by Emily Bishop
No matter what sins they’d committed in the past, they were still my parents. I might not like them, but deep down, I still loved them, whether they deserved it or not.
Still, I didn’t know what my mother expected me to do. I didn’t have money to help them out, even if I wanted to. I was barely scraping by on my wages and tips from the diner. It was enough to live on but that was it. I couldn’t afford luxuries, wild nights out on the town, or beautiful blue dresses that made me look amazing. So, I sure as hell couldn’t pay for cancer treatments, which I assumed were astronomically expensive if they’d bankrupted my parents.
I had no idea what I was supposed to do in this situation.
I walked the streets in a daze, surprised when we reached the diner without my noticing how many blocks we’d walked. Which was nothing compared to the surprise I received when I crossed the threshold to see Barrett Hart sitting in the same booth he’d been in the day before, palming a cup of coffee and studying the chipped paint on the walls.
Butterflies stirred in my stomach as I remembered the electricity between us. As soon as he looked up to meet my gaze, the corners on his mouth turned up into a sexy smile. I didn’t know what it was, but it was like something about him called to something in me.
I was kind of flattered that he was back, since to him, girls must be a dime a dozen. But here he was, despite the way I’d turned him down. My feet were carrying me toward him of their own accord, and it dawned on me what I’d turned down yesterday.
He’d offered me a job. I rejected the offer without a second thought. Yesterday, I wasn’t interested in a new job, but it was amazing how fundamentally my life could change in just twenty-four hours. Today, a new job with a better salary could be the answer I didn’t know I’d needed.
I took a deep breath as I crossed the linoleum floor, heading directly for him. His eyes followed my every move with an almost possessive gleam in them. I could only hope that it meant his job offer was still on the table.
There was only one way to find out. I drew to a stop at his booth and looked him right in the eye. “I want to take you up on your offer, if it’s still open.”
Chapter 5
Barrett
Well, well. That was a surprise.
The gorgeous waitress was actually asking for the job? I had been expecting an uphill battle to convince her to come work for me after she hadn’t called. Generous offer and all.
My lips spread into a wide smile. “It’s still open. I was hoping I would be able to convince you to take it. Although, before I can hire you, I kind of feel like I at least need to know your name.”
She looked stunned for a second, then those beautiful blue eyes lit up. “Demetria Alison Fowler but everyone calls me Demi.”
Demi wiped her hands on her skirt and stuck a delicate hand out to me. Her handshake was much firmer than I would’ve expected. As soon as her skin touched mine, a shiver of electricity ran through me, settling in my cock.
It distracted me from the fact that her full name sounded vaguely familiar, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on where I’d heard it before. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Demi.”
“You, too,” she said, her hand lingering in mine before she noticed and pulled it away. A rosy flush sprang to her cheeks. Stefan and his camera were going to go crazy for her. “I, uh, when would I start?”
“Come to dinner with me tonight,” I said. “We can discuss the terms of your employment.”
Demi’s eyes narrowed slightly, looking skeptical. Not the reaction I was used to getting when I asked women to dinner, but okay.
“Do you always conduct business over dinner?” she asked. “I could just come by your office on Monday.”
“I’d need the paperwork ready by Monday,” I lied. “I’ll bring your contract along to dinner. All you have to do is sign it and enjoy a meal on my dime.”
I flashed her what the media had dubbed my moneymaking smile and watched as she started nodding slowly. The corners of her full lips twitched into a small smile.
“Okay, let’s do it. Where and when?”
Now that was more like it. “Tavolo Uno. Tonight at eight.”
Demi’s eyes widened in surprise. “It takes months to get a reservation there.”
Not when you’re a silent partner. “Armando, the owner, owes me one.”
He owed me several million actually, but no one had to know about it.
“Okay, I...” She trailed off, looking a little dazed. “I’ll meet you there, then.”
“You want me to send a car for you?” I asked, then laughed at the look she shot me and clarified. “A company car, Demi. Relax.”
A nervous giggle floated from her lips, but her tone was playful, more like it had been when I first met her.
“I’m sure that would be great, but no thank you. I’ll just meet you there.”
“Alrighty then,” I slapped a twenty on the counter for my coffee. “I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, I guess you will,” she said, disbelief ringing in her voice.
I rose from the booth, more than relieved that I could get away from the smell of deep fried everything that hung in the diner, but I was already looking forward to seeing her that night.
Demi waved, then spun around and dashed to the kitchen.
Stepping onto the busy sidewalk, I neatly sidestepped a bike messenger who yelled, “Watch it,” then flipped me off as he whizzed by.
Asshole. I had half a mind yell back at him, but I had better things to do than get in a street fight with a courier. If I wanted Demi’s contract ready by dinner, I had to speak to Adam.
We didn’t pay our lawyers a fortune in retainer fees to have them unavailable to us at a moment’s notice. Adam dealt with them on a daily basis. He was sitting in his office when I arrived.
“Dude, you totally missed out yesterday,” Adam said by way of greeting. “That model had a mouth like a damn vacuum.”
