“How’s it going?” I ask, remembering her mention that she was starting at six this morning. Considering it’s almost eight, I’d dare say she’s had enough of a test run to know if she’s going to like this position or not.
Mom shrugs. “It’ll do,” she says. “The other workers are nice …”
“Except Harrison,” I cut in, recalling his scowl as he watched mom and I relax over dinner while he worked around us.
“Harrison is just one of those old guys you have to get used to. He’s harmless.”
I roll my eyes and make my way over to my bag of clothes. I start rifling through, looking for some underwear and a bra that won’t show through the white blouse. “I think this is going to be a good thing,” mom continues. “It’s good pay and assuming you can keep out of trouble, there’s no drama.”
I give mom a blank stare.
“You’re right,” she says. “Trouble has a way of finding you.”
“What did you expect when you accepted a job in Bellevue Springs. It’s not exactly our scene. The two of us stick out like sore thumbs. You might as well have stuck a sign to my back saying that we don’t belong.”
“I know, honey. It’s going to be alright. Once they get over the fact that you’re the new shiny toy, it’ll all calm down.”
I raise a brow. “Promise?”
Mom’s lips press into a tight line and I roll my eyes. She never makes promises she can’t keep, even if it means letting me down.
“I better get back to work,” she tells me. “Promise me that you’ll be showered, dressed, and fed by 8:30. Harrison mentioned that the bus stops by here around then. You can’t miss that bus, got it?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I say, zipping up my suitcase. “I won’t be late.”
“Good. Now, come and give your mom a kiss. I would have liked to see you off for your first day but I’m not exactly in a position to be asking favors just yet.”
“It’s okay,” I say, falling into her arms. “I can manage. Besides, I don’t think having my mommy drop me off is going to help me fit in with the other kids.”
“Good point,” she laughs, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Now get a move on.”
The next half an hour flies by and before I know it, I’m racing down the stairs and desperately trying to make the stupid coffee machine work. I mean, how hard is it to do it the normal way? Why do rich people insist on having fancy machines for everything?
Giving up, I hurry into the staff quarters and let out a relieved sigh when I see the tea and coffee cart still in the same place I saw it yesterday morning. I hurry over to it while feeling Harrison’s disapproving glare on my back. I won’t even begin to try and understand why I’ve deserved his glare this morning. It could be several things; my running through the house, my wet blouse from where I accidentally dropped it on the bathroom floor, could even be the way I’ve rolled my skirt up so it’s not hanging around my knees. Really, it’s probably a bit of them all.
I get my coffee sorted while hearing his disapproving tone. “You’re going to miss your bus.”
“Would that really be the worst thing?” I shoot back.
Harrison doesn’t respond, he just keeps going about his morning pretending as though I don’t exist. I don’t know why it makes me feel as though I’ve won something, but it does and I love it.
I walk out with my coffee in hand and my head held high. If today is destined to be a shitty day then the least I can do is start it off with a good coffee.
I somehow make it to the front door and groan as I push my way through it. I forgot about the driveway. I’m definitely going to miss my bus.
I wonder how Charles would feel about me taking one of the many cars that no doubt line his garage. I know he’s been all sorts of hospitable, but my chances aren’t great. It’s a big jump going from letting me crash in one of his many spare bedrooms to allowing a seventeen-year-old with questionable morals drive one of his prized possessions.
I start walking.
It’s times like this I really miss having a car or a crew of boys who lived off being my hero.
I get about halfway down the drive when a loud rumble echoes through the silence. I can practically feel the ground vibrating beneath my feet.
I glance back over my shoulder to find a sleek, brand new Lamborghini Veneno Roadster in charcoal with orange trim and my world explodes. My panties disintegrate, my lady bits clench and gush, while my jaw hits the driveway in awe. It’s so fucking sexy.