For Money or Love

by Heather Blackmore

“Your new intern?”

  Dillon dropped his chin without taking his eyes off her.

  “She knows a lot about cars,” Jess said helpfully.

  “She wants to work in an auto shop?”

  “I don’t know yet. But if she does, can she?”

  “Is this Chad’s little sister or something?”

  “Of course not.” Chad was a subject they usually shied away from because it wasn’t healthy for their friendship. Jess didn’t like Dillon’s accusatory tone but recognized it stemmed from his concern for her. It wasn’t that Dillon hated Chad. He just believed Chad was wrong for her. Though she agreed, dating Chad allowed her to sideline Lilith from her annoying matchmaking, and she didn’t want to admit to Dillon she was using Chad. He disapproved whenever she acquiesced to Lilith, himself having once been the target of Lilith’s intolerance.

  Jess softened her tone. “Her sister’s an intern at the firm. My guess is she wants to keep Kara away from people who don’t discourage her from doing stupid things that get her hurt. But she hasn’t figured out how to do that. I thought this might be a way.”

  “It’s what it looks like then? She was beaten up?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Damn.”

  “Yeah. The thing is, Dillon, she was caught joyriding.” She needed to be up front with him.

  Dillon seemed to weigh this information carefully. “You’ve brought a kid with a propensity for stealing cars here? And you want me to hire her.”

  “If she’s interested, yes.”

  The tapping sound of crutches signaled Kara’s approach. She wore a grin the size of Texas. “This is better than any museum! These are so beautiful and amazing.” Her expression was one of pure joy as she stuck out her hand to Dillon. “Thank you so much, Mr. Bradford. I’ll never forget this.”

  Dillon and Jess locked eyes briefly before he shook Kara’s hand. “Any time.”

  Jess reached into her purse and retrieved her phone. “Would you like me to take a picture?”

  Kara’s eyes widened. “That would be awesome!” She turned to Dillon. “Would that be okay?”

  “Sure. And you’re welcome to pop the hood on any of these babies.”

  “Really? Even the Banshee?” At Dillon’s nod, Kara seemed to forget about taking photos and made a beeline for the Pontiac.

  “Enthusiastic kid,” Dillon said.

  “This could be so good for her. If I can convince her sister, say you’ll think about it.”

  “What’s in it for me?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  “You wish,” she said before hugging him. “Thank you.”

  “I like this side of you. I don’t get to see it often enough.”

  She pulled back and gave him a questioning look.

  “The side that veers off path.”

  Jess’s path had been the main sticking point throughout their romantic relationship. Veering off it was what first brought them together during Jess’s junior year in high school. Yet its pull, like gravity, was strong and unwavering. When her stepmother had forced her to choose between Dillon and the plans she’d set for her, Jess stayed the course, and their relationship ended. She’d hurt him deeply and he’d been slow to forgive. It had been difficult for them to transition into platonic friends, but it was the right choice for both of them. Jess loved Dillon the way she loved Derrick: wholly and unconditionally.

  “I’ll talk to her sister and let you know.”

  She snapped some photos of Kara before they left.

  *

  The drive back to the office started off as quietly as the ride over. Kara pored over the photos Jess had texted to her, scrolling and zooming in on certain parts of the vehicles. Jess scanned the passing streets, not really seeing anything, trying to figure out her next steps with TJ.

  “Is he your boyfriend?” Kara asked without raising her head from the prized pictures.

  It was the first personal question Kara had asked. “No,” Jess replied.

  “Huh.”

  Clearly, Kara thought she was lying. “He used to be.”

  “So you are Polish.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Private joke. Straight. You’re straight.”

  Why would Kara be contemplating Jess’s sexual preference? Did that mean she’d been discussing it with TJ? The thought gave her a little thrill in an unexpected way, as if someone had touched her with an ice cube on a warm day. Before she could respond, Kara continued.

  “What happened? He’s hunkalicious.”

