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With a dry mouth and racing heart, Charlotte stood. She’d gotten up to bat and hadn’t fallen completely on her face.
Quitting while she was ahead wise.
“Are you staying late? I can wait for you if you don’t want to be here alone,” Charlotte o ered as she meandered toward the door. Part of her wanted to run while the rest of her wanted to stay in the unnerving allure of Alexandra’s presence.
“How chivalrous of you, but I think I can manage.”
Charlotte’s lips itched to smile at the smart-ass remark, but she played it cool and walked out with a wave instead.
She made it all the way to the car before the adrenaline rushed out of her control. She knew she was playing with fire, but if getting what she needed meant getting burned . . .
so be it.
CHAPTER 6
ALEX RETURNED the little espresso cup she’d drained to the hairdresser’s assistant and thanked him. The salon was empty except for her, Giovanni, and his assistant. For a generous cash tip, Giovanni opened before sunrise twice a month just for her.
“Are we feeling daring today?”
Looking through the mirror at the attractive silver fox with a heavy Italian accent, Alex smirked. “Every day is a gamble, isn’t it, Gio?”
He laughed, putting his hand to his tight black t-shirt.
“This is why you’re my favorite. All the drama of a queen, but we won’t fight over men.”
While Giovanni and his assistant chatted as he clipped her wet hair into di erent sections, she checked her email. Of immediate interest was one titled Background Check Results .
She didn’t hesitate to click on it.
According to her longtime private investigator, Charlotte Castro was clean as a whistle. Noticing her birthday first, Alex stifled a chuckle. March 12, 1992, meant she’d been born when one of Alex’s favorite songs came out, but just barely.
On New Year’s Eve in 1993, Charlotte was somewhere in diapers and Alex was at Madison Square Garden in New York City standing front row at Janet Jackson’s world tour with her cousins from Madrid. The deafening noise of the arena filled her ears, and the bite of cheap, watery beer flooded her mouth.
God, I could be her mother. The thought made her aware of the bitterness the espresso left on her tongue.
According to the memo, Charlotte’s mother died when she was seven and no other parent was listed on her birth certificate. No other family was identified in Florida, but Charlotte went to schools locally.
“What’s wrong? You’re frowning. Doesn’t your Botox stop your face from doing that?” Giovanni made a strange, fish-like face in the mirror. It took her a moment to realize he was trying to contort his expression to match hers. He was unsuccessful.
Instead of telling him she didn’t inject anything in her face, Alex stared at him until he looked away. When he resumed his conversation with his assistant, she went back to her screen.
Judging by Charlotte’s history, Alex guessed she grew up in foster care. It didn’t appear she’d ever been adopted. She could confirm but getting records like that required considerable e ort. Maybe she’d dig into any juvenile criminal records, but that was premature.
Just as she reported, it took Charlotte six years to get a four-year degree and there was a long gap between high school and college. Until recently, she had only two jobs,
each of which she kept for some time, revealing her desire to work hard.
Charlotte was loyal too, at least on paper. She didn’t bounce around jobs. She’d lived in the same apartment for nearly a decade, an unusual feat considering she must have been able to a ord something much better after a time.
When it was time for Giovanni to style the front of her hair into long, wide curls, Alex put her phone down but couldn’t stop thinking about Charlotte. She’d been needing someone new for a long time. Could it be her?
Harvey, the CPA she’d inherited with her former mentor’s book of business, had set up their system. He was still available to make sure she didn’t run into tax trouble and make adjustments as laws and policies changed, but he was over eighty years old. She couldn’t count on him forever, and keeping the books clean was the only way to stay out of legal trouble. It was the key to her survival. At one time Alex had tried to learn for herself, but there was no way for her to play all the roles on the team. Like it or not, she had to let other people in.
Stephanie had been a godsend. She was more than an assistant; she was truly her right hand. But Stephanie was uniquely trustworthy. Her mother had been a dear friend since college. During a vacation together, Stephanie learned about Alex’s businesses. Both of them. She added some management classes to her women’s studies degree and moved to Miami after graduation. Alex trusted her without hesitation.
Could Charlotte be trusted like that? Her need for money could be a concern, but it might make her willing to keep her
mouth shut for a good thing. Alex could a ord to pay for her discretion. Money and job security could be huge motivators for someone with no familial safety net to fall back on.
