“So, first thing’s first,” I say and pull out a binder from a different drawer. I walk over to Jewel and hand it to her. “This Friday is the second annual Homeless Assistance party, and I need help getting more RSVPs. In there is the contact information of everyone invited to the event. Those that are highlighted in yellow are coming, highlighted in green aren’t, and those that aren’t highlighted at all haven’t responded. By nine a.m. Thursday, I want all of those names to be assigned some sort of color.”
“Got it,” Jewel says. “May I ask a question though? Am I required to attend this party?”
“Of course,” I say. “You have no idea the things that have happened at one of Robert’s parties and without us, the press might catch wind of it which wouldn’t be good. At all. Why?”
“Oh, nothing, it’s just…” She lets her voice trail off and an adorable shade of pink takes over her porcelain face. “This is so embarrassing, but I don’t have a dress that formal. For a real life Hollywood charity event.”
“Oh.” I offer her an encouraging smile. “Is that it? Not to worry. We are in LA after all. Not finding a dress in this town is practically impossible, and I happen to love any excuse to go shopping. Come on. Field trip. I know some great vintage places. You can start making calls on the way over.”
Chapter 3
If I didn’t have Jewel, I’d probably have hung myself with one of Robert’s thousand-dollar silk ties.
The party goes off without a hitch and I know that Jewel is a lot of the reason for that. Even though she seemed really timid at first, she began to open up and by Friday night, I can honestly say that I consider her to be one of my close friends. We both have an affinity for eighties power ballads and, as cliché as it sounds, love watching sunsets. She tells me that sunrises are just as amazing and I wish I could check it out, but sleeping is a rare art form I have yet to guarantee myself as Robert’s PA.
The only time Jewel reverts back to introversion is whenever Robert’s around. I guess she’s really intimidated by him or didn’t expect him to be so thoroughly involved in making his own schedule, but it’s hard to get two words out of her when Robert’s with us. Which is really weird because Robert gets even the shyest people to open up. And now it seems that Robert views Jewel as a challenge – not in a sexual way, mind you – because he goes out of his way to converse with her. I think he gets amused whenever she blushes, because whenever Jewel blushes, her entire face, her neck, and even the beginning of her chest turns red.
“That dress looks absolutely amazing on you,” I tell Jewel once I spot her in the crowd. She has a clipboard, and a pen behind her ear, checking off names and such, but she really does look cute.
The dress she’s wearing was at the first store we stopped at on our shopping field trip. It’s a baby doll dress, black with red bubbles, that accentuates her curves while at the same time hiding what she wants to hide. Jewel’s size is slightly bigger than my own, but she has such a flawless face that I can’t for the life of me understand why she’s insecure. Her blue eyes are practically crystals and her lips are naturally red. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen guys do double-takes whenever she’s around, but she doesn’t notice.
“As do you,” she says shyly, turning red as per usual. “Do you have a date, Madeline? I know we were allowed to bring one and I was certain that if anyone could get a date for something as amazing as this –” She stops when she sees me shaking my head in the negative.
“Rarely do I ever bring dates to events,” I tell her. “They just get distracting and I can’t get distracted. Plus, Robert always finds something wrong with them and continues to tease them about it until they get mad and leave or something of the like.” I shrug my shoulders since I’m used to Robert’s immature shenanigans. “But don’t let me scare you off from bringing a date. Do you?”
I’m really hoping she says no because I totally think she and Ethan McCoy would be perfect for each other. Okay, maybe she’s not exactly the type of girl he goes for – supermodel skinny and heiress rich – but Jewel is way more complex and she’s classic. I’ve never known a bright guy to turn down a classic woman just because she didn’t have money or wasn’t a size two.
Frick size twos.
“Oh no,” she says, and if it’s possible, her blush only deepens. “But I suppose there’s someone… But no, I shouldn’t talk about it. Focus, right?”
“Well, I guess a five-minute break is okay, especially since we’re in heels and we have another three hours of this.” I saddle up closer to her. “So who is he? Do I know him? Is he cute?”
She giggles at my eagerness, but her eyes fill with delight. No matter how much a woman doesn’t want to talk about a guy, inside she totally does. And obviously Jewel is no exception.