  Jess enjoyed the contentment that always accompanied thoughts of Dillon. Like a mental sigh. “Noticed that, did you?”

  “I have a pulse.”

  “Dillon was my first real relationship and my shot at…I don’t know. Expression.” Jess didn’t know why she was opening her kimono, but she wanted to connect to this young woman, and the best way to do that was to be forthcoming.

  Kara looked up questioningly.

  “Ever been to Disneyland?” Jess asked.

  “Once.”

  “You know how once you’re strapped into a ride and it starts, you can’t get out? Can’t leave? Those rides aren’t for everyone. People may tell you how great it is and how lucky you are to be on it, but for some, it’s a jail sentence until it stops.”

  Kara seemed to mull this over. “Kind of like purgatory.”

  Jess nodded.

  “He pulled you off the ride?” Kara spoke with an understanding beyond her years.

  Jess nodded again.

  “And now?”

  Such a simple question. Yet so complicated. “Strapped in.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  Coming from any other teenager, it would have made Jess laugh. Out of Kara’s mouth, it was unsettling. And believable. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. College.”

  “Purgatory?”

  Kara lips settled in a tight line.

  How should Jess respond? Part of her believed Kara was too young to know what she wanted. Part of her remembered being Kara’s age and feeling the same way. Not about college, but about the expectations that came with being Jessica Spaulding. Some kids grew up faster than others, and it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Still, the conversation had gotten too serious.

  Jess pulled out her phone and opened one of several photos of Kara with the automobiles. “Never heard of a—what’d you call it—Banshee before.”

  “That was so cool! It was a concept car that influenced lots of GM models.”

  “I still like the Fuelie.”

  “It’s pretty sweet.”

  “Any interest in interning there?”

  “In my dreams.”

  Right answer. “I can’t promise you’d get assigned as a mechanic. You might have to start in the office or in parts or something, but if you’re interested, I’m pretty sure I can get you in.”

  Kara visibly brightened. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “I could only do it for a few hours after school.” She wilted like a thirsty vine. “And I’m kind of grounded right now. I probably won’t be allowed to. TJ doesn’t like me working on cars.”

  “Like I said, I don’t know that you will. You might be relegated to the office.”

  “But I might not be?” Kara’s enthusiasm rebounded and was five shades of delightful.

  “You might not be.”

  “Cool. But maybe I won’t lead with that.”

  The limo stopped in front of the firm’s offices. The driver opened Jess’s door and she stepped out. Kara struggled with her crutches but eventually got them settled. Jess waited for her and they walked side by side.

  “Miss Spaulding?”

  “Please. Call me Jess.”

  “Thanks for everything. Today totally rocked. Even if the work thing doesn’t pan out, it was awesome.”

  Jess opened the front door and allowed Kara to pass. “You’re very welcome.” When they approached TJ’s desk, she said, “She’s just up ahead.”r />
  TJ stood and gave Kara a warm smile. “There you are. How’s the leg?”

  Kara peered at her cast. “Stiff.”

  “And the head?”

  “Hard.”

  “I don’t know.” TJ mussed Kara’s hair. “Might be a little soft up here. But I love you anyway. What have you been up to? I expected you earlier.” Kara’s last class had ended hours ago. TJ sized up her sister’s countenance. “Clearly you haven’t been hanging out in the reception area, reading money magazines. Why the grin?”

  Kara pulled out her phone and showed TJ a picture of her with the Banshee.

  “You had a field trip today?”

  Jess’s voice came from behind. “We did. Do you have a minute?”

  A perplexed TJ nodded. “Take my seat. I’ll be right back.” TJ followed Jess into her office. “You’re here late.”

  Jess sat at her desk. “And we need to talk about why.”

  TJ took the seat across from Jess, growing concerned by the formality Jess was assuming. “What happened?”

  “This is no place for Kara to stay while she waits for you.” Jess raised her hand as if anticipating TJ’s protest. “I know what you’re trying to do. But you can’t keep an eye on her here. I understand you want to minimize whatever’s influencing her, but this is an investment firm, not a gym with complimentary child care.”

