by Bennett, Liv
“I’ll continue paying it,” I suggest. Monika will have more space to do whatever she wants without having to bother about a stranger roaming around the tiny space, not to mention the fact that most potential roommates would ask for a lease longer than four months.
My answer somehow relaxes her, and she looks up at me with a tired smile. “I think we can manage it.”
Scott drives us back to my apartment so I can pack a bag with my personal belongings. I hug Monika goodbye and promise her I’ll call her tonight before carrying my duffel bag to the car.
A peculiar mixture of melancholy and excitement keeps my pulse high on the drive back to Loraine’s home. A new life is ahead of me. I can discard my poor life and begin something new. Although the prospect of having to seduce a man—a married man, no less—is revolting, the reward of being someone other than a dirt-poor orphan is something I can’t wait to experience.
CH 8
~
“Put on the pink minidress. I’m taking you to Kenneth’s office,” Loraine calls out from the hall while I’m busy hanging my new clothes in the walk-in closet of my new room. How I wish I could just keep this room for the rest of my life.
A king-sized bed tastefully decorated with a golden and red comforter set stands in the center of the massive chamber. The two vintage nightstands on either side give me shivers with their exquisite designs. The carpet beneath my feet is so soft, it’s hard to resist the urge to get naked and just rub my entire body against it.
“Did you hear me?” Loraine shouts again.
“Yes, ma’am.” Going through the last of the shopping bags, I pull out the dress Loraine wants me to wear. Quickly, I take off my own clothes and slide into the soft pink fabric. It sits beautifully around my hips and chest, but there’s a problem. Funny how problems never cease to exist in my life. The hair on my legs. There’s no way in hell I can walk out with a two-months’ growth of hair covering my legs like stockings.
I hurry into the bathroom, locate an unopened package of razors, and hop into the shower. Not only do I manage to free my legs of all hair in less than ten minutes, but also apply lotion until my skin feels soft.
When I put on the dress again and slip into the black high-heeled sandals, I can’t take my eyes off myself. It feels good to look pretty, although my looks aren’t even half as eye-catching as Loraine’s. She’s drop-dead gorgeous, whereas I become passable with the help of a sexy dress and my new hair makeover.
Fluffing my hair around my shoulders, I rush out of the room and nearly bump into Loraine, who’s standing by the doorway and looking down at me with confusion tensing the muscles of her face. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just had to shave my legs.”
“Oh!” Her eyebrows rise as her eyes sweep down my dress. After a quick assessment that has my heart beating faster, she smiles her approval. “You look nice.”
“Thank you.” I blush and turn my eyes down in embarrassment.
“Hurry. I have a few people I want you to get to know so you can do your job better.” She spins on the heels of her cream pumps and walks down the hall in an elegant manner, making sure to sway her firm ass with sensuality.
Confused about which of my jobs she’s talking about, I follow her, trying not to stare at her buttocks for too long. I’ve already been introduced to the daycare and preschool teachers, so I guess she means my other job.
I watch her carefully as she enters the Mercedes and try to imitate the way she keeps her legs closed while pulling them inside, but as always, I fail miserably. Practice makes perfect, I try to remind myself so I won’t drown myself in misery.
She slips her tablet from her handbag and busies herself with it throughout the drive. Although my head is exploding with hundreds of questions regarding Kenneth and her and the real reason behind my recruitment, I keep my mouth shut and just observe her so I can learn how to have a natural elegance.
Scott parks the Mercedes inside the closed garage of a tall building with glass walls and I spot Carter Inc. written in large golden letters at the entrance. The young, blonde receptionist stands as she welcomes Loraine with her last name. Without so much as looking at me, the young girl goes back to talking to her earpiece phone. I struggle to keep pace with Loraine while my eyes try to drink in every little detail of the colossal reception area richly decorated in silver and black.
My heart thuds hard and erratically as I line up next to Loraine in the elevator. “May I ask who I’m going to meet?” My voice comes out weak and shaky just like my legs feel on the thin heels.
