by Jolie Day
“How long ago was that?” Avery asked, watching as Edith moved from the fridge to the stove, where she began checking the burners, showing Avery how to work them.
“One year ago,” Edith said. “We used to have long conversations about Hemingway and Nabokov. She was a good boss.” She smiled, softly, as a memory flashed behind her eyes. Then she shook her head. “But that was before.”
“Before what?” Avery inquired, as she followed Edith around the small area. She opened drawers and cupboards, showing Avery where all the dishes, cutlery and nonperishables were.
“She got sick.” Edith explained no more, but Avery couldn’t help herself.
“What does she have?” she blurted, before she could stop herself. Edith, for the first time in several moments, turned to look her in the eye. Her gaze studied Avery’s for a long time, unblinking, before she nodded.
“She’s slowly losing her mind,” she said, finally, then walked away, heading towards the living room, which spanned half of the apartment.
“Like Dementia?” Avery asked. “Alzheimer’s?”
“Not exactly,” Edith replied, plucking the remote from the coffee table and aiming it at the forty-inch television. “You have a Premium cable package,” she informed the younger woman. “Over a thousand channels—including a variety of adult channels.” Avery flushed bright red at that and averted her gaze. “Don’t be shy,” Edith huffed. “We all have needs. Just be aware of the windows; anything you watch can be seen from the surrounding buildings and some parts of the street below, so always close the curtains if you need to…release yourself. Understood?” Avery nodded, incapable of speech at the moment. Edith took pity on her and moved on, switching off the TV and pointing the remote at a rather large sound system in the corner. Music immediately filled the room and she let it play for a long moment, before switching it off.
“This is a universal remote,” she said. “So far it’s only hooked up to the TV and stereo, but if you buy any other compatible technologies, then you just give me a call and I’ll send a programmer over from HI, alright?” Avery nodded. “Sometimes, you’ll receive a new piece of technology that we’d like you to test out. You should close your blinds on those days, as well. A few of our competitors have bought the apartments across the way and they’re always spying on us. Leeches.” She sniffed with disgust and shook her head, placing the remote back down, before making her way across the apartment, to a door just off the kitchen. She pushed it open to reveal a short hallway, with another door at the end. One on side of the hallway was a washer and dryer, one atop the other.
“For laundry,” Edith explained. “There’s some detergent and softener under the sink in the bathroom,” she said, guiding Avery forward, “which is right here.” She turned the knob on the other door and pushed it open, causing the lights to turn on, and Avery attempted to keep her jaw off the floor.
Saying that the bathroom was larger than she had expected would have been a gross understatement. The bathroom was bigger than any she’d ever seen in any home. The tub in the corner was probably about the size of her bed back in Greenfield and it looked more like a hot tub. When she turned her attention to the other corner, she saw a standing shower with glass doors and what looked like a series of holes on the ceiling above it. Avery walked closer to get a better look.
“It’s a waterfall showerhead,” Edith informed her. “The water pressure is amazing here, so it’ll feel like getting a massage every time you rinse out your hair.”
“You have one of these?” Avery asked.
“I lived here for a little while,” Edith admitted. “When my place was being renovated, Mrs. Harper gave me a place to stay. That shower convinced me to get a waterfall; it’s honestly life-changing. You might never want to leave.”
“I’ve only been here about twenty minutes and I already don’t want to leave,” Avery laughed, taking in the rest of the bathroom. There was a rack with a few multi-colored towels of varying sizes and lengths, a sink with hand towels and a bar of soap that was shaped like a sea shell, and a plain porcelain toilet with a slightly pink hue, which matched the pink floor and wall tiles. Everything was so clean and just…beautiful. And, according to Edith, this was the smallest apartment in the entire building. The entire building that was already occupied by the Harper children and their separate families. Kara Nichols had a husband and children that lived two floors up.
“Does Mrs. Harper live here?” she found herself asking before she could even help it.
Edith took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes,” she said. “She has round-the-clock nurses. They’re on the top floor, in the penthouse suite. That’s where all the children grew up, when their father was alive.”
“He’s no longer around?” Avery asked, even as a voice in her head screamed at her to shut the hell up!
Edith shook her head. “He passed when Joel was just a boy. He barely remembers him, but Mrs. Nichols does. She named her son after him; Gabriel Harper Nichols.” She smiled, softly. “He looks just like the pictures I’ve seen of Mr. Harper.” Then she shook her head and started toward the door. “Come on,” she said. “I’ll show you to the sleeping area and then we’ll go over your new work schedule and responsibilities.” Avery didn’t falter as she followed the older woman out and down the short hallway to the main room.
The bedroom was separated from the rest of the apartment by a curtain that started at the edge of the kitchen and ended at the wall, next to the pane-glass windows.
The bed was enormous and stood on a platform above the rest of the furniture. She had an unobstructed view of the Manhattan skyline peeking out between two skyscrapers. The sight took Avery’s breath away.
“Nice, huh?” she said. “One of the very best views in Manhattan. Better than a television, anyway. You can watch the sunset every night.” Avery nodded, flopping down onto the sinfully soft bed and its silky sheets. She moaned involuntarily.