  TJ could only nod, the lump in her throat at the thought of Kara spending time contemplating trouble making it impossible to reply. She dropped her gaze.

  “A friend of mine owns an auto body shop here in Montgomery Hills. It’s extremely reputable. Given Kara’s interest in cars, it might be good to let her work there for a few hours a day after school—hear me out.” Jess raised her palm again when TJ opened her mouth. “If she sees the nonglamorous side of the business—answering phones, processing payments, ordering parts—maybe it’ll curb her enthusiasm. And no matter what, she won’t be surrounded by stolen cars or the men who take them.”

  “She needs an education. Not a job.”

  Jess put up her hands as if in surrender. “I’m not telling you what to do, TJ. I’m offering a solution. She can’t loiter here, and my friend’s willing to take her on as an intern. It’s up to you whether to take him up on it.” She stood and grabbed her purse. “Give it some thought.”

  TJ’s hand was on the door when Jess added, “And TJ?” When she turned, Jess said, “Just a suggestion, but maybe ask Kara what she wants.”

  *

  Conversation was absent during the first part of dinner. TJ normally took advantage of this time together to get up to speed on whatever Kara cared to share about school and friends—typically a quiet conversation. Yet it was their only dedicated one-on-one time while TJ interned.

  Tonight, TJ struggled with Jess’s proposition to land Kara a job. She said, “What kind of car was in the photo you showed me, and where did you see it?”

  Kara’s face lit up. “’64 Pontiac Banshee. Concept car they never made because GM brass were afraid it would threaten Corvette sales. Only two prototypes were ever built. And I got to sit in one. So sick.” It came as no surprise that the longest sentence Kara had uttered in weeks related to cars.

  “Where was it?”

  “This guy Miss Spaulding knows. He’s got this private showroom in the back of his auto-repair shop. You should see his cars, Teej. They’re beautiful. I have pictures of all of them.”

  “Show me after dinner. What were you doing at his fancy garage?”

  “You weren’t at the office when I arrived. When I told the receptionist I was waiting for you, she called some guy who came out and said I couldn’t wait there. I’m like, nice reception, receptionist. Dude. Lame. A few minutes later Miss Spaulding asked me to her office. We got to talking about cars, and she mentioned her friend owned a ’57 Corvette Fuelie. We went to see it, and he had six other cars too.”

  “Including the Banshee.”

  “I got to sit in it and check out its engine.”

  “Was it hard to come back down to earth?”

  “It will be.”

  “That good, huh?”

  “The best.” Kara’s grin lingered for several moments until her expression turned serious. She dropped her gaze and began pushing her food around on her plate with her fork.

  “Kare? What is it?”

  Kara stared at her plate. “No fire trucks though.”

  In one of the few frames hanging in the family room was a photo of an eight-year-old Kara sitting in their father’s lap as they rode atop an antique fire truck in the annual Kids’ Day Fire Truck Parade. One of Jack’s friends was the son of the fire chief several towns over, and Jack had called in a favor to get his youngest daughter on the truck. Kara had been so thrilled by the event she chattered to TJ endlessly about it on one of TJ’s holiday breaks from college, even though it had happened many weeks prior. It was the last photo Kara would ever take with her father.

  The current iteration of the frame had an acrylic face, which TJ had found to replace the glass after their mother had broken earlier versions during fits of rage and despair. Spiraling out of control, fueled by alcohol and grief, Evelyn had screamed at the memories that hung on the wall, reminding her of the husband she’d lost. Thankfully, Kara hadn’t been home to experience them.

  Initially, TJ had stored the family photos following Evelyn’s death. While Evelyn was alive, TJ reached a point of wishing she wasn’t. The wish materialized, leaving her struggling not only with its truth but also that she had desired her sister’s mother dead. Yes, their mother was one and the same, but now that TJ was Kara’s guardian, it took on additional meaning, knowing she had longed for Kara’s mother’s demise. What kind of person did that make TJ?

