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“Um, you know what today is, right?”
I tugged a lock of hair, glancing between my phone, the pic of Noah, and the bedroom door where Emily was waiting on the other side.
“Give me a minute, Emily,” I called. “I’ve got to make a phone call, then we’ll talk.”
Emily muttered something I didn’t quite catch, and I guessed she walked away. The sound of voices was filling the living room. Another impromptu get-together that I knew was going to last well into the night. Another night of no sleep. Not even an hour’s worth of peace of mind to make a very important decision that could be the best thing I’ve ever done or the worst mistake of my life.
I grabbed a notebook, pen, and calculator. Trying my hardest to not let the grim circumstances of Noah’s accident influence me, I crafted my answer to Lucien.
Ten minutes later, with music going full blast in the living area, I stuffed pillows in the crack under the door to help muffle the sound, heaved a breath, and dialed the number off the card I’d received earlier that afternoon.
He picked up after two rings. “Allô?”
“Lucien, it’s Charlotte Conroy.”
“Ah, Charlotte,ma chère.” He sounded warm but wary. “I had not expected to hear from you so soon…and I fear that is not a good thing.”
“Depends. I have some questions, some conditions. I googled Noah’s accident. God, the pictures…”
“I do apologize if they were too disturbing, but I wanted you to see why—”
“You wanted me to feel sorry for him so I’d take the job,” I said. “Didn’t you?”
“Not so that you would take it, my dear,” Lucien said, his tone turning grave. “But so that if you took the job, you would feel empathy toward your charge.”
“Especially when he’s a raving asshole to me?” I shook my head and gentled my voice. Lucien could be my new boss, after all. “You talk about all this empathy for him, but what is going to happen to me? Am I going to be subjected to verbal abuse and insults every day, all day? Because if that’s the case, then I can see why those other professionals quit.”
“Noah will not abuse you, verbally or otherwise.”
“I believe you said ‘bully and torment.’”
“A poor choice of words on my part.”
“I’m just trying to protect myself, Lucien.”
“And you have every right,” he replied. “Noah is angry, bitter, and ill-tempered, and he will make no attempt to hide that from you. But he is also a good man, deep down. It will not be easy to work with him, Charlotte. That I guarantee. But I’ve known him and his sister since they were small children. His bark is unpleasant, but he has no bite. I promise.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. Nerves jangled in my gut, but determination conquered them. “When I made that food delivery last week, I saw that the first floor of Noah’s house looked vacant.”
“It is.”
No guts, no glory, I thought. I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted, “I want to live in it.”
Silence.
I felt my grand escape-plan start to unravel in that silence, and then Lucien said, “I had long wanted a live-in assistant for Noah. I worry for him…”
My hopes soared and then crashed.
“But Noah will not permit it. It has been suggested before and he is adamant.”
“And if I could convince him?” I said, twisting my bed cover.
“Charlotte—”
I glanced at the bedroom door. On the other side, it sounded like a full-blown party. On a Monday. I turned my back and cupped the phone with both hands to my ear.
“Look, Lucien, I’ve had…kind of a rough year, and I need a little peace. And that’s what’s going to make me a good assistant to him. Your Google plan worked. I feel awful for Noah and if you think being with him, helping him out would help ease some of his pain, then I’m all for it. And I’ll also do my best because, on a more selfish note, I can’t affordnotto.”