“One-thousand thread count Egyptian cotton,” Edith informed her. “Twelve inch mattress. If you need a thicker one, just ask.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Avery chuckled. As nice and soft and luxurious as her hotel bed had been, the one in the studio made it seem like a pile of rocks in comparison. “I feel like I’m lying on a cloud,” she groaned, taking a deep breath. “This is incredible.”
“Mrs. Nichols will be so glad that you approve,” Edith chuckled. “Now, down to business…”
Avery sat up as Edith reached into the messenger bag that had been slung around her shoulders the entire time they walked around the apartment and pulled out a plain, black folder, handing it over.
“Inside,” Edith said, “you’ll find several sheets of paper. On top, you’ll see a detailed work schedule for the week, complete with lunch breaks and, on the rare occasion, dinner breaks. You are to remain at the office until Mr. Harper leaves, as he is the one you’ll be assisting until further notice.”
“Which Mr. Harper?” Avery asked, already dreading the answer she knew was coming.
“Joel, of course,” Edith replied. “The others are away on business and won’t be back for several months.” Avery nodded, feeling a pit of dread form in her stomach. She and Joel Harper had spoken a couple of times since her interview—both in person and on the phone—but she still had not been able to get over watching him flirt with the interviewee that had gone after her.
“Sometimes, you’ll be working under Mrs. Nichols, but she does most of the HR and financial stuff. I don’t think you’re too interested in that, are you? Mr. Harper tells me that your interest is in the technology itself, is that right?” Avery nodded. “I thought so. Their sister, Melanie, will also ask to have you on her service, but that’s more for image than anything else. She handles Public Relations and Advertising. When she gives press conferences, she likes to have somebody by her side; makes her look more professional.” Avery nodded again in understanding. “Your days shouldn’t go later
than seven, usually, but sometimes you’ll be invited to a gala or other charity event. You don’t have to worry about buying something to wear, though; we have people that would be more than willing to dress you, just so long as you don’t cause any scenes or ruin their clothing.” Edith lifted an eyebrow at her and Avery shook her head.
“No,” she said. “Of course not. I would never…”
A smile broke out over Edith’s face and she chuckled. “I know, hun,” she said. “I’m just teasing. Don’t worry about it. Just know that you’ll be covered if it comes to it, alright? The Harpers have a lot of friends, so you’ll be expected to attend a lot of these things. Especially around the holidays. Remember that.”
Again, Avery nodded. “Understood,” she said.
“Well, I can tell that you’ve got everything worked out,” Edith said. “There’s not much else I gotta tell you, other than work starts at nine AM, sharp, on Monday morning and you’re expected to get the drink orders for everybody on your list.” Avery flipped through the papers and saw a list of coffee orders, which might have been written in a different language if she didn’t know any better. “We have a tab set up at the café, so just tell them you’re the new assistant from HI and give them the list; they’ll take care of the rest. Got it?”
“Yes,” Avery said, placing the sheet back and closing the folder. “Anything else?”
“One more thing,” Edith confirmed, looking her square in the eye. “Do not sleep with Joel Harper.”
Chapter Seven
The sun was shining on Avery’s first day of work as she walked down the street in her new, comfortable—and professional—shoes. She’d bought them at some Fifth Avenue boutique not far from her apartment building, on Edith’s suggestion. They’d cost Avery half of her plane ticket money—which she no longer needed, luckily—and she’d used the remaining money to buy herself another dress. This one had a black and white pattern that was flattering to Avery’s figure—showing off her most favorable curves and hiding the ones she disliked—but still maintaining a professional look.
She felt light as she made her way towards the café, which was the perfect halfway point between her apartment and the Harper Images offices. It was only a quarter to eight, so she still had quite a lot of time before she had to be at the office, but she wanted to make sure that she got all the drinks and didn’t get stuck waiting on too long of a line. Remembering how it had been the last time she was there, Avery felt herself deflate a little bit. She hoped it wouldn’t be that bad.
It wasn’t. But it wasn’t exactly great, either.
The line stretched almost all the way to the door, just as it had the other day, but this time it seemed to be moving a bit more quickly. And Avery could see the reason for that was the fact that they had more people working (maybe Joel had made more hires after seeing just how bad it was the other day) and she saw at least one familiar face.
The barista from the other day, Ash, was working the register, smiling politely at customers as she took their orders and marked cups, handing them over to her co-worker, before welcoming the next customer. Halfway to the front, Ash met her eyes and gave Avery a wide grin, waving her over. Avery hesitated for a moment, seeing the annoyance on the faces of the other customers, but Ash was insistent, going so far as to call out her name.
“Avery!” she said. “Come over here!” She turned back to her customer, quickly taking her order, but her eyes continued to flit back to Avery, who gave up resisting and made her way to the counter, even as she heard the groans of other patrons.
“Hello,” she greeted, nervously. “How’ve you been?”
“Can’t complain,” Ash replied. “At least I’m not the one that has to train the newbie.” She nodded toward the espresso bar, where an older barista was guiding a younger trainee around, helping him learn how to make drinks and serving them to the customers. “He’s not bad, though,” Ash continued. “Just really slow.”