  She didn’t want to think about it. Or Evelyn.

  But friends and neighbors had stopped talking about their parents, and it wasn’t okay. As if by not mentioning them, life for Kara and TJ went back to “normal.” TJ didn’t want her father forgotten. And while she hadn’t concluded whether that was true with respect to her mother, she refused to take away anything more from Kara than the universe had already stolen. So she rehung some pictures. Happy memories of her mother existed in a compartment of her brain, however walled off, and she wasn’t going to grease the wheels of familial amnesia for Kara by refusing to display the photographs.

  And now, as she watched Kara eye the fire-truck photo, TJ was swept in a wave of sentiment that buoyed her spirit. They didn’t often talk about Jack, and TJ was moved that Kara’s sudden sadness stemmed from missing him, missing out on something she might have shared with him. Yes, he was gone. But he wasn’t forgotten. That meant everything. To an eight-year-old, a father is bigger than life. Now, to this teenager, he might have simply been a man who shared his daughter’s enthusiasm over a fancy car.

  TJ said, “If Papa were there, he’d have wrestled you for the driver’s seat. Or swiped your crutches so you couldn’t get to the Banshee first.”

  Kara smiled. “If it meant he was with us, that’d be okay. More than okay.”

  TJ squeezed Kara’s hand. Maybe she should give in. If working at this auto shop was going to remind Kara of their father, TJ would be all for it. And if it kept Kara off the streets surrounding their building, it would be a positive outcome. “We have to set some ground rules.”

  Growing wide-eyed at the implication, Kara asked, “I can work there?”

  “If you promise to maintain your GPA, among other things, yes.”

  “I totally promise.”

  “Stop bouncing in your seat before you hurt that leg,” TJ said before she was enveloped in a tight hug.

  Chapter Nine

  Another yawn meant another glance at the clock. 1:54 a.m. It was the second night in a row TJ had stayed up late to work on the marketing project. Technically she could have gone to bed far earlier had she limited her research to the project instead of the project’s creator. The USB drive Jess had given her was a treasure trove of infor
mation regarding previous initiatives, targets, budgets, and results.

  Jess employed multiple advertising agencies to assist with different aspects of the marketing efforts and seemed to rotate through them, rarely using the same agency for back-to-back years. Since that was atypical—usually you stayed with an agency that yielded great results—TJ dug around to ascertain why.

  Aside from blog posts by industry leaders and aggregated reports that provided expected ranges for certain types of campaigns, TJ could find little additional data. But everything she did find, including the quarterly performance reports put together by the agencies, drove her to one conclusion: Jess blew away the competition. Or at the very least, the campaign goals. The return-on-investment of Magnate’s marketing initiatives was astounding, not because the numbers were repeatedly off the charts—there would always be the occasional huge hit that couldn’t be replicated, such as Nike’s “Just Do It.” Rather, the success came in the form of consistently beating the averages and goals.

  Were the goals set falsely low? No. Too many agencies were involved for all of them to be treating Magnate differently than other clients, lowballing every effort. And based on the limited data TJ could pull from the Internet and the aggregated median data on the agency reports, the goals fell within an expected range for the types of campaigns Magnate was running.

  Was Jess that much better at selecting agencies and approving ad creative than others in her industry? No. These agencies worked for clients willing to pay them. Their employees didn’t alter their routines or veer widely from their training from client to client. Many of the agencies worked for Magnate’s competitors at one time or another. Were they also seeing such success? No.

  Jess didn’t work crazy hours. From what TJ could see, she barely logged fifteen hours a week in the office. And she had no staff (other than domestic staff, TJ corrected herself). Magnate was a small firm, and prior to reviewing these files, TJ hadn’t been surprised that its marketing department was a staff of one. Now she wasn’t as sure Jess spent so little time doing actual marketing work. Perhaps Jess worked from home, and none of the Magnate personnel realized it.