Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“I didn’t hear you complain…” I smiled.
“Ah I see how it’s gonna be,” said Frank. “All the girls together, right? Well, okay, Effie, when you come in on Monday at nine, Taylor is gonna take you right under that there wing of hers.”
“No problem,” Taylor acted nonchalant and sat back down at her desk. “About time I got me an assistant…”
They both laughed, and I had to join them. As I said my goodbyes and made my way back down to the lobby and out into the cool afternoon air, I felt a new knot of anxiety in my stomach. I was prepared to feel angry with my new employer; I was expecting the sense of gnawing fear that I might be found out. I was even expecting the revulsion I felt when I saw all the Cre8ure merchandise lying around. What I wasn’t expecting was to feel welcome, and to want genuinely nice people to like me. What had I got myself into?
Chapter 6
KEEGAN
JUST WHAT I wanted to do on my Friday night – another in a long line of cocktail receptions to reassure various shareholders that we weren’t wasting their money by literally wasting money showering them with drinks and canapés. The only pleasure I could take from the whole boring charade was seeing Sean go mad with curiosity when I walked in with Lucy on my arm. He could have just asked me who she was, or where we met, but that would have been showing an interest in my life, and that was something he wasn’t prepared to do, no matter how curious he was.
Lucy was every inch the perfect date for this kind of event. She was stunning to look at and charming to talk to, even though I don’t think she remembered anything I said to her. Our first date had gone very well, with us ending up in bed together, but there was no spark. She didn’t read, she didn’t travel, she didn’t enjoy trying new foods. She lacked personality and was willing to do anything to avoid having to think about her life. I had invited her to tonight when I’d let it slip what I was doing later in the week. Apparently she knew a couple of people who were attending, and I offered to bring her along.
There was no self-consciousness with Lucy. She simply oozed confidence. She knew she looked incredible in a pale pink silk dress that almost hit the floor, and her hair twisted up into some kind of fancy knot that I didn’t understand and that seemed to defy gravity. Since our blind date, she had just inserted herself into my life with no expectations. She was there when I wanted to see her and didn’t demand my attention unless she heard from me first. It was a far cry from the needy women I seemed to attract, but it left me slightly unsure of myself. I found myself calling her more often than I really wanted to, as if trying to make up for the fact that she was never the first to send a text message or call me.
It was almost too good to be true. Here she was, this incredible-looking creature, and all I had to do was snap my fingers and she would be where I wanted her. If I had to work the next day, she was gone before breakfast. If I had to work late, there wasn’t a word of complaint from her. I got the impression I could suggest anything – ask for anything – and she would supply it. The sex had been a welcome distraction, and just watching her walk through the crowd, wine glass in hand, made me want to take her home right then. She made all the right noises, but I had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn’t enjoying being together like I was. It was everything that I thought I wanted, and yet I couldn’t quite relax, because I couldn’t quite understand what she was getting out of the relationship. It occurred to me that was what it was turning into. A relationship. But I felt little pleasure in her company. She was a substitute for someone else, although who I had no idea. I couldn’t quite decide what to make of that. Maybe it would legitimize me somehow, make me look more normal, more steady. She made her way back to me, smiling her model’s smile. She was perfect.
What on earth was my problem? Could I not just enjoy something good and stop second-guessing everything? I resolved to make the most of the night while the drink was flowing and I had Lucy to look forward to later. Maybe I would even make things right with Sean.
I looked over to where he was chatting with one of our major stakeholders, Peter Nolan, a friend of our father, who had invested a lot of money into the company and tied his own software company to ours. He had a lot riding on our success, and as I watched Sean laugh at his jokes, which I knew from experience would definitely not be funny, I couldn’t help but admire the control Sean had over the situation. He always knew what to say to these people. I made my way over and shook Peter’s hand.