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I pull out my phone and pretend to check the screen. “Look at that, they just canceled.”
Pressing his lips together, he shakes his head in a clear sign of disapproval. “No dice. Your assistant stays. And just so you know, she was offered a contract and salary advance. You won’t be able to scare her off by being an outright dick.”
“Waste of money, Dad. I don’t need a babysitter.”
He levels a stare, a flash of condescension crossing his face. “Then quit acting like a baby.” He smacks me on the back chummily as he strides past. “Jules and I will be thinking of your starving ass as we’re enjoying the best dim sum Chinatown has to offer.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
He hasn’t won. The new girl won’t last. They never do. One way or the other…my assistants always leave me.
2
Spencer
“Charlie, I’ve stalled as long as I can but if you don’t get out of this car”—I glance through the rearview mirror at the blonde woman behind us and her vicious scowl—“Karen is going to exit her vehicle and slash my tires.”
“How do you even know her name? We don’t know anybody in Las Vegas.” My little sister, Charlotte, pouts and folds her arms over her chest.
I roll my eyes and grumble. “I don’t actually know her name. ‘Karen’ is an expression.”
“I hate it here.”
We’ve been in Las Vegas for exactly one week and this is Charlie’s constant response. She’s like a parrot that only learned one phrase. Our conversations go something like,“Hey, Charlie, want the bigger bedroom in our new apartment?”I hate it here.“Hey, Charlie, do you want to go shopping for new school clothes?”I hate it here.“Charlie, how about I make your favorite food, Cubanos?”I slow-roasted a pork shoulder for six hours, and even found a bakery that sells Cuban bread because I know my baby sister would appreciate a little taste of home. And what did she say to my labor of love?I really hate it here.Ishould’ve guessed her mood would not improve on her first day of school.
“Okay, grumpy.” I flick on my turn signal to try to get out of the carpool lane. “Then I’m going to have to park instead and walk you in. And just so you know, I’m going to be the most embarrassing big sister in the world. Your cheek is going to be drenched from the big, sloppy kiss I give you right in front of all your little friends.”
Charlie shoots me a look from the passenger seat. She’s only eleven and really shouldn’t be up front, but I made an exception to help boost her confidence today. I know it sucks to be the new girl. But she’s not the only one going through it. Next week, it’ll be me. I loved working for Hessler Group. My boss, Hank, has become more of a mentor than anything else. It broke my heart to resign and move across the country. It wasn’t my first choice. In fact, it was my last resort.
“What’s that look for?”
“I don’t have any friends, Spencer. All my friends are in Miami.”
That’s an exaggeration. Charlie has one good friend named Halley and a handful of online acquaintances she plays Roblox with. But I still feel guilty that I ripped her away from our home and moved her all the way here in the middle of the school year.
“You’re going to make friends fast. I promise.” I pat her knee twice, ending with a little squeeze.
She grows quiet, and my heart twists as a single tear drips down her cheek. “Why’d you do this? We had a house in Miami. Now we have a crappy apartment. You broke up with Jesse even though he’s really nice. And the worst part is we left Mom.”
I flick off my turn signal and relax into my seat. Clenching my teeth, I try not to cry. I know Charlie doesn’t understand what Jesse did and why we had to leave. She’s way too young to understand I was protecting her. I can’t even ask for herforgiveness for my big fuckup because then I’d have to explain to her that she’s the product of an affair. An accidental affair, but still.
It’s why we look nothing alike. I’m tan-skinned with thick, naturally curly black hair. Charlie has wispy-thin blond hair and blue eyes. Charlie is a prodigy when it comes to singing. I swear my shower curtain dies inside when I use my shampoo bottle as a microphone and belt out “Roar” by Katy Perry. We’re so different, I get mistaken for her nanny more often than not. But I promised my mom I’d protect her secret until my dying breath. It wasn’t to spare her pride. It was so Charlie never felt like she was an accident or unwanted. We were, and always will be, a family.
I’m doing my best to keep what’s left of our family together. But every time Charlie says she hates Las Vegas, or hates me—which I pretend I don’t hear—it’s another tiny slash at my heart. It feels like death by a thousand paper cuts.
“Okay, missy, it’s time. Either grab your backpack and hop out right now, or brace yourself for that big, sloppy kiss.”
“Fine.” She unbuckles her seat belt and yanks up her brand-new purple backpack from between her legs with as much attitude as she can muster. “But just so you know, I’m running away after school. Have a nice life.”
I act like her threat doesn’t faze me, even though my little sister running away is among my top-five worst fears. “All right. Travel safely. I’m just bummed you’re going to miss our epic fun plans for tonight.”
She sneaks a glance at me through her peripheral vision. “What plans?”
“You said we don’t know anyone in Las Vegas, but you’rewrong,wrong,wrong,” I singsong. “Remember my old boss, Lennox?”
She scrunches one eye, trying to remember. I only worked directly for Lennox for a few months before she left Miami. “Purple-hair lady?”
“There’s more to her than that, but sure. She’s throwing a fancy birthday party for her friend Avery tonight right on the Strip.”