“Thanks for the update,” I replied. Adam never was one to kiss and not tell. “Can we leave the ‘Stories or it didn’t happen mentality’ behind for just a second?”
Adam hooted with laughter. “A good BJ is always worth a story, don’t you think?”
For a second, my mind conjured up an image of Demi’s pouty lips wrapped around my cock, but I pushed it away. For now.
“True, but we have bigger fish to fry,” I told him.
“That’s why you’re the rainmaker. What can I do you for?”
“I found her, the face of the agency. I need you to get in touch with Smith and have the contract drawn up. Same starting rate as Angela.”
There was a stunned pause and a deep exhale. “Jesus Christ, Barrett, what are you smoking? Cause I sure as shit want some. Where did you find a chick who justifies what Angela makes? Who is she? Where can I see her work, at the very least?”
“You can’t,” I said. “But that’s exactly the point. She’s not a model. Not yet anyway. Will you get it done?”
“Don’t I get to meet her first?”
“Nope, I’m signing her tonight. You keep telling me I’m the rainmaker, so you’re just going to have to trust me.”
Adam shrugged and made the call.
Hours later, I was sitting at the best table in Tavolo Uno, swirling a glass of Armando’s finest wine, and I watched the vision that was my date approach. I knew I’d made the right decision. Demi was, in a word I rarely used to describe women, stunning.
She was beautiful in her uniform by day, but moving through that restaurant, dressed to the nines in a scrap of a little black dress, gracefully navigating the scrapes of chairs and the servers scurrying by, she was fucking devastating. She moved as if she belonged here, as if she was more than comfortable among the elite.
My gaze narrowed in on her. The tantalizing smells of garlic and prime steak faded into the background, along with the soft jazz that was playing and the murmur of dinner conversation. She was the only thing in my world at that moment.
&n
bsp; She was fucking perfect. She was going to be a gold mine as the new face of the agency, as soon as I got her to sign the contract folded in the breast pocket of my favorite Armani suit.
I rose as she approached, pulling out her chair like the gentleman I never bothered being.
“Hi,” Demi said, her voice soft and shy.
I felt a pull toward her that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and kiss her until I’d stripped her of any self-consciousness and she no longer had any reason to be shy toward me.
I didn’t do that, of course.
“Hey, thank you for coming,” I said, instead.
She lowered herself into her seat with poise I should’ve, but didn’t, expect from her, and she fixed her eyes on mine. “Of course, do you have the contract?”
A low whistle sounded from my lips. “You really are all work and no play, aren’t you?”
Her fingers went to her neck, exposed since she’d swept her jet-black hair back for the occasion. I itched to press my lips to the exact same spot her fingers were gently trailing over.
“And am I not at work?” she asked. “Again. You’d think you would appreciate my professional attitude as an employee.”
I smiled. “I do.”
Reaching for the papers folded in my jacket, I slid them and my pen over to her. “You’ll see that the terms are pretty standard for what will be expected of you.”
I’d barely started when she began placing her initial on each page.
“You know, you should really have your lawyer look that over,” I told her.
Her answer surprised me as much as her actions. “You said it was standard, I trust you.” She smiled, sliding the signed contract back to me.
“You didn’t have any questions?” I asked, brows raised. “You really could’ve taken some time to go through it.”
“I’d rather hear it from you. What kind of hell did I just sign myself up for?” Amusement and a hint of something else, relief maybe, glinted in her eyes.
“Shouldn’t you have asked that before you signed?”
“Probably but this way I’m less likely to back out. Lay it on me, boss man.”
I didn’t miss how tight her shoulders were or the throb of her pulse in her neck. She was doing a good job of appearing calm, but she was clearly nervous as hell.
On autopilot business mode, I started by telling her our agency stats. “So, BHA Models is one of the top-rated modeling agencies in the world. We’re also known for being among the most lucrative.”
This was where most women started getting excited, but Demi didn’t. If anything, she looked turned off by it, annoyed even. Her lips pressed into a tight line, and her posture locked.
A waiter appeared at the table, giving me time to process that my usual spiel wasn’t having its intended effect. “Good evening. What can I get for you this evening?”
“I’ll have the dry aged beef tallow, please,” Demi said without even having picked up the menu, favoring the server with a kind smile. Looking back at me, she clearly noticed the stunned look on my face. She shrugged. “What? I’ve heard of this place.”
I had a feeling it was more than that, but I didn’t push her for details she obviously wasn’t willing to offer up to me yet. Fixing my eyes on hers, I didn’t break eye contact as I handed our menus to the waiter. “I’ll have the same. Medium rare. And a glass of the same Pinot Noir I’m having for the lady.”
The waiter nodded and left.
“What if I’m more of a beer kind of girl?” she asked, a hint of a smile creeping back onto her tense features.
Damn, this chick was going to give me whiplash. It was a strangely familiar feeling. “You know, you remind me of Nancie.”
Demi tilted her head slightly. “Nancie? And just how does your girlfriend feel about you courting prospective models on a Saturday night?”
I couldn’t hold back a shout of laughter, shaking my head. “No. No, it’s nothing like that. She’s my niece. I can never tell what page I’m on with her, either.”
