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Shyla, who’d been hovering, anxiously surged forward. “What?”
Lana glanced impatiently toward her personal assistant. “I tried to honor Arthur’s memory and take his child under my wing. I really, honestly tried. But I can’t keep accepting this kind of insubordination. She’ll never listen to me.” Turning away, she called over her shoulder, “I’m done looking at her. Make sure she’s out of the building by the end of the hour, or you’re fired too.”
With that, she marched into her office and slammed the door behind her. I gaped at the closed entrance, blinking as a numbing shock of confusion settled over me. Then I turned to Shyla, who turned to me with a look of all the horror I’m sure I mirrored in my own expression. When tears filled her eyes, tremors took control of my limbs.
But seriously, what had just happened?
CHAPTER THREE
Shock.
Loss.
Disbelief.
It all roiled through me in dizzying waves. I tried to process what had happened. But it was impossible. My dream had been shattered. Not only could I never try to work my way to the top of my father’s company, but now I couldn’t even work there, period.
By Saturday evening, I was a complete wreck. I wavered between wanting to storm JFI to tell Lana I didn’t need her—I’d go somewhere else and show her how successful I could be on my own—and wanting to beg for another chance, because oh my God, I couldn’t lose my dream of staying with my parents’ legacy.
In reality, I sat on my sofa in my pajamas and moped as I tried to find a true, paying job on the internet. Nothing looked promising in the corporate world but there were plenty of food service or cleaning opportunities. I sighed and set my laptop on the coffee table in front of me while I scrubbed my tired face, only to wince at the smell that wafted up. As I tried to remember if it’d been three or four days since I’d last showered, a knock fel
l on my door.
I frowned at the door, wondering who it could be, as another knock sounded, followed by the muffled voice of my stepbrother.
“Kait? Hey, hurry up and let me in.”
Brick? What was he doing here? I scrambled from the couch. Running my hand over my hair, I cringed when my fingers met with greasy slickness. And, oh dear, there was no way to hide the spaghetti sauce stain on my flannel pajama pants.
Ugh. I guess stains were my new fashion motif. Christopher Elton would probably tell me white vinegar could clean this too.
I wondered if white vinegar would remove Lana from my life.
When I pulled the door open, Brick blew inside, right past me, already complaining. “I just realized when I stepped inside your building that I’ve never actually visited you at your apartment before, and holy shit.” He gave a full-body shiver. “This place is a dump. How can you handle…?” His words died as he focused on my face. Then his incredulous gaze dropped to my clothes. “What the hell are you wearing?”
Crossing my arms moodily—and maybe also self-consciously—over my chest, I mumbled, “Pajamas.”
He blinked. Then blinked some more. That’s when I noticed what he was wearing, along with the black garment bag draped over his right arm. He looked like freaking Prince Charming with a white polyester suit jacket, gold buttons, a gold cord hanging from one shoulder to the next where gold tassels dangled, and a gold belt cinched his waist to match the gold stripes racing up the outsides of his red pants.
I blinked, sure I was seeing things.
“You’re not ready,” he finally stated, as if suffering from his own shock. “Why aren’t you ready? I told you I’d pick you up at a quarter to eight and I’m ten minutes late.”
My mouth fell open. “Huh?” I said dumbly before running my hand over my hair, and wincing again from the grossness of it. Then realization finally settled in my brain, and I gasped. “Oh! The Halloween party! Ohmigod. I’m so sorry. I totally forgot about that.”
I wasn’t exactly the forgetful type, so Brick squinted his eyes as if suddenly suspicious. “You forgot…?” Then he shook his head, trying a new approach as he waved a hand. “You know what? I’d probably forget all about office parties too if I found myself living in this kind of squalor. Seriously, Kaitlynn. Is this why you’ve never invited me over before? So I couldn’t see how you suffered?”
“I… What? No!”
Shaking my head, absolutely confused, I just gaped at him.
All this time, I thought he hadn’t stopped by before because he just wasn’t interested. It was startling to realize I had never actually invited him. To me, he’d always been welcome, no invitation needed. Except, I guess, he hadn’t known that.
And… Now, I felt like a crappy sister.
But when I opened my mouth to apologize, he was already off again, demanding, “How much does my mother pay you if you’re forced to live in a place like this? You do know how to manage your money, right? You don’t give it all away to the poor, do you?”
With a painful swallow, I just stared at him. I didn’t realize he hadn’t been aware I was an unpaid intern, and wow, I suppose the gossip of my dismissal hadn’t gotten around yet, either.
