Isla furrowed her brow. She knew about contactless payments, but she had never done it herself. Most places she visited barely had machines that could read chips in cards. Was she even qualified for this job? “What if we go somewhere that doesn’t accept credit cards in a phone?”
Noreen returned Isla’s frown. “Why would you go somewhere like that?”
Oh.
Noreen dangled a white card attached to a violet lanyard. “This is your key to the Hancock-Strauss complex. You only need to swipe it in front of the RFID readers. As Jayden-James’s assistant, you have the same access as him. As the guards get to know you, they’ll let you in automatically, but I still recommend carrying the ID badge at all times.”
Isla admired the piece of plastic. The badge already had her photo and name on it. "Where did you find this photo?"
“Jayden-James scoped out your SuddenPic.” Noreen shrugged. “He liked this picture the best.”
Panic froze Isla in place. Jayden-James had scoped out her SuddenPic profile!? 20% of her SuddenPic talked about incredibly vulnerable gender feelings and difficulties with being a broke trans woman. The other 80% SuddenPic revolved around student loan reformation rallies and petitions.
Isla wasn’t ashamed about her involvement in student loan reformation. Far from it. No one deserved to be trapped in interest rates they could never hope to pay back before retirement if they wanted to pursue higher education.
It just seemed weird for a freaking billionaire to know about her struggles to pay $300 a month. Especially when Isla never got to put her communications degree to use.
Isla looped the lanyard around her fingers. “My SuddenPic profile isn’t all I am, you know.”
Noreen nodded. “Jayden-James agrees with that statement. He said he figured out everything he needed to know when you talked yesterday. He says you’re nice, helpful, organized, and determined.”
He...
He said all that?
Noreen continued. “The passcode to Jayden-James’s private residence is 0712. He lives with the rest of the family in the Hancock-Strauss condo, but he has a separate elevator to his floor. You’ll probably have to wake him up personally.” Noreen set a bag of key fobs down. “These are backups to Jayden-James’s cars. Each one is labeled. Sometimes he gets drunk and needs someone to drive his car home. Not just anyone can be trusted to drive one of his vehicles. There might be sensitive material in the backseat, like an unreleased prototype of a new purse, or Jayden-James might simply have a guest we wish to keep out of the public eye.”
Isla gulped. Would she have to drive a freaking Lamborghini sometime?
Jealousy slowly crept in her stomach as the implication of Noreen’s words sunk in. Would she have to chauffeur Jayden-James while he had sloppy make-out sessions with someone?!
Isla willed her stomach to get it under control. That was fine. Taxi drivers all over the world dealt with drunk kissy faces every day. Jayden-James was allowed to mack with whoever he wanted.
He was her boss. He was a means to a steady paycheck. Nothing else. Her student loan interest had ballooned out of control, hormones weren’t free, and rent in New York City proved prohibitively expensive even with two roommates.
Stable income. If Isla could secure a job with a steady paycheck that left her enough cash to eat something besides peanut butter sandwiches, she’d be set. At 27, she feared the rest of her life would be a continuous scramble for security. She had never known anything else.
Isla ran her hands through her uncombed hair. God, she wished she had had some notice about Noreen’s visit. The stylish secretary probably didn’t think much of this unkempt ginger. “Can I ask how much my pay is?”
“That’s a fair question.” Noreen took out a document. “I’ll need you to sign here, anyway, and give some more information I couldn’t procure online.”
Yikes. What else did Noreen and Jayden-James know about her? Isla didn’t have sinister secrets, but it embarrassed her to consider the possibility they had dug up her medical history or Kingdom Hearts fanfic.
Noreen handed the document over. Isla read the thin sheet of paper carefully. If any part of this night owl was still asleep, that changed when she saw the number of zeroes on the paper.
“You’ll admittedly be paid a little less than the rest of the assistants the family employs,” Noreen said. “Given your lack of experience as a personal assistant, it’s a good starting place. We can renegotiate in the future after your six month probation period is up. You’ll have insurance and your travel expenses covered. As you know, we have a trip to Milan coming up next week.”