Loraine tilts her head to face me with a genuine smile lighting up her face. “I like that you keep your interest high.”
That doesn’t answer my question, though.
The doors open and Loraine gracefully exits, her smile widens, but I can tell it’s a façade because her eyes radiate a cold indifference for the first time since I’ve met her.
While walking side by side with me on the marble floor of the long, bright hall, she lowers her head to whisper into my ear, “I’ll introduce the two sharks you should be wary of at all times.”
“Sharks?”
“Yes, sharks, as I like to call them. They surround my husband like sharks, ready to attack at the first opportunity. If I die of a mysterious death one day, you can be sure one of them plotted it. They’ll eat you alive if they figure out my plans for you,” she explains with a soft, almost inaudible voice and stops as we reach the end of the hall that, I assume, leads to Kenneth’s office.
The hair on my neck rises with both fear and curiosity. My eyes land on the young girl with pale blonde hair wearing a black skirt suit on the other side of the double doors. She buzzes us through and stands when she says with a high-pitched voice, “Good afternoon, Mrs. Carter. Kenneth is in a meeting right now.”
It doesn’t escape me how she refers to Kenneth by his first name while keeping formal with Loraine. Perhaps, I should start addressing her formally as well.
Ignoring the girl’s cheerful welcome, Loraine glances at me. “Lisa. Meet my husband’s secretary, Trish Jordan.”
I can see a subtle sign of disgust cross Trish’s face at the word, secretary.
My eyes grow large when I turn to Loraine with a questioning look, trying to ask with my stare if Trish is one of the sharks. Somehow, I think, Loraine understands my unspoken question and responds with a slight nod of her hand.
Working hard to keep my excitement and panic in check, I turn to the so-called shark I should be wary of at all times.
Trish walks around her glass desk and offers her hand to me, her chin up while her blue eyes take a quick sweep of my entire body. She’s a few inches shorter than Loraine, but still taller than me, even with my high heels. Her fine, blonde hair is secure in a ponytail. Her blue eyes, attentive and assessing, shimmer with a practiced smile.
I can tell she’s not impressed by my looks and has quickly put me into the harmless category in her mind. All the better for me if the enemy doesn’t think of me as a worthy opponent and underestimates my abilities.
I almost laugh at my thought process. Half a day into my job, and I already consider myself in a war. And worse, it’s not like I possess any kind of unique ability for others to underestimate.
“Trish has been a loyal employee of the company since her father’s death three years ago. May he rest in peace, Ronald was the cofounder of Carter, Inc. Without his hard work and intelligence, the company wouldn’t be what it is today,” Loraine explains with fondness and respect clear in her tone, making me wonder how she can think so lowly of Trish while respecting her deceased father.
“Thank you,” Trish says and shifts her body to retrieve something from the table. A framed picture of a middle-aged man. “I’m blessed to have been able to get to know him before his death.”
So, her father didn’t raise her? I wait in curiosity for her to continue, but she just shrugs and exhales the fakest sigh of nostalgia I’ve ever seen, with a
ll the head tilting and eyes looking lost into a distant memory expression. I shiver internally in disgust, while Loraine rolls her eyes in obvious amusement when Trish isn’t looking directly at her.
Then, the door opens behind me. I can feel that it’s Kenneth although my back is turned to the door. As soon as my nose recognizes his unique scent, something in my body switches on. I tense, my skin covered in goose bumps, once he stops beside me.
My eyes slowly move over to his shoulder and up to his face. His thick hair, his strong jaw, those plump lips, the wide muscular body carrying that beautiful head. It’s as if I see him for the first time. White hot desire courses through my body in violent waves. I blink and give my head a little shake as if to make sure the vision beside me isn’t just a dream.
He smiles, the sparkle in his eyes as he looks at his wife brightening the large room in a flash. His arms lift in the air toward Loraine, and Loraine walks into his hug. It’s like watching a royal ceremony. The two of them are made for each other. Anyone who denies it is either delusional or blind.
