My Boss’s Whim

by Liliana Rhodes

  "You can have your car back." I held the key fob out to him, but he didn't take it.

  "Did he get you a car, too?" He cleared his throat and I wondered if he meant for that to come out. "That's your car now," he growled as he turned away from me.

  "But--"

  "If you don't want it, then sell it."

  He entered a bedroom before I had a chance to say anything else. I dropped the key back into my pocket and curled up in the chair again as I tried to enjoy my last sunrise there. I shifted in the seat, trying to get comfortable again, but no luck.

  I couldn't focus on the sunrise or anything else. Just standing that close to him again sent my pulse racing. I thought back to his outburst. Was it jealousy? I was sure that was just wishful thinking on my part.

  Returning to my suite of rooms, I changed into black yoga pants and a rose colored t-shirt. I tugged at the end of the tee wishing it was long enough to hide my hips, but nothing could hide them. Looking down, I saw my soft belly and wondered if sit ups would help.

  I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and looked around at the box-filled room. The only new things I had were the clothing from Joshua. I hadn't been there long enough. Most of my stuff were still in boxes from the last move.

  I hoped to stay in the apartment for a while. I didn't like so much change, and I looked forward to having my own place for once. Maybe that was my problem though. Maybe I was falling back into the old Ashley's lazy routine by taking the apartment and job from Drake.

  I never thought I would experience the life of champagne and wealth that Xander showed me. I certainly never thought I'd go from working for one billionaire to another. Everything happened so fast.

  I had no choice but to take Drake up on his proposition. I convinced myself that by working for him, I might get to see Xander more, and knowing I'd see him at the fundraiser so soon was good enough for me.

  I wanted him back in my life. I knew everything happened too fast between us, but I needed him. No one else had ever made my heart leap or made my stomach get butterflies the way he did. I might be leaving The Manor, but I knew I'd see him again soon.

  "I didn't think you'd last long."

  The woman's voice was cold and cruel. It made a chill run up my spine, and not in the good way Xander's voice did. I turned around and saw a petite, thin woman with spiky grey hair who reminded me of Lydia Winkler the personal shopper, except this one wore a suit.

  "And you are?"

  "I'm Brenda Boone, Alex's mother."

  "Can I help you with something? If you're looking for Xander, he's down the hall."

  I thought it was funny how she insisted on calling him Alex even though he demanded everyone call him Xander. I imagine she called him Alex as a boy and she didn't want to lose that, but looking at her, I didn't see anything warm and motherly in her, and I definitely hadn't heard anything nice about her.

  "No, I came to see you. I had to see what was occupying my son's attention, and now I see you're packed to go. Is all this yours, or do I need to make sure you're not stealing from him?"

  I blinked for a moment, looking at her as I tried to decide if she was serious. She was. She walked over to the clothes Joshua made for me and looked at the label then back at me.

  "Those are mine. Xander bought those for me."

  "If you're moving out, then I don't think you need these anymore."

  She pulled the clothing out of the box and draped them on her arm as she moved from box to box and roughly went through my things. I wanted to hit her or shove her against the wall, but I knew I couldn't. It wasn't right. How she treated me wasn't right though either. I didn't know what to do.

  "Get the hell out!" Xander's voice boomed from the doorway.

  "I'm moving out, you know--"

  "Not you. Her," he growled and narrowed his eyes at his mother. "Those are her things, all of it, the clothing, whatever is in her boxes. I don't care if it has a sticker that says 'property of Xander Boone' on it, it’s hers."

  "Alex darling, I'm just trying to help you. This little tramp is just using you."

  "Get out! Now!"

  He stood in front of his mother and stared. I felt his anger coming off of him and backed up until I bumped into a wall then wished I could disappear into it.

  "Fine. You'll see, one day you'll come crawling back to your mother. Remember when Darcy died? Who did you come to? That's right--me! Maybe I won't be there next time."

  "There won't be a next time. Going to you was the biggest mistake I ever made." He looked over at me and his voice softened. "One of the biggest mistakes I ever made."

  I didn't know what he meant. Was I a big mistake? Was leaving me a big mistake? Before I summoned up the nerve to ask, they were both gone and I was alone again with my boxes.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Xander

  I allowed work to consume me so I wouldn't have time to think about her. It didn't work. My mind alternated between Darcy and Ashley so much that thinking about Ashley made me feel guilty, as if I cheated on Darcy.

  Ashley had moved out of Jefferson Manor almost a week ago and into an apartment owned by her new boss, Drake Winslow. Drake and I went way back to college except where I was wild, he was conservative. He was always very aware of who he was and how he could tarnish his family's name. It was a trait I found annoying. The man needed to live more.

  Drake's only vice was women, and he used his name plenty to get whomever he wanted. Still, he was the perfect choice when it came to giving Ashley a job. I knew Drake wouldn't lay a hand on her as his assistant, it was too inappropriate a thing for him to do. Plus, with our working together to open the Winslow Museum of Motion Pictures, I had a reason to speak with him regularly.

  "Lisette? Can you come in here?" I spoke into the intercom.

  "Yes Mr. Boone, right away."