A good starting place? This was a fabulous ending place! Isla could pay off her student loans in a few years, pay her mother back for all the emergency loans, never worry about getting hormones, and she could start a savings account.
Plus she would get to go to Italy!
Every inch of Isla’s skin tingled in disbelief. There was no way she was actually qualified for this job in the first place.
“Thank you,” Isla eked. “Do we need to wrap this up soon? I imagine you came over early because Mr. Hancock has a busy schedule. Do I have time to shower before I start working? I’m kind of a sweaty mess right now, as you can tell.”
A smirk unfurled across Noreen’s pretty face. “You have plenty of time. Thank you for letting me visit you. It’s been interesting getting to know you.”
Not like I had a choice.
“You have a communications degree, correct?” Noreen suddenly asked.
“I do,” Isla answered. She paused. “Why?”
Noreen removed a gold-plated pen from her pocket. “Finally getting a chance to put it to use, huh? Makes the student loans a little less bitter, doesn’t it? Maybe you won’t need to attend protests and rallies so much now.”
Isla’s heart clanged against her chest.
Was her passion for student loan reformation going to be a problem?
* * *
Jay covered his head with a pillow as the bell rang for the fifth time. Who dared to bother him so early in the morning with that infernal bing-bong-bing? If it was one of his sisters, they could just walk right in, like they always did. As would his mother and stepfather.
He jumped out of bed, realizing that there was only one person who wouldn’t just walk right in.
His new assistant. Oh, no.
Jay checked himself in the mirror while removing his satin scarf. No morning wood. No eyeliner smeared across the side of his face. No stains on his shirt from last night’s 2 AM taco delivery while he got lost in the amazing world of Kingdom Hearts III.
He grimaced. Why did he care about his appearance? He had to squash this crush.
Jay dashed to the door before the bell rang for the sixth time.
Isla’s bubbly smile sparkled like a star cutting through the night sky. Her cheeks were a marvelous shade of pink, enhancing every speck of her shining eyes. She smelled like a heavenly blend of lavender and coffee.
Coffee!
Isla held the to-go cup out to him. “Good morning, Mr. Hancock! I did some research on the tablet your mom’s secretary gave me, and I found receipts for this drink. This is your favorite kind of coffee, right? Vanilla chai macchiato with almond milk.”
Is that what Caleb used to get Jay? Jay sampled the drink.
The instant familiarity of the first sweet sip rubbed salt in Jay’s wounded heart. Yes, this was what Caleb used to get.
The fact Isla had figured it out so quickly impressed Jay, but the drink tasted too much like Caleb now. Too much like betrayal.
“Thank you.” Jay waved Isla inside. She had a black messenger bag covered in a rainbow of buttons. It suited her. “I, uh, like what you suggested for me the other day more. Could we start our days off with that instead?”
Isla had truly mastered the art of dropping her jaw in surprise. When caught off-guard, her mouth morphed into a heart.
So cute.
“Of course, Mr. Hancock!”
Isla pulled a tablet out from her bag once they got to the living room. “I’ll make a note. One butterscotch cappuccino with two shots of espresso and whipped cream on top every day.”
“Two.” Jay took another sip and studied Isla. She was even taller than him now since he was barefoot and she had donned a pair of black high heels. Admittedly, this fact was a bit titillating. “You said it’s your favorite, right?”
Isla bit her lower lip as she nodded, tapping away at the screen.
God, he could stare at her mouth all day.
“Oh!” Isla pointed to the coffee table in front of the television. It was covered in taco wrappers and empty soda cans.
Ugh. He would have cleaned up if he had known Isla would be here.
“Are you playing Kingdom Hearts III?” Isla smiled. “I love that series. I can’t afford to get the new game, but I’ve been watching some livestreams. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Wait, wait, wait. Isla liked Kingdom Hearts?
Was it possible to be halfway in love with someone based on that alone?