“Okay, well his name is Henry Samson and he works in the IT department. Do you know him? My first day, I had to reorganize Mr. Swift’s online calendar, remember? And the software the company uses is way more advanced than anything I’ve used. And he helped me and we got to talking and…” She looks away but there’s a smile on her face. “We started talking about movies because we’re both movie buffs and I told him that he had to see Inception, you know, with Leonardo DiCaprio? Christopher Nolan is a genius. We both really love him.”
I think I’m about to choke on my own spit. Henry Samson? The IT guy? The guy with the horrible mohawk and the ear plugs and the same Dickies pants every day? Not that I judge people on their clothes or anything like that, because I know Henry and Henry is really sweet. But someone like Jewel, a classic beauty that’s rare in today’s society, should be with a classic guy. Not a guy who still lives with his mother.
“Well,” I say, trying to think quickly, “has he seen it yet?”
She pauses and I see her eyes turn up to the ceiling, as if the answer is there. “No, actually,” she says in a decidedly softer voice. Her brows furrow together and she shakes her head. “No, I guess he hasn’t.”
“Maybe he doesn’t like Christopher Nolan as much as you thought,” I say, and I make sure to keep my voice as gentle as possible. “And that’s okay too. Maybe some movies are just harder to grasp for some people. But do you know who I heard talking about it a couple of days ago?” This part is actually true; Ethan was talking about Inception and how hot Marion Cotillard is. “Ethan McCoy.” I push my brows up and nod once. “Yes, that Ethan McCoy, the one who’s always around because his father is on the Board. But that’s not it. I overheard Ethan talking to one of his friends, asking who the new girl is. He was actually upset that he hasn’t been introduced to you yet.”
“Ethan McCoy?” Her face turns red again. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Why would I kid about this?” I remind myself that this little white lie is going to benefit the two parties involved in the long run and, as a result, is therefore acceptable. “Look, why don’t we go over to him right now? I’ll take this.” I take the clipboard from her hand and then begin to lead her through the crowd. “Take as much time as you need getting acquainted with him, okay? I’ll cover for you.”
“Really?” Jewel whispers, her blue eyes filling with empathy at my selfless act. “Oh Madeline, I couldn’t.”
“I insist.” We’re just behind Ethan, who happens to be grabbing a glass of champagne from a waiter, and I place my hand on his back. “Ethan, hey!” I give him a smile.
“Madeline Perkins,” he says with his debonair smile that showcases ridiculously knee-weakening dimples. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a tight hug. Not what I’m expecting, considering this is a work event. “I’m surprised you’re actually allowed to talk to me, what with your boss.”
I step back from him and smooth out the wrinkles his gesture placed on my dress. “Robert isn’t as bad as you think,” I tell him. “Anyway, I’m not here to talk about Robert.” I take another step back so I’m next to Jewel – why does she have to hide herself when she looks amazing? – and present her to him. “This is Jewel, Jewe
l Baker. She’s helping me out with the massive amount of work I’m piled under. But work is not what we’re here to talk about. Jewel, tell him about Inception.”
“You’ve seen Inception?” Ethan asks, throwing his pale green eyes on Jewel’s face. Jewel nods but doesn’t say anything. “You know, I’ve been wanting to see that since it came out. Is it still in theatres? I know it’s been a few months. Okay, is it as good as Avatar?”
I slowly step back, leaving them alone to talk about movies and whatever else crosses their minds. Hopefully they’ll schedule a date or a time to meet up. Or maybe they’ll go see a movie!
A smug smile teases the corner of my lips as I finally turn around. The clipboard is in my hand, waiting for the attention I know I’m going to have to give it, but I can’t help feeling that I deserve some kind of reward for my genius generosity. Since I don’t drink, a virgin sunset sounds perfect right about now.
“I know that smile,” a voice says from behind me, after I’ve taken a seat at the nearly vacant bar and set the clipboard down in front of me. “What have you done this time, Maddy?”
“May I please get a virgin sunset?” I ask the bartender before turning my gaze onto Robert, who’s now sitting beside me. “You know what?” I say to him. “I’m not even going to get mad that you called me Maddy. I’m in too good a mood. Not even that ridiculous nickname can dampen it.”