Avery shrugged. “Line’s moving faster than the last time I was here,” she pointed out.
“True,” Ash laughed. “Hey, why don’t you give me your list and I’ll get your drinks ready to go.”
“Oh, that’s alright,” Avery laughed, nervously. “I can wait. I still have, like, half an hour before I even need to think about leaving, anyway. It’s not that important.”
“I know,” Ash said. “But this way you can go sit down and relax a bit before work. I won’t even start making the drinks yet, anyway. It just makes more sense, you know? Especially since Mr. Harper likes his coffee like he likes his women.” At Avery’s confused expression, she elaborated: “Hot and fresh.” Ash winked and Avery pretended that the joke didn’t make her feel uncomfortable.
“Thanks,” she said, handing over her list. Ash put it off to the side as she waved Avery off and addressed the next customer.
Checking her phone for the time, Avery began making her way towards the “RESERVED” table in the corner (which Edith had said she was free to use whenever she wanted, so long as none of the Harpers needed it), before suddenly diverting her course as a thought struck her.
“Hey, Ash?” she called over her shoulder on her way to the exit.
“Yeah?” Ash called back, as she marked a cup without looking, her eyes trained on Avery.
“When will those drinks be ready?”
“Twenty to nine,” Ash promised. “Gives you enough time to get to the office and drop them on everybody’s desk as well as get yourself settled. At least according to Hannah.”
“Who?” Avery asked, furrowing her brow. Edith hadn’t mentioned anybody named Hannah.
“Doesn’t matter,” Ash replied. “Not important. Drinks will be ready soon enough. Why? Where’re you going?”
“Just to see a friend,” Avery replied, deciding that if Ash could be vague, so could she. “I’ll be back soon.” She let the door shut behind her, drowning out anything the barista said next.
Abe was out on the street, hailing a cab for another hotel guest when Avery walked up to greet him. “Hey, Abe.”
“Good morning, Miss James,” Abe replied, helping the elderly woman into her car. “Getting in a bit early today, I see; that’s quite the ‘Walk of Shame’ outfit, though. Very professional.”
Avery snorted and shook her head as her cheeks flamed. “No, Abe,” she said. “I’m not staying at the hotel anymore. I…I got a job. That’s why I’m dressed like this.”
“Really? That’s fantastic! I’m real happy for you, Miss James. Especially since you found yourself a nice place so fast.”
“Actually,” Avery chuckled, “my new employer found me the place. They own it, actually.”
“This new employer ain’t a pimp or nothing, is he?” Abe asked. “Because you and I both know that you can do better than that, Miss James.”
“No, he’s not a pimp,” she sighed. “But…well, it’s kind of a funny story.”
“Well, I ain’t going nowhere,” Abe said. “Go on and tell it; that is, if you’ve got the time, of course.”
“For you, Abe? I’ve got all the time in the world,” Avery laughed. They made their way back to the front door, where Avery stood off to the side as she began to tell him the story. “Remember that guy that bought me coffee at the café last week?” she asked him.
“Yeah, I remember you telling me something about that,” Abe replied, nodding contemplatively. “What about him?”
“Well, he’s my new boss,” Avery informed him. “Funny, huh?”
“The world is a funny place,” he agreed. “But didn’t you say he was a playboy or something like that? You didn’t sleep with him to get the job, did you? Not that I’m judging. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past myself for a big enough salary.”
“TMI, Abe,” Avery giggled, shaking her head. “And no, I didn’t sleep with him. I got this job the old-fashioned way; I gave him a lap dance.”
“That’s how I got this one,” Abe joked and Avery snorted.
>
“Seriously, though,” Avery said, “I didn’t sleep with him. I don’t know if I can say the same about some of the other applicants, though.” She thought about the blonde and the woman with the curly black hair and glasses that Joel had been flirting with pretty heavily at her interview.
“But you’re the one that got the gig,” Abe reminded her. “Anything else don’t really matter, does it?”
“You’re right,” Avery said, but she still couldn’t shake the thoughts of the giggling woman as she mooned over Joel. “What if he only hired me because he’s attracted to me?” The thought was not entirely unpleasant, she had to admit, but it also filled her with insecurity.
“The man can’t fire you just because you’re not attracted to him, now can he?”
Something about that statement sounded false, but Avery didn’t really want to correct him. Partly because she didn’t want to admit to Abe that there actually was something she found oddly attractive about Joel Harper, but mostly because she wasn’t ready to admit it to herself. Not yet, anyway.
“No matter how you got the job,” Abe added, “just know that I’m proud of you. You put your mind to something and worked hard to get it. You’re a lot stronger than I thought.”
Suddenly, there was a boulder in Avery’s throat and she tried to swallow past it, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. In all her years, her father had never said those words to her. He’d been proud, she knew, when she was Valedictorian at her high school graduation, and when her letter from Northwestern came, granting her a majority scholarship—as much as he hadn’t wanted her to leave for college, because he thought it was just a waste of time—but he’d never been able to voice his pride, it seemed. There was always something pulling him back. Perhaps it was the thought that, as her lone parent, he didn’t really have anybody to share those strong emotions with. Maybe he just didn’t know how to properly express them.