Before Jay could come up with a response that didn’t make him look like a total nerd, Isla turned the tablet to Jay. “Your first appointment today is lunch with your sister and Min-ho Jong from the Corporate Flowers line at noon in her condo.”
Jay checked his smartwatch. It was nearly eleven now. “Which sister?”
“Teresa.”
Jay hugged his coffee close, stroking the edge lightly. “So lunch is at one. We have plenty of time. What should we do until then?”
Probably would be inappropriate to start a new game of Kingdom Hearts III with her, huh?
Isla blinked. “No, I said noon. That’s what the calendar—”
Right. Isla hadn’t learned about Teresa’s allergy to punctuality or any of his family’s other quirks yet.
She’d learn. She’d see how unglamorous everyone was underneath the glitzy clothes and contoured makeup. Everyone including himself.
She’d probably find out about his more unusual interests and judge him. His one particular interest in the bedroom was a deep-seated secret. Only Jay’s romantic exes knew about it. The day Jay fired Caleb, he was greatly relieved he hadn’t shared his kinks with Caleb.
Jay sighed, pushing away his memories of Caleb. “Teresa is chronically late. It’ll be a waste of time to go there before one. Min-ho knows this too.”
“Ah.” Isla tapped the screen. “If you’re sure you don’t have to go until one, I’ll let you get ready in peace. Is there anything you need?”
Jay scratched the back of his head. “What’s after lunch?”
“A meeting with your mother at four, dinner at Iginla’s with your stepfather at seven, and drinks with Stephen Polinsky at Cowboy Dreams around ten.”
Cowboy Dreams. The worst place that serves overpriced moonshine along the East Coast. The nightmare multiplied when paired with someone like a hotel heir who loved being in the limelight.
Jay would need his fade touched up if he was going to be photographed drinking in a dark corner and ignoring the dance floor.
“Set up an appointment at the salon for five.” Jay pinched the bridge of his nose. “Other than that, I don’t need anything.”
“Understood!”
Isla busied herself with the tablet. Jay brought his coffee to his lips, though he was more fascinated with his assistant. What was Isla going to do until one?
He analyzed her outfit. Isla had a professional concept, but nothing stood out from the loose black dress pants and the white blouse. No accessories. Nothing that highlighted her assets, like her long legs and thick thighs.
He cleared his throat. Maybe a bit too loudly. “Want to go shopping for Milan before lunch?”
Isla looked up. “Shopping? For you? What should I buy?”
“No.” Jay wandered over to the living room’s massive window. He pretended to be interested in the view of the Manhattan skyline. “I thought you might, uh, want some new outfits for Milan.”
“Oh.”
The pep in Isla’s voice died and fractured a part of Jay. His gaze snapped to her. Had he offended her?
Isla turned away from Jay. She fidgeted with the bag around her torso. He couldn’t read her at all.
“Sorry,” Jay mumbled. “I thought the prospect of clothes shopping would—”
“I don’t have any money right now,” Isla interrupted. “And I wouldn’t want to use your credit card for my personal expenses.”
Money?
That was an easily solved problem.
* * *
When Jayden-James had a solution to Isla’s money woes, she thought he meant an advance on her paycheck. She did not expect a trip to the wardrobe floor.
A dozen rooms lined the hallway, each one filled with hundreds of garments. A different Hancock-Strauss line labeled each door.
Jayden-James stopped in front of a door with the word Positive painted on it.
“I don’t have to borrow clothes from your company’s stock.” Isla peered inside the room. The mannequins in this world had different shapes than the others on this floor. The sight of plump mannequins stole Isla’s breath.
“You’re not borrowing. I’m gifting them to you.” Jayden-James waltzed into the room. “Let me pick out some clothes for you, okay?”
Isla couldn’t argue with the prospect of free clothes, nor could she resist the chance to be dressed by such a stylish man. The fashion icon had changed into a gray sweater and slipped on some purple jeans with black suspenders. The combination made no sense to Isla, but he looked fantastic.
