She untied her hair and ran her fingers through the curly locks. This wasn’t about the two children. Even though she had no experience with kids, she felt like she wanted to get to know Juniper and Thorn better. No, this had to do with the real relationship between the Goldmans and the Waltons. They weren’t friends. By no means were her parents poor, but they weren’t as rich and connected as Richard Goldman. The only reason why they were accepted in their home was because her dad had been to college with Marcia, and when Marcia scored a Goldman boy, he’d insisted to stay friends with her and introduce him to her fiancé. Why? Well, because her dad dreamed of having his own law firm one day and good connections were hard to come by. Fast forward thirty years later, and the Waltons were still revolving around the Goldmans like the Earth revolved around the Sun. Penelope was their only daughter, and they had dearly hoped she would one day marry either Killian or Zane. They still did.
“So humiliating…”
She stepped into the shower and started scrubbing away all the unpleasantness of the past couple of hours. She felt like screaming and kicking. She wanted to grab the phone, call her mom, and tell her everything, then call Richard and inform him that she had changed her mind and didn’t want the job. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, would it? Her parents would feel hurt and betrayed for a while, then they’d move on with their life. Whatever. Rick Goldman wasn’t the center of the world. He was just a wealthy jackass who’d always looked down on them and despised them for their servitude. Both she and her folks would be better off without him.
“Juniper and Thorn… Why did he change their names? Maybe it was Marcia’s idea?”
She turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, and wrapped herself in a big towel. In the living room, she rummaged through her ridiculously large bag and took out the files Goldman had given her. The kids’ given names were Nina and Kosta. There was something about them, something about this whole situation. Richard had adopted them three months ago and hadn’t told a soul.
“Damn it. I can’t back off now. I have to be at that party. For them.”
She dropped the files on the table, checked her phone, and realized she only had one hour left. Hardly enough time to get ready for a fancy evening at the Goldman Mansion. She chose her outfit as fast as she could – a burgundy dress that stopped right above the knees, black, strappy sandals, and a thin gold necklace that ended in a sapphire tear as the sole accessory. The necklace had been a gift from her dad when she’d turned eighteen. The make-up was a different story. It usually took her at least forty minutes to achieve the results she wanted. Applying all of it, starting with the face primer and ending with the fixer spray, was no joke. She sighed deeply and sat in front of her make-up mirror, determination shimmering in her blue eyes. At least, she wouldn’t have to worry about her hair. Freshly washed, it dried on its own in waves of large, rich curls that covered half of her back. She had been blessed in this department alright, and the person she had to thank was her grandmother. She worked quickly, and forty-five minutes later, she stood up from her boudoir table looking like a hot, curvy Barbie doll. Or a Hollywood star.
“Not bad…”
Penny stepped in front of the large mirror on the hallway and took a moment to admire herself. She had opted for black lingerie. The lace bra was hugging her breasts comfortably, pulling them up just enough to create an enticing cleavage, and the tiny panties would become invisible under her burgundy dress. Tonight, she had no intention of putting on a corset. She loved those things, but she was also perfectly aware they could be dangerous if worn too often or for too long. She had a massive collection of sexy corsets. Some were romantic, others were more in the BDSM-style, and she even had two that worked with Gothic outfits, just in case she ran into a guy who was into role-play. But no, tonight was all about class, simplicity, and comfort.
She stole a glance at the clock above the boudoir table, cursed under her breath, and grabbed her phone to order an Uber. She was in great danger of being late now, and she doubted Richard Goldman would appreciate it. Even though she had been welcome in his house since she was a kid, she felt like tonight was different. She wasn’t going to this party as a family friend. She was going as his personal assistant.
“… or his adopted kids’ nanny…”
***
The second she set foot in the grand living room, Penelope understood what Goldman had meant when he’d said this particular cocktail party was going to be special.
As always, the buffet was exquisite, and two waiters dressed in impeccable uniforms were going through the small crowd, offering drinks and delicious appetizers. That wasn’t what impressed Penny, though. She was used to it. The guests themselves were the ones who stood out. There were no more than twenty people, but they were all bankers, politicians, and business moguls. The only reason why Penny could recognize them was because she read the papers and watched the news with religiosity. She had never met them in person before.
Of course her parents couldn’t be invited to something like this! Jacob Walton was only a lawyer and the owner of a small law firm, and Linda was a former Anthropology professor who had given up teaching in favor of research, charity work, and doing a talk or two at various events. Penelope loved her parents and that they’d chosen to follow their dreams and passions, but she had to admit they could never fit in with this crowd. It took her one minute of close observation to notice that not even some of these powerful men’s wives had been invited. The lack of female presence in the room was so obvious that it was almost painful. To be a part of this elite group, one probably had to leave one’s ethics at the door. On second thought, it was better that Richard had so harshly excluded Jacob and Linda Walton.As for the Goldmans themselves, only Richard, Marcia, and Killian were there.
Penny spotted Marcia, grabbed a glass of champagne, and headed right toward her. She would have approached Killian, but their relationship had grown a bit cold lately. She wouldn’t know what to say to him.
“Hi!”
“Oh, hi! Penelope, honey, I’m so glad you made it!”
The tall, brown-haired woman wrapped Penny in a warm hug. For her age, Marcia Goldman looked amazing. She was only two years younger than her husband, but she looked better than many twenty-year-olds. Thin, athletic body, long legs, small breasts that made it possible for her to wear bare back dresses without a bra… Only her deep brown eyes and the small wrinkles surrounding them betrayed she was almost sixty-one.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Penny gave her a tense smile. She was pretty sure Marcia knew she wasn’t here as a family friend.
“Congratulations on your new job. Rick is so lucky to have you.”
“Thank you.”
“So, how do you feel?”
Penny took a deep breath and sipped her champagne. How did she feel? Oh, there was no way she could be honest about that.
“Excited… a bit overwhelmed… I mean, it’s big. I’ve just finished college, I have no experience… But with hard work on my part, and maybe a bit of patience on Mr. Goldman’s part…” She chuckled nervously. “I know I can handle it.”
Marcia waved her off as if all that was nonsense.
“You’ll do wonderful, honey. Don’t even worry about it.”
They made some more small talk, then Marcia excused herself and went to entertain her guests. As the mistress of the house, she couldn’t stay in one place. She needed to walk around and socialize, just like her husband was doing.
Penny found herself alone in a corner. She had finished her glass of champagne and she was a bit hungry, but she felt too self-conscious to go to the buffet and get something to eat. Everyone around her was drinking, eating, and chatting, and no one was paying attention to her. Since they didn’t know her, and she didn’t belong to their happy group, she was invisible to them.
She switched her weight from one leg to the other and accepted a second glass of champagne from one of the waiters, just so she’d keep at least one of her hands busy. A few steps away, Killian was talking to a gray-haired man whom Penny knew was a politician. She promised herself she would approach her childhood friend as soon as he finished the conversation he was currently in. Just as she was thinking that, Killian turned around and spotted her. A bright smile lit up his features, and he quickly excused himself and headed her way. She smiled in relief. She was saved.
