’s best for you, Rosie.”
“This is what’s best for me.”
“Is it?” Her mother cleared her throat. “Rosalie, are you sure you’re…smart enough to become an agent?”
Ah, there it was. It had taken a while, but they’d finally gotten to the real root of her mother’s issue.
“I’m not dumb, Mom.” She tried not to sound offended and failed.
“I never said you were.” Her mother bristled. “But, being an agent requires a lot of smarts and you never did great at school.”
“I got all A’s and B’s.”
“That was high school. High school doesn’t count. Besides, there’s a big difference between being a secretary and having a real career, Rosalie.”
“Being a secretary is a career.” Rosalie could feel the vein in her temple starting to throb. “A career that I’ve been very happy with.”
“Then why change?”
“Because I want more. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“It is if you’re going to fail!”
“I won’t fail.”
“You don’t know that.”
Rosalie pushed her plate away. “I should go. It’s getting late.”
“No, Rosalie!” Her mother grabbed her hand. “Don’t go. I’m sorry, okay? I’m just worried about you.”
Rosalie sighed. “You don’t need to worry. I’m fine and becoming an agent is a good thing. All right?”
“If you say so.” Her mother made her own heavy sigh before staring at her plate. “My appetite is ruined.”
Don’t apologize, Rosie. Don’t apologize.
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“I know you are. You’re a good girl, Rosie, and I love you, but I don’t want you dreaming of things that you can never have. Do you understand? People like you and me, we have to be happy with what we have. Change and – and believing that something better is just around the corner is a very dangerous thing. Do you understand?”
“Sure, Mom.”
“That’s my good girl. Now,” her mother picked up her fork, “did I tell you that I watched the weirdest show on TV the other night?”
Rosalie Undone (Book Six) Page 7