  Lisette Medina was a temp who filled in wherever she was needed on the executive floor. She had been working at Boone Enterprises for the past couple of months and proved herself to be competent and trustworthy, except for giving the florist Ashley's number as a contact. I couldn't blame her for that though. I should have told Ashley about Darcy to begin with.

  Lisette entered the room with her dark blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail and the standard skirt and blouse it seemed all the temps wore. I never noticed her, but a few of the younger men in the office were constantly vying for her attention.

  "I need you to check on all the last minute details for Saturday's benefit at Ross Hall."

  "The gala for the museum?"

  "Yes. Make sure everything is perfect, we'll be entertaining a lot of people who need to open up their purse strings for this to be considered a success. Check on the caterer, music, flowers, every single detail. I expect you to spend the day there Saturday making sure the location is the exact vision Drake Winslow wanted."

  "Hollywood glamour costume party, correct?" She quickly jotted some notes in a notebook.

  "Yes, we want the investors to remember all the enjoyment those movies brought. Several props will be prominently displayed. Make sure nothing happens to them, they belong to the museum now. I'll have to talk to Drake about hiring a curator to catalog and manage the collection. Get him on the phone for me."

  She left the room. As I waited for the phone to ring, I thought about how I could bring Ashley up. I needed to know that she was alright. I wondered if, as his assistant, she would answer his phone. I clicked on the conference button so I could listen to Lisette's call.

  "Drake Winslow's office, this is Evelyn speaking."

  I hung up, disappointed. I didn't realize how much I hoped I would hear her voice. The intercom buzzed and I knew Drake was on the line.

  "Drake, there's still some details we need to discuss leading up to the fundraiser and then the museum opening."

  "Yes, I know, Xander. A curator, security, staffing. Everything will come together, you know I don't bother worrying about the little details, and you shouldn't either."<
br />
  "It’s my business to worry about the little details, that's how I make money."

  "Let's deal with the benefit first and then see where we stand. One thing at a time. You will be there, right?"

  "Of course, do I have a choice?"

  "I know you hate these things, but it comes with the name. You know that. You should be used to it, embrace it."

  "And you also know that I don't care about the name. There are more important things in life." I paused for a moment and came to the real reason for my call. "How's Ashley Monroe doing? Is she working out as your assistant?"

  "She's wonderful, thank you for recommending her to me. We'll see you Saturday night then. And Xander, do me a favor? Try to pretend you're enjoying yourself."

  I snorted and hung up. I couldn't believe that anyone so preoccupied with their family name would think I didn't enjoy myself. If anyone needed to enjoy themselves, it was Drake. He could be such a damned stick in the mud.

  Wait a minute, did he say "we"? He rarely brought a date to these events, his excuse was the high profile nature of them, but I thought he liked to keep his options open. I must have misheard him.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ashley

  I arrived at Fashion Plaza for the second time in my life. The outdoor mall was still as impressive as it was my first time there. I walked a little faster than usual not only because it was chilly out, but because I was excited to see what Joshua had made for me to wear.

  I tried to focus on just seeing Xander. If I thought about being at the benefit, I doubted myself. I didn't know how I was going to pull it off. Drake needed someone who knew how to walk a carpet, not vacuum one.

  How many times had I dreamed of going to a movie premiere or an event like the Oscars? That wasn't my place though. A girl like me didn't belong in this champagne lifestyle. There were never big girls on the arm of someone famous, and there was nothing special about me to make me the first.

  I shook my head in awe when I thought of how much my life had changed in just a couple of months. Two months ago I was serving champagne in an art gallery, now I was pretending to be the girlfriend of one of the most well-known and handsome film producers in the world.

  As I entered Joshua's store, he waved to me from the back by the mini runway. I braced myself as I always did when I needed to go dress shopping and then made my way towards the back.

  "Ashley darling, how have you been?" He kissed both my cheeks and waved a salesgirl over for some champagne.

  "I'm good." I forced a smile and hoped he didn't notice how nervous and sad I felt.

  "That didn't sound good. What's going on? Did Xander do something stupid?"

  "We broke up. He broke up with me. I guess he didn't tell you?" I bit my bottom lip as I fought back tears.

  "That ass! Of course he didn't tell me, he knew he'd never hear the end of it." He sighed and shook his head. "He can be such a bastard sometimes. Let me tell you something about Xander, but you can never say anything to him."

  "Of course not."

  "I told you that Xander and I went to school together as kids. That was at the Avery Academy. I'm sure you've heard of it. Well, I wasn't your typical student there. While most of the kids there were trust fund babies, I only got the privilege of going there because I had brains. I grew up on the other side of town, away from all those mansions and money. When I started at Avery, all the kids looked down on me, like I had a severe case of cooties. All of them except for Xander."

  "What does all this have to do with me?"

  "Absolutely nothing." He laughed. "But I think you'll understand him better. Xander was always rooting for the little guy. Whatever happened, he had your back. He went through life always thinking about how other people felt and because of that, he sometimes doesn't take care of himself."

  "I think you're thinking about someone else. Xander takes care of himself just fine. If anything, he's known for scaring the crap out of people." I couldn't help but laugh thinking about how menacing he could be.