“These are prototypes we never rolled out.” Jayden-James entered the labyrinth of shirts, pants, and dresses. “Still good clothes.”
“Do you often give clothes to people?” Isla followed him around the room. A colorful jungle of silks, furs, satin, velvet, wool, and cotton surrounded the pair. It was like being inside a thrift store, except quieter and without any underpaid employees.
“Uh-huh.”
Something about Jayden-James had changed. Where he usually appeared withdrawn and uncertain, he now blazed with a sharp focus. His eyes had narrowed, his jaw had tightened, and he marched faster than Isla could keep up without tripping over her uncomfortable high heels.
Her boss was really, really hot.
Isla shook away the indecorous thoughts, choosing to distract herself with a silver chiffon dress. The bodice was lined with crystals, and it had a stretchy middle. She loved the stretchy middle.
Jayden-James turned to her. “You like that style?”
“Aren’t you choosing my clothes for me?” Isla asked.
“The key to looking fashionable is to actually like what you’re wearing.” Jayden-James tucked a thumb under his suspender. “Confidence goes a long way. My sister, Samina, gets away with sweatpants in public because she loves them.”
“I thought it was because she spends seventy dollars on them.”
Jayden-James stared at Isla for far too many moments in silence. Panic shot through Isla’s chest.
I shouldn’t have said that. He’s probably going to fire me.
“You might be right.” Jayden-James wandered over to a different rack with dresses. “I take it you don’t spend seventy dollars on sweatpants?”
A nervous belt of laughter escaped Isla. “Sweatpants should never cost more than ten dollars.”
Jayden-James held a teal chiffon dress up to Isla. “I have to be honest. I don’t remember the last time I spent only ten dollars.”
“Yesterday.” Isla blinked. “And today. That’s a pretty color.”
“Teals usually work great with red-heads who have your particular complexion.” Jayden-James set the dress on an empty rack in the middle of the room and maneuvered to the next area. “What did I buy that costs so little?”
Isla inhaled sharply. She wanted to laugh. Or cry. Hard to tell. “How much do you think coffee is, Mr. Hancock?”
“Oh.”
Jayden-James pulled some
shirts off the rack next to him and hung them with the teal dress. Isla assumed these were clothes he wanted her to try. Did Jayden-James have any idea how much the clothes his family sold cost?
Isla didn’t either, really, but she knew any clothing line that had its own seasonal magazine was out of her budget.
“Um, can you not call me Mr. Hancock?” Jayden-James worked his jaw. “It’s so formal.”
“Agh!” Isla brought her hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry, uh, Jayden-James.”
“Jay.” He held up a paisley skirt. “Jay’s fine.”
“Yes, sir, Jay.” Isla took the skirt from him. “Er, you do know my body is a little different, right? I might not look good in everything you select.”
Jay tilted his head to the side. “In what way?”
Isla bunched the material in her fists. Heat crashed into her. The same humiliating heat every time she had to bring up being trans to someone who wasn’t her roommates or mother.
He looked at her blankly. “Are you worried about your figure? You have a wonderful figure.”
“I—” Wait. What did that mean? Another fire started in Isla, this one confusingly pleased. “Uh, you know I’m trans, right? You saw my SuddenPic profile. It’s right there.”
Jay pressed his lips together. “That’s right. Sorry. I forgot. I was more focused on other parts of your profile.”
Other parts?
The fire raged on inside Isla, but now it crackled with a stinging sensation born from helplessness and indignation. She knew the discussion of her vocal activism would have to come up at some point, just like they would have to talk about her gender.
Noreen had been condescending earlier when she brought up student loans. Isla could only imagine Jay’s position on the matter.
Jay’s silence unnerved Isla as she mentally prepared for the inevitable fight. He continued to browse clothes, adding more tops and pants to the center rack.
Isla’s throat tightened as she addressed Jay. "Do you have questions about my involvement with the EFSLRA?"
Rogue Ever After (The Rogue Series Book 7) Page 17