Page 19 of His & Hers

“Time will tell.”

“Let me know how Alice is, yeah? She won’t talk to anyone but you; we know this.”

I ended the call feeling slightly annoyed. So, on the one hand, my agency was trying to convince me to sell my ass so they could make more money from me, my father was gunning for the first boss Alice had ever had, and my brother was trying to set me up with his tattooist.

It seemed like this family struggled to allow you to just...exist.

With this in mind, I decided to visit my uncle Drake. I hadn’t seen him in years, and he was always asking me to head out to New York to stay with him for a bit. I sent him an email, asking if he was around anytime soon.

Maybe a break is just what I need.

8

ALICE

I strode into the office, making my way up to the top floor. Once inside the elevator, I pulled my compact mirror from my bag, checking my reflection for the millionth time. My bright red lips contrasted my pale skin, my green eyes framed by super thick lashes.

Thanks, Sephora.

The doors opened, and I walked up to the receptionist, who seemed to be expecting me. She smiled at me broadly, handing me a laminated card with the word ‘staff’ printed on it in capital letters.

“Mr. Deacon is waiting for you.” She sat back down and returned to her computer as I walked towards the glass doors to his office.

My heart hammered against my chest as I slipped in, his eyes running over me briefly as he ended the phone call he was on.

“Alice.”

“Lucas. I’m sorry, Mr. Deacon,” I corrected myself as he sighed.

“How are you, Alice?”

He studied me as his fingers rubbed his chin, his electric green eyes scanning my face with concern.

“I’m a little surprised I’m here, to be honest,” I answered honestly, staring down at my long painted nails. I idly wondered if I should change the color from my trademark red.

“Do you really need the job so badly?” Lucas asked with genuine intrigue.

“Well, when I came in the other night.” I swallowed as his eyes softened. “My dad asked if I had been with you as I’d had my interview that day... I went out without going home.”

I had no idea why I was explaining this to him, but here I was, singing like a love-struck canary. He gazed at me with interest as I tried not to stare at his soft lips.

“So you told him you got the job?” he finished for me, and I nodded shamefully.

“Yeah. Someone must’ve seen me leave with you; he knew I was with you. I had to say something.”

“So you thought that telling him that going home with your new boss, twice your age, was the best course of action?” Lucas murmured, his voice making my skin tingle with delight.

“Probably not, in hindsight,” I admitted, and he chuckled softly. “I didn’t know you were twice my age.”

“Semantics.” He waved his hand dismissively as I nodded. I could barely breathe when he looked at me as he sat up in his chair. “So now you have a job as my PA.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, straightening up in my seat.

“Do you need the money,Cara?”

I shook my head as he exhaled.

“It’s fifty-five thousand a year. For you, it’s seventy thousand.”