  "Yes, yes, trust me, it’s an act. He's learned to use that to protect himself. Xander doesn't care about the money or his inheritance. He even left it all after college, that's when we reconnected. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn't have this shop. He secured the funding for me and made my dreams come true. That's Xander, and I can guarantee right now he's missing you but is so afraid of how he's feeling that he thinks turning you away is the right thing for both of you."

  I shook my head. It made sense. I knew deep down that what Joshua said matched the Xander who planned that incredible day for me in Hawaii and gave me the car at my interview. It made me want him even more.

  "He's going to be at the fundraiser Saturday." I met Joshua's gaze and raised my eyebrow, hoping he understood that I wanted to grab Xander's attention.

  "I know exactly what you need," he said excitedly. "I made this one but thought you would turn it down as being too flashy. Now I think it’s perfect." He winked at me then yelled towards the dressing rooms. "The red one! Ever see the movie 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'?"

  A spotlight focused on the runway, and a girl with my similar body type stepped out. My jaw dropped. She wore a red sparkly dress that fit her like a glove. It had long sleeves but the front V went all the way down to her stomach. The dress hugged her curves as she walked and revealed an equally sexy slit up her left leg that showed it off all the way to her upper thigh. A large, ornate silver pin glittered on top of the slit.

  "I can't wear that! I'll look ridiculous! I'm too fat." I shook my head, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from that dress.

  "Ash, relax, will you? I wouldn't have made it if I didn't think you'd look gorgeous in it. Just try it on."

  He dragged me into the dressing room and helped me into the dress. He pinned some areas in a bit more and let out some other areas. When he was done, he stepped back and smiled, looking proud. I turned to look at the mirror and once again stood in amazement at his work.

  "Wow! I look like Jessica Rabbit but with dark hair." I couldn't help but start giggling. It amazed me how with such a revealing dress, he was able to hide all the bad spots on my body and only show off the good ones.

  "No darling, you look like Jane Russell. Back then women looked like women, not like now. So, what do you think? Do you want to see what else I put together for you?"

  I shook my head. "I think this is it. If Xander doesn't notice me in this, then something is really wrong with him."

  "That's right! Trust me, his eyes will fall out of his head." He winked. "I know him, he misses you. He might never admit it but regardless of what he might say, he's never been as excited about any woman as he has been about you."

  "Really? You're just making that up."

  "No, I'm serious! Mrs. Porter in eighth grade would be jealous."

  While we laughed at his joke, I couldn't help but wonder about the woman in Xander's life who haunted him. I didn't want to replace Darcy and I knew he would always love her, but I couldn't help but feel good hearing what Joshua thought about Xander's feelings for me. I hoped the dress and the benefit would make things clear for me one way or the other. I needed to know--should I keep waiting for him, or was it time to move on before I really got hurt?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Xander

  I arrived at Ross Hall early to make sure everything came together as planned. Lisette ran up as I entered the building, looking worried and disheveled.

  "I've gone over everything and everyone. It's just like you said it should be. What else can I do?"

  "Thank you, Lisette. You can go home. Take Monday off."

  "Thank you, sir. Can I ask you something?"

  "Yes, but make it quick."

  "What costume are you wearing? It just looks like a nice tux."

  "I'm Bond, James Bond."

  I walked away before she could say anything else and entered the event room. Two bars were set up, one on either end of the room. Round tables dominated the room, with
plenty of room to walk and admire the different movie props that were displayed throughout the room. At the far end of the room, an old-fashioned big band sat in their white tuxedos, practicing. A dance floor separated the band from the tables.

  The room filled quickly as the guests arrived. I sat by myself at a table and people-watched as I waited for Drake to arrive. I should have told him an earlier time. I forgot how much he enjoyed making an entrance.

  Everyone was in costume. I wouldn't openly admit it, but I enjoyed guessing what costume each person was wearing. Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe walked by. Next was Demi Moore and Tom Cruise. After them, I spotted Robert Redford and Jane Russell.

  I stood up. She was breathtaking. Ashley's dark hair was parted on the side with large sculpted waves framing her face. And that dress! But why was she there with Drake? He wouldn't bring an assistant to an event like this.

  I felt someone nudge me and turned to see Henry Schwartz, a huge financial supporter of the arts. He was an overweight, elderly man who enjoyed dating women a fraction of his age. I didn't care about his costume, I only had eyes for Ashley.

  "Wonder where he found her, eh Xander? He's lucky he got to her first. What I would do to--"

  "Shut up, old man!"

  "Fine, fine. Did you see this picture of her?" He showed me a website on his phone that had a picture of Ashley arriving for lunch at Le Chateau. "A natural beauty, that one there. I'll be waiting when Drake tires of her."

  I snarled and walked away, annoyed. I trusted Drake wouldn't touch her. Did I have to tell him she was my...nothing. She was nothing to me. I had no right being jealous. Anger boiled inside me as I watched Drake kiss her cheek before she walked away.

  I knew it was my only chance. I had to talk to her. I needed to find out if she cared for him. I easily caught up to her at the bar and stood behind her. Even in this crowded room, I could smell the mixture of vanilla and jasmine that was Ashley.