“This is worrisome.” He pauses only to tell the bartender his usual – a scotch on the rocks – before resting his brown eyes on me. “I never see you smile like this at events. So? What have you done?”
“Me?” I smile again, this time deeper. “Nothing. I just gave two particular people a push. Fate and chemistry will do what needs to be done.”
Robert slaps his forehead with his palm. “Oh God, are you kidding me? Again?” He looks at the bartender with what I recognize as a hopeless look. As if that’ll get his drink to him any faster. “Maddy, I thought we talked about this. I was going to get your focus. You weren’t going to hook people up –“
“Just one last person,” I say. “And this one needs to find love.”
“No one needs to find love,” he returns in a flat voice. The bartender returns with our drinks and Robert doesn’t hesitate to take a long gulp. When he finishes swallowing, he asks, “So who’re your next victims?” Before I can answer though, he stops me. “No. Don’t answer that. Let me guess. Oh my God, is it Jewel? I knew it. I knew the moment I saw you two together that you were planning her demise. You know, if you didn’t want an assistant, you could have just told me. You don’t have to put her through this torture chamber.”
I roll my eyes at Robert’s exaggeration and tentatively sip my beverage. From the corner of my eye, I take in Robert’s appearance. His hair is still ridiculously unruly, but I really didn’t expect that to change just because he’s at a black-tie event. Speaking of which, he’s wearing a black and white tuxedo – bow tie included – that was tailor-made to fit his frame. Even I am not immune to Robert in a tuxedo and I silently acknowledge that his hair, while messy, seems to enhance his attractiveness.
Okay, not the most appropriate time to be checking out my boss. Not that any time is, really, but still. I’m at work. I need to focus.
“So who’s the poor guy?” he asks after another moment of silence passes between us and he’s had another long drink of his scotch.
“Ethan McCoy and poor should never be in the same sentence,” I say without really thinking. “Although, now that his father is cutting him off, I guess it could be. Anyway, that’s beside the point –”
“Ethan? Ethan McCoy?” Now it’s Robert who rolls his eyes. “I don’t get your fascination with him, Maddy. The guy is a total tool. He’s twenty-eight years old, with no job, owns a shitty apartment in Beverly Hills – shitty compared to other apartments in Beverly Hills, of course – and has a trust fund that happened to have gotten cut off from him because he was too busy screwing women, spending like a Beverly Hills housewife, and gambling. Even his own father can’t stand him.”
“Like you should talk. The two of you could practically be related, you have so much in common.”
“Wow, Maddy. Wow. That was low. Saying me and McCoy are related?” He leans close to me so his nose is centimeters from my cheekbone. “I’ll have you know that, yes, I may happen to dabble in womanizing, but I don’t gamble. And I’m hands-on. And I have a job, which happens to be running my own company. Ethan and I have nothing in common. I feel sorry for Jewel. She probably wants to blow her brains out.”
“I highly doubt that,” I murmur. However, I take a glance over my shoulder just to make sure the two are still getting along and everything’s working out. I smile at my findings. “Look. See? She’s laughing at something he said. She doesn’t want to blow her brains out. She wants to kiss his brains out.”
“Yes, kiss, I’m sure that’s what Ethan McCoy has on his mind,” Robert says dryly.
“You know, I wouldn’t knock Ethan McCoy,” I say, locking eyes with him. “Not with your preference for floozies who probably don’t even have their GEDs. Speaking of which, where’s your date?”
Robert smiles tightly. “Oh yes, knock Vivica because she has legs up to her neck and a pout you just want to… kiss.” He tilts his head to the side, keeping his eyes on me as he pushes his empty glass towards the bartender. “Now that you mention it, I’m going to need my sheets cleaned tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, gross,” I say. Now a virgin sunrise doesn’t seem too appealing. “TMI, Mr. Swift. TMI.”
“TMI?” he says with a grin. “What are you, in eighth grade?”
“No, that was ten years ago. You know, when you were – what? – twenty?” I give him a smile. “I’m surprised you can still keep up with a twenty-two-year-old supermodel at the ripe age of thirty.”
