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“Blaire, this decision is final whether you like it or not.” Charles’ voice is more stern and forceful.
Blaire gives her dad a look that could kill. The room is silent for a moment as the two of them have a stare down with me sitting in between them until Blaire interrupts it. “What about when I travel?”
“He’ll be right with you.”
“And when I go to the store?”
“He’ll push your cart.”
“What about when I’m at home cooking or sleeping?”
“He’ll wash the dishes and tuck you in.”
Charles folds his arms across his chest as if he’s sizing up Blaire. His mouth is pressed into a hard line, and the two hold each other’s gaze for a few more silent seconds. Something tells me this man has seen a lifetime of her behaving this way. I love seeing this woman being put in her place.
Without another word, Blaire’s heels clack loudly on the floor as she walks to Charles’ desk and slaps the papers in front of him.
“Read ’em yourself,” she says, storming out of the room.
The door slams with a loudthump, and it’s all I can do to keep from laughing.
Aw, the princess doesn’t get what she wants. How unfortunate.
Charles gives me an apologetic look. “She just needs some time to get used to it. She’ll come around.”
I give him a large genuine smile. Something tells me I might actually enjoy this job.
“I’ve got all the time in the world.”
CHAPTER 2
BLAIRE
Iimmediately hit the gym the second I’m done with work. I need something to release my anger and the boxing bag isscreamingmy name.
By the time I’m done with my workout, I’m drenched in sweat. The hour I spent punching the life out of that hanging bag should have left me exhausted, but instead I feel refreshed. The whole time, I pictured the bag to be Jimmy, his face the center of it. With every punch I threw, I pretended like I was aiming for that pathetic, sleazy smile of his. I even threw in a kick to his imaginary groin.
How could my father treat me like this? Like I’m some child who needs babysitting or chaperoning? I’ve heard the whispers from my father about the threats he’s been receiving; I know he’s in some sort of trouble. But still, attaching some man to me at all hours of the day? And it’s somehowJimmy Maxwell? How fucked up can this world be?
I chug some water as I push open the door to the gym. The cool autumn New York air greets my skin with a refreshing breeze as a contrast to my hot, sweaty body. As I start to walk to my apartment, my mind drifts off to dinner options. I have stuff at home for a grilled chicken salad, or I could stop by the Chinese place just down the—
My phone begins to ring, breaking up my dinner thoughts. I pause on the sidewalk as I fish it out of my bag.
“Hello?” I say into the receiver.
“Hey, girl!” my best friend Juliette squeals. “Where are you? Harper and I are at Murphy’s, if you want to join us for drinks. She’s having another one of her mope sessions, and I need you here to get me through it and cheer her up.”
The sound of Harper’s name makes my stomach churn. She’s the last person I want to see right now, given that her older brother is now going to be by my side twenty-four seven starting who knows when and I can’t tell her why I hate him.
“I can’t, Jules. I just left the gym, and I’m sweating like a pig.”
“So? Get your ass over here now. You can shower when you get home. Just for an hour? Please?”
I pause once more on the sidewalk to ponder over my options. I was really looking forward to Chinese once I thought of it, but I haven’t seen my girls in over two weeks. I can push aside my anger at my best friend’s brother for an hour or so.
“Okay, fine.Onehour,” I say when my mind is made up.
Juliette squeals again. “I’ll have a cosmo waiting on you when you get here.”
