AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Aside from clothing, what other expenses would I have? The salary you’re giving me is a lot, already.”
My lips curve and I reply, “Any expenses that you incur go on the card. Once you start working for me, it’ll make sense. If I need something, you’ll have access to the money to buy it.”
“So, it’s for you.” She sounds too relieved.
I narrow my eyes at her deduction. “No, it’s for you. You might want to furnish your apartment anyway you see fit. You might want to get—”
“I have a salary for that,” Kendall is starting to look frustrated, hints of her true personality shining through.
“And you have this,” I point out.
“I don’t need…” She pokes at the envelope, which is lying on the table, like it’s a vicious snake. “…all this. It seems too unnecessary.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” I tell her calmly. “How was your meeting with Lana?”
My suspicions are proven correct when Kendall stiffens, and I sense the panic under her surface which struggles to control.
“It went okay. She explained a few things to me.”
“Like what?” I grind my teeth, furious at Lana, knowing the woman was not pleased by my choice of PA. Damn, interfering—
“Just some small things; nothing worth mentioning,” Kendall tries to divert the topic. “You wanted to explain the projects to me?”
I let her have this win and lean forward, stapling my fingers together, a small smirk on my lips. “Not projects, Miss West. I want to walk you through the entire empire I’ve built.”
Spending a day with Kendall, I feel like a glutton.
I can’t get enough of her.
I fight off the urge to tell her who I am. It’s hard knowing her, having her within my reach and yet her thinking of me as a stranger, someone superior to her, her boss.
I miss the girl who used to jump on me from the tree she’d been hiding in. I miss the girl who would tell me about her day, not shutting up to even breathe. I miss the girl who had looked at me with such awe and love.
I would give anything to have all that back.
But I can’t.
Because all this, it’s for her.
Now is not the right time to tell her anything.
So, I content myself with watching her as the salesgirl shows her different blouses, dresses, skirts. I don’t ask her to model for me. Now, that would be inappropriate. But I do pick and choose items and colors.
It appeases a part of me that now she’ll be wearing clothes I have bought her, living in an apartment I have paid for. She doesn’t have to know any of that.
The sun is setting by the time we leave the last shop and while I am strangely energized, Kendall looks ready to drop dead.
“I was thinking of four skirts and seven blouses,” she mutters as we are seated in the car. “Not clothes in double digits. I cannot possibly wear all of them, Mr. Starr.”
“Which is why I’m glad I came with you. Now…” I glance at her. “We can have dinner and I’ll drop you home.”
She pales. “You don’t have to do that!”
“Nonsense.” I wave off her protests, suddenly wanting to know what her home looks like. I have her address on file but haven’t yet managed to visit the place. “Besides, all these bags need to be carried. You can’t carry all of them yourself.”
She bites her lower lip and I wonder what she’s thinking as she turns her head to gaze out the window.
Dinner is at a small Vietnamese restaurant that I frequent, and I order more for Kendall, feeling she’s too malnourished and then I insist on her taking the leftovers home, which are three containers in total.
