The hostess nodded and said, “Please follow me.”
This was a five-star restaurant, and Rosslyn didn’t frequent them often. On occasion she attended a dinner with her father to meet with her uncle, but she found places like this too . . . stiff. She always worried about spilling something on her blouse or using the wrong fork. She didn’t grow up in a house where she needed to worry about such things.
Rosslyn couldn’t believe her mother was Uncle Max’s sister. They were so . . . different. There was only one word she could use to describe him. Cold. She wasn’t sure if it was out of fear of losing his fortune, but when her mother ran away and eloped, marrying the family limo driver, she had been cut off from the entire family. At least financially. They were always invited to family functions. Most of which they didn’t attend. Like we could afford the tux for Dad, never mind gowns for Mom and me.
She wouldn’t be here now if she wasn’t desperate for a job. She hated being in the city. Living in upstate New York had its perks. Like a yard and a lot less traffic. The downside was there wasn’t much work available. At least not the type she wanted. And they needed money.
Her mother’s medical bills were mounting and neither of her parents were willing to accept money from Uncle Max. As far as Rosslyn knew, Max didn’t even know how sick her mother was. That was sad. Her mother would rather suffer in pain than take a penny from her family.
And here I am about to work for him.
At least she hadn’t lied to her parents as to what she was doing or why. There may have been one thing she’d left out. How much she hated it. But she loved her mother, and if this was what she needed to do in order to pay the bills, then so be it. They’d given her the best life they could, and now it was her turn to carry the weight for a while.
When she arrived at the table she could tell her uncle was upset about her tardiness. What Rosslyn excelled at was winning people over with her positive attitude. Smile and the world smiles with you. She wasn’t sure that worked on people who appeared to have more money than God. It was worth a try. With all she could muster, she smiled, walked around the table, and kissed him on the cheek. “Uncle Max, it seems like forever since I’ve seen you.”
He didn’t return the warm greeting. “If you missed me so much, I’d have thought you’d be early.”
Some things never change.She wasn’t going to grovel for a job or kiss his ass either. But she was willing to ignore some unpleasant remarks for her mother’s sake. Swallowing her pride she said, “I’m sorry I kept you waiting.” She took the seat opposite him. Normally with family or friends, she opted to sit closer. But then again, she wasn’t worried they’d bite her head off either.
“I’m sure it won’t happen again. Not if you want this job.”
“No sir, it won’t.” She’d give her best as she would to any employer.
“Good. I spoke to human resources and they are expecting you to arrive tomorrow at eight.”
“I’ll be there . . . on time.”
“Aunt Laura is in Paris doing some shopping. I have an event tonight. I’d like it if you would attend with me. I can have a car come and collect you at eight.”
Spending money was all Aunt Laura seemed good at. At least that’s what she’d overheard her parents saying a few times over the years. Apparently, nothing had changed. Rosslyn definitely couldn’t be a stand-in for Laura. Laura was . . . elegant and graceful. Rosslyn couldn’t wear heels higher than three inches because she was afraid she’d stumble. How was she going to bow out when it didn’t sound like an invite as much as an order?
“Uncle Max—”
“If you’re going to work for me, I’d prefer if people didn’t know we were related. It might cause some unwanted friction amongst the staff.”
She was totally fine with that. “Should I call you Mr. Grayson?”
He nodded. “But when we’re alone, Maxwell will be fine.”
Oh this is going to be fun. She’d never had to address any of her former employers so formally. Was he this way with all his employees or was she just the lucky one? Making me pay for asking for help? Wouldn’t surprise me. But all that mattered to her right now was a paycheck each week.
“I didn’t bring anything appropriate for a black tie event,” Rosslyn stated, knowing damn well she didn’t have anything back home either. The only thing she had even close to fancy was a white maxi dress that hugged her breasts and flowed loosely everywhere else.
“I thought every woman had a little black dress in their closet.”
Rosslyn chuckled. “Black really isn’t my color.”
In the same flat tone Max said, “Tonight it is.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Then he slid five one-hundred dollar bills across the table to her. “This should be enough.” He got up from his seat and said, “Remember, the driver will be there at eight o’clock sharp.”
Rosslyn nodded, and he left. Mom is doing better. Thanks for asking, Uncle Max. It’s good to see that you care.
Slipping the money into her purse, Rosslyn got up from her seat and started to walk out of the restaurant without having a glass of water, never mind eating. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two men sitting at a table off to one side. Was it her imagination or were they staring at her? For the briefest second, she made eye contact with one of them. His dark eyes seemed to peer right through her.
Rosslyn had no clue who either of them were, but if they’d seen Uncle Max slip her the money, it was no wonder they were looking at her like that. It wasn’t uncommon for such practices to take place, even in nice establishment like this. Who cares what they think? At least they’ll assume I’m a well-paid call girl.
She could set them straight, but why? It didn’t matter. The odds of seeing either of them again in this city was highly unlikely. She doubted they ordered off a dollar menu or enjoyed a coffee for a buck. She was out of her class in this place, but at least she could exit with some dignity.
Holding her head up proudly, she left the building. Once outside, she was faced with the loud noise of the city. Rosslyn had no idea which way to head, so she hailed a taxi. She hoped they would take her to the right place. As she stood on the curbside waiting, she knew this was just the beginning of what she suspected would be a very odd day. First stop, a dress shop. Then back to the hotel and hope she could make herself . . . presentable.