“You can’t really tease me for being old, my dear Maddy, because I know you have a thing for older men.” He leans closer to me, closer than I anticipate or am comfortable with. and says, “By the way, Madeline, have I told you how… Well, I don’t know how to adequately describe you. Will amazing suffice?”
I swallow. It’s one thing when Robert teases me or makes one of his innuendo-filled jokes, but right now he’s serious. And I never know how to take a compliment from Robert when he’s serious because my heart slows down and it gets hard to think. So I just ignore it and hope he doesn’t notice the indecision in my eyes.
“Well Madeline, you’ve done it again,” a familiar voice states from behind me.
Thank the Lord for Harold and Melinda Morris. Yes, this must be the karma I deserve for setting the newlyweds up. They’ve saved me at just the right moment. I’m not sure what would have happened if they didn’t show up, and quite frankly, I don’t want to think about it.
“This party is amazing,” Harold says, placing a warm hand on my bare shoulder. “You’ve outdone yourself yet again.”
“I actually had help…” Now it’s me blushing.
Harold and Melinda have just returned from their honeymoon. When I called to get their RSVP, they were both ecstatic at the prospect of coming to an event as a married – now naturally tan – couple. And they look as happy as one could expect. I would never admit this aloud, but seeing them together made me a tad jealous that I don’t have someone that could make me as happy as Harold makes Melinda.
“Isn’t she always this way?” Melinda says, directing the question to Robert and interrupting my narcissistic thoughts. “She can never take a compliment, can she?”
“No, she can’t,” he says in a voice I don’t actually recognize, which is surprising since I know him pretty much inside out. And those brown eyes of his sear into my skin.
I’m not sure what Robert is silently implying, but again, I choose to ignore it. I don’t want to think about him and the odd effect his face is having on my senses.
“So,” I say, deciding this subject needs to change to much safer territory. “What’s up with the two of you? H
ow was the honeymoon?”
“Fantastic,” Melinda answers. “Harold rented a suite at the Hawaii Hilton, which has a private beach right there and – oh my – it was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. We watched the sunset every night.”
“And slept in every morning,” Harold says in a tone I’m familiar with, since it resembles Robert whenever he’s being especially flirtatious or vulgar, which, for him, is separated by only a fine line.
Melinda rolls her eyes and waves her hand dismissively. “Yes, well, that’s not all.” She smiles, nudging Harold with her shoulder. “Tell her, darling, tell both of them the good news. You know.”
“Ah, yes,” Harold says. “While we were on our honeymoon, I received an e-mail from my son James. You remember James, don’t you?”
“Well, we’ve never seen him,” Robert answers. “You’ve talked about him every now and then. But we’ve never met him or anything.”
“Well, you will!” Melinda exclaims. She’s so excited she almost spills her half-full martini. “Because – oh, can I tell them Harold?” When he smiles and nods, Melinda turns to Robert and me and says, “He’s coming here for Christmas. So you’ll both get to meet him, and my lovelies, he’s truly a doll. Not that I’ve met him either, but I can’t wait. Oh, I can’t wait. Darling, you think he’ll like me, don’t you?”
“Of course he will,” he says and then smiles at us. “It was good seeing the two of you. Madeline, great party.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting James,” Robert says.
When they turn away, I give Robert a devilish grin. Instead of saying anything, Robert cocks a brow and gives me an expectant look.
“Just think,” I say. “In a manner of months, that could be Jewel and Ethan. Minus the whole wedding thing, of course.”
Chapter 4
The party clearly doesn’t stop for Robert Swift. I mean, not only is he required to throw special events, but there are times when he’s required to attend them. Interestingly enough, Robert really doesn’t like to go to numerous parties; though he’d never admit it, I think he’s starting to realize that at thirty, he doesn’t have the same stamina he had when he was younger. But then again, during his period of reclusiveness, he missed out on a lot of excuses to get drunk and screw anyone with breasts. Maybe now he’s attempting to indulge in what he missed.
Four Sides of a Triangle: An Austen & Cufflinks Novel (The Austen & Cufflinks Series Book 1) Page 3