Just before Kenneth throws his arms around his wife, Trish cuts in with her high-pitched voice. “Kenneth, you’re running late for your four o’clock meeting with Mr. Silverstone. Also a Mr. Schmidt called to ask for an appointment. He said he met you in the—”
With an abrupt wave of his hand to signal Trish to stop, Kenneth proceeds to greet his wife with a hug and a kiss on her forehead. It’s utterly embarrassing to watch the couple exchange gestures of love so close up. That’s why I turn my attention to Trish, who looks furious with her flushed face and tightly pursed lips. Her eyes, wide and blazing with anger, flick over their bodies.
With her position and years of experience, one would think she’d be good at concealing her true emotions, but this girl is an open book. She clearly loathes Kenneth’s show of affection toward his wife, and the longer he keeps Loraine pressed against his chest, the redder Trish’s cheeks get. She’s a shark all right, for wanting her boss. But not the smartest one, I assume.
“Cancel all my meetings for the rest of the day.” Kenneth finally ends the jealousy-inducing display of affection with his wife and holds her hand to walk her into his office.
I gape after them, unsure if I should go in with them or wait outside with Trish. Loraine glances at me over her shoulder and signals with her head for me to follow them. I hurry inside and push the door closed. Shutting the door to someone’s face has never been so satisfying, I think to myself, remembering Trish’s obvious jealousy.
“We’ll take only a few minutes of your time,” Loraine says as she walks hand-in-hand with her husband toward his desk and slides onto his lap in the chair.
Kenneth chuckles and moves his arms around her waist.
The two are intertwined with each other and don’t pay any attention to anything or anyone around them, including me. Without waiting for a gesture from them, I sit as silently as possible on one of the chairs before Kenneth’s desk. To avoid gazing at them, I allow my eyes to drift across the wide room with a spectacular view of L.A. A glass desk sits in the center, with a black leather sofa set on the west wing, and an oversized mahogany conference table that could easily host ten people on the east side.
“It’s about Lisa,” Loraine explains, her one hand splayed on his chest, her legs crossed, her eyes glued to his.
Hearing my name startles me, and I feel my cheeks turning hot. I blink, wondering what she’ll say about me. Kenneth keeps on gazing at Loraine, without so much as a small gesture of recognition of my presence despite the mentioning of my name. I might as well be the trash can beside his desk.
“Can you please ask Tom to get her on the health care plan?” Loraine asks in a soft, affectionate voice, and runs a finger along the hard line of his jaw.
“Consider it done.”
“Also, she’s moving in to live with us while taking care of the children. I thought it’d be easier for her and the kids.”
Kenneth’s neck muscles tighten visibly, and, for the first time since our introduction in the morning, he turns to look me directly in the face. A flicker of suspicion goes through his blue irises. Cold chills run down my body as I stare back at him.
I’m afraid he’ll see through me and figure out the purpose of my recruitment—to destroy everything that’s dear to him. His marriage, his family, his financial status. I might be looking down at Trish for her inability to hide her jealousy of Kenneth, but I’m the real snake here. I’m the one whose head should be smashed first.
Loraine’s phone rings right at that moment, and Kenneth cuts the frightening cold eye-contact with me and glances at his wife, who stands to her feet and steps into an adjoining room.
As hot and mouthwatering as he may be, being alone in a room with Kenneth isn’t exactly comfortable while enduring his murderous look. Pushing back his chair, he gets up, takes slow steps around the desk, and stops behind my chair.
Lowering his head, he whispers into my ear with a nonchalant voice, “I remember you from the café yesterday morning.”
