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That was another mark against Lana, I decided. She bought stupid, tempting doors to lure in completely innocent people and force them to do things they normally wouldn’t do. It was freaking entrapment.
The offending door opened, and I winced because I’m pretty sure Lana was naked under the short, little silk wrap she wore. One sleeve kept slipping off her shoulder, exposing bare flesh. Bleck.
She was starting her bossly torture right off the bat, I see.
Averting my gaze, I stepped past her as she let me in, determined to play this right. I had to act defiant and hateful because I was being forced into doing this and didn’t really want to be here, while in truth, I was kind of jazzed to start my mission and beat the bitch at her own game. Show her no one treated people the way she did and got away with it.
Sniffing in annoyance as she shut the door behind me, she groused, “If I’d known you were going to be so punctual, I would’ve told you to hold off a few minutes this morning. I’m not getting around very quickly because I had such a late night.”
Wow. Pissed off because I hadn’t warned her I was going to be exactly on time? This woman was a piece of work.
Hitching my thumb over my shoulder, I paused in my tracks. “You want me to come back later?” I asked before narrowing my eyes. “Like never?”
She glared right back. “Keep talking, girl. You know where that kind of insubordination will land you.”
“Fired?” I guessed, making myself sound hopeful. Then I smiled and batted my lashes playfully before adding, “Say, yes. Please.”
“Nice try,” she smarted back. “Wait right there while I fetch my list of duties I have for you to do today.”
List? Why did that sound so ominous? Refusing to let her see any of my unease, I said, “Can’t wait,” with a tone that implied, bring it. I was ready to handle whatever she dished out.
Until she turned away, and someone else entered the living room from the side hall that led down to her bedroom. I blinked, not expecting her to have company. Then my jaw fell open when I focused on who her company was as well as what he wasn’t wearing.
But oh my fucking God! Why was a shirtless Diego in her apartment right now?
“Lana, love,” he mumbled through a yawn as he scratched the hair covering his exposed chest. “Do you know what happened to my shirt?”
Lana trickled out a delighted laugh and went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing his face down for a kiss, only to pause an inch from his mouth to answer, “But don’t you remember, darling? We got a little carried away last night and ruined your shirt.”
“Mmm. That’s right. I forgot.” Growling out his pleasure, he squeezed her ass and pulled her against him so he could smash their mouths together.
“Oh God,” I muttered, cringing in disgust and throwing up a little in my mouth, unable to take my gaze off the horror show before me.
Unfortunately, my response caught their attention, and Diego pulled away from Lana to look right at me, his expression mocking and lacking all surprise.
“Gabriella,” he murmured, his eyes flickering with smug triumph. “I didn’t see you there.”
Oh, he’d seen me, all right. And he’d made sure I would see him right back.
But what a pathetic maggot licker. He’d actually thought rubbing another woman’s ass in my face would upset me? Humph. No wonder why I’d never been interested in him.
I smirked back, lifting my eyebrows and taking the high road, replying with a pleasant, “Morning, Diego.”
My lack of ire caused him to shift uncomfortably and clear his throat. “I—I’d heard you were going to start working for Lana today. Congratulations on the new job.”
I smiled graciously and nodded. “Thank you.”
New game plan: Instead of acting defiant and hateful for being conned into this job, I was just going to respond in whatever way Lana least expected.
“The pay sure beats Trudy’s,” I went on. “I’m actually pretty excited to get started.”
Lana glanced back at me, startled, her expression pinching slightly. Like Diego, she’d been hoping for quite a different reaction from me. These two were just a regular pair of peas in a pod, weren’t they, trying to hurt and upset everyone who crossed their path. I lifted my chin, silently daring them to try harder.
Keeping her gaze on me as she stepped away from Diego and waved him off, Lana murmured, “Why don’t you run along, dear, and check my closet to see if anything from my late husband fits you? Okay?”
He nodded like a good little lap dog and left us two women to continue the battle of wills on our own.
Lana waited until he was gone before a full smile broke across her face. When she tried to mask it with the fakest of winces, I almost snorted her off stage. But seriously, what an awful actress.