A coy smile spread on Demi’s lips. “You can’t tell what page you’re on with me?”
“Not even a little bit,” I admitted, as much to my surprise as hers. “One second, you seem bored and distant, and the next, you’re playful and alive. It’s confusing.”
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about how badly I’m about to suck at my new job.” She smiled. “I saw on the contract that I start on Friday. What will I be doing?”
“A simple photoshoot,” I told her. “There’s at least one a week. In between the shoots, you’ll be working with the photographer and some of the other girls. Eventually, there will be PR events and a whole bunch of other things.”
The glazed look returned to her eyes, and she started fidgeting. “Oh, okay.”
“Still no questions?”
“I don’t know enough about your industry to have any yet,” she told me honestly. “I would like to know more about this niece of yours that I remind you of, though.”
In that moment, I swore that I would’ve given every dollar I had to know what the hell was going on in that pretty head of hers. My brows flew to my hairline, and my heart started pounding.
“You want to know about Nancie instead of how I plan to put you on every magazine cover from here to Mars?”
“Sure,” she said. “Mars isn’t going anywhere, as far as I know.”
The woman was one surprise after another. I could hardly believe that she was more interested in my niece than finding out just how famous she was about to become and exactly how much money she would be making. From the way she was suddenly leaning forward, anticipation on her features, it was obvious that she really did care more about hearing about Nancie.
It was refreshing, but a confusing change from what I’d come to expect from women.
“Okay, here goes nothing then,” I conceded, taking my cues from her and launching into how impossible teenage girls were. I regaled Demi with all of Nance’s crazy antics and the adventures of Barrett and Nancie, as she quickly named it. I watched her relax as she laughed along with me.
By the time dinner was done, I was thoroughly intrigued by her. Thinking that drinks would loosen her up some more, I invited her to my bar of the week. “How would you feel about a drink at the Highlight?”
Demi’s cheeks flushed, and she looked away from me, her eyes fixing on the plant behind me. “I can’t. I’m sorry. This has been fun, though. Thank you. I’ll see you on Friday. Wait, will I see you at the shoot?”
“I’ll be there,” I promised.
After settling the check, Demi held out her hand and gave mine another firm shake. “See you Friday then, boss man.”
“You sure about that drink?” I asked, clasping her hand in mine for a moment longer than necessary.
“I’m sure,” she said, pulling her hand back to her side and walking away with a sassy sway of her hips that mesmerized me.
She was the first woman in forever to say no to me. Just like that, my level of intrigue quadrupled.
Chapter 6
Demi
What in the name of all that was holy was I thinking when I signed that damn contract?
My palms were clammy as I wrapped them round the pole on the crowded subway. An assistant of Barrett’s had called first thing Monday morning and told me to be at a warehouse in Dumbo at ten o’clock sharp that Friday morning. She’d also spouted off a list of instructions that I hadn’t been able to understand and then slammed the phone in my ear.
So, there I was, heading to what was sure to be a disaster on my first day of my new job. It felt a little bit like a dream, being on my way to an honest to god photoshoot where I was to be the center of attention. If it hadn’t been for my parents’ situation, I never would’ve agreed to it. No matter how attracted I was to Barrett.
Sure, he’d been charming over dinner on Saturday, but he had way too many of the rich-bitch, playboy-type traits that I hated to consider him s
eriously. Although, I had been surprised and charmed by the way he talked about his niece. Especially by the way he’d stepped up and raised her without shoving her off on a nanny. It was impressive and so very unexpected from a man like him.
However, it didn’t mean that I could go as far as having drinks with the guy. One good deed on his part didn’t mean that his obsession with his wealth was any less than my parents’ had been. A glimmer of that obsession showed when one of the first things he told me was how lucrative his agency was. That world wasn’t for me. Not anymore.
I liked my job at the diner, so much that I hadn’t resigned yet. I asked Roy to reshuffle my shifts until I could figure my situation out.
A man trod on my toe in the crush of the subway and barely muttered his apologies before he was gone. It was enough to bring me back to the present and my senses.
Barrett Hart didn’t only belong to the world I worked every damn day to leave behind, but he was also about to be my boss. That put him firmly in the untouchable zone, as far as I was concerned. I gripped the smooth subway pole harder and tried my best to get my head back in the game when the conductor’s voice came over the speakers and told me that I’d reached my stop.
I emerged from the station into the newly trendy area where warehouses were all being converted into more modern spaces. I paused for a second to get my bearings. Had I not given up the life I had before, I probably would’ve been far more acquainted with the area, but since I did my best to block out the trends, along with my former fair-weather friends, I hadn’t really been here too often.
The nearer I got to the address Barrett’s assistant gave me, the more nervous I became. Thanks to being stuck in the middle of a mild panic attack for being afraid of backing out before I signed the contract, I still didn’t really know what my new job entailed. I just knew that I had to put my signature on the paper before I fled.
Though I didn’t see it, I often got told I was beautiful, but I knew that modeling wouldn’t be as easy as holding still and saying cheese for the camera. My worst fears were confirmed when I stepped into the chaos of the building I’d been given the address to.