His hot breath caressing the side of my neck distracts me momentarily. I wonder how his skin would feel on mine if he actually went ahead and touched me. I’m not one of those touchy-feely people. In fact, the very idea of someone’s hand anywhere on my body grosses me out. Even when Monika touches me occasionally, I find myself startled and pushed out of my comfort zone. Perhaps it’s a reaction from growing up as an orphan and having no one around to shower me with physical love and affection. I don’t know, but right now, I wouldn’t mind a little touchy-feely with Kenneth. His hand flipping my hair over my shoulder to free my neck for his pleasure…his lips pressed against the sensitive spot where my shoulder meets my neck…his tongue stroking it gently…
My eyes close briefly, and my lips part as I draw in a sharp breath of air, the desire growing hot in my belly.
Couple that with the insanely arousing scent of his body, and I instantly turn into a bubbling mess. “I…I…yes. The café. You’re right.”
“One minute you were staring at me with goo goo eyes. Next minute, you’re showing up at my home as the nanny to my kids. I’m curious.” He comes closer; I can see his face beside my mine from the corner of my eye, but he never actually closes the gap between us and touches my skin. “How exactly did you convince Loraine to hire you?”
My heart is going to explode with the menacing yet sexy way he has me cornered.
I guess I’ll either play the manipulator role Loraine hired me for or ruin her plans along with any positive prospects regarding my future.
“It’s just…” I need to stop this stuttering right now! “I was chatting with a colleague from the café about the fact that our paychecks are going to be delayed.” Ever so slightly, I turn my body toward him, fighting hard to resist the effect of having him so close. His blue eyes, only inches away from my face, are nearly impossible to not melt into. Goddamn it! This man is a walking hypnotizer.
“My boss at the café hasn’t paid us in two months,” I continue at a somewhat slower pace to give myself sufficient time to think through my lie. “And I was falling behind on my rent. I was just complaining to my friend about the very real possibility of me ending up homeless, and Mrs. Carter overheard our conversation. She, then, offered me a job. I’m so grateful for her generosity and friendliness; I don’t know if I can ever repay the favor she’s done for me by saving me from being homeless.”
His fuming gaze softens in a heartbeat and he glances at me with a puzzled expression. Taking advantage of his confusion, I add, “See, I don’t have any family. I don’t know my parents. They’re dead or probably very poor themselves. I was raised as a foster kid. I don’t have a college education. I live from paycheck to paycheck. This is an enormous chance for me, and I’ll not screw it up. I’ll do anything to keep your children happy and healthy. I’m grateful to Mrs. Carter and you for giving me this opportunity.”
“Okay. Fine.” Quickly, he straightens up, towering over me,
looking visibly shaken by my heartbreaking story, and clears his throat in obvious discomfort. “I’ll still run a background check on you. Only if it comes back clean, will I offer you a work contract.”
“Of course.” I nod.
The door of the adjoining room opens and Loraine walks out with her phone in her palm, her eyes looking back and forth between Kenneth and me. “What are you two chatting about?”
Still standing behind me, Kenneth slides his hands into the pocket of his dress pants, his body turned to his wife. “I was just wondering how Lisa convinced you to hire her as a nanny without even having any experience with children.”
Lisa. My name rolling out of his beautiful lips has me shivering with lust. Shameful of my body’s unusual reaction to him, I drop my gaze to my hands that’re now sweaty with anxiety.
“And?” Loraine teases and approaches him.
“I should have guessed it had something to do with your soft heart.”
Loraine’s soft laughter echoes in the room, followed by the faint sound of their lips brushing against each other in an ardent kiss. I exhale slowly to rid myself of the feeling of discomfort of being in the same room with a couple who’re constantly making out. I guess the sooner I get used to it, the better it’ll be for all parties involved.
“Is Wanda in today?” Loraine asks. “I thought it’d be important for Lisa to get to know all the women who’re drooling over my hunk of a husband.”
Her sheer honesty has Kenneth laughing hard. I glance up at her with surprise. Wanda must be the other shark she was talking about.
“She’s not drooling over me,” Kenneth claims. “And, no. She’s out meeting with a client.”
Loraine gives him a feigned pout, her hand playing with his tie. “Another time then.” Looking down at me, she gestures with her chin toward the exit. “Shall we, honey? We need to hurry to pick up the kids.”