Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
“I just wanted to give you this. It was in my mailbox but has your name on it.”
I take the thick manilla envelope from her. “Thanks.”
“Bye now.”
I look at the envelope, flipping it over. There’s no return address on it. As curious as I am, I shove it in my purse and skedaddle.
Walking in, Clay whistles at me. “Damn, Mindy, new look?”
I fluff my fresh cut and color. “You like? Thought it was time for a change.” I may not be able to change my past, but I can change my color and chop off half my hair.
“Looks great on ya.”
“Thanks!” I wink at him and head in. I complete my routine and set up the bar. Harry is in the back, but he sticks his head out, looks at me, shakes it, then disappears in the back. Man, that guy loves me. And thank God for that, since I don’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t given me my job back. Thanks to him letting me pick up extra shifts, I was able to cover this month’s rent. I may be reusing coffee filters and washing my body with dishwasher detergent, not to mention I spent the last of my grocery money on my hair, but I still have a place to live for the next thirty days.
The night flies by, and I’m exhausted by the time I’m walking out. “Later, Leroy.”
“Night, Mindy.”
When I get home, I drop my purse on the counter, open my fridge, and grab a bottle of water. I pop the top and take a long sip, seeing the corner of the manilla envelope out the corner of my eye. Walking over to it, I pull it out. I rip open the top to a stack of papers and envelopes. Confused, I turn each over and read what’s written. “What the…?” I open the smaller envelope and read it. Then another. And another.
My brows furrow in confusion. Acceptance letters? I’d printed them and started filling them out, but I… I hadn’t done anything with them.
I stare down at the current letter in my hands.
Dear Mindy Parks,
Congratulations and welcome to the incoming class at The City University of New York. On behalf of faculty, staff, and students, it gives us great pleasure to inform you that you have been admitted into the program of Fine and Performing Arts…
How did they…?
Who…?
Fuck. “Fuck.” Fuck!
This calls for something stronger than water. Even at two in the morning after swearing off drinking. I grab the bottle of tequila and take a long swig. Why would he do this for me? Go through all this trouble? There are at least seven applications, which means hundreds of paid fees.
I take another swig. Is he trying to have control over me? Force me to confront him? Of course. Another swig. If he thinks that’s going to work, he’s way wrong. I toss the acceptance letters in the trash and walk away. Then I rush back and scoop them out. Did I actually get accepted into college? Holy shit! I grab my phone to text Fay, then remember it is, indeed, two in the morning. I leave the letters on the counter, deciding that if I feel the same way about them tomorrow, into the trash they’ll go. But maybe sleeping on it is a good idea.
***
“Go to hell, you devil device,” I moan. My phone stops ringing just to start back up. I roll over and cuss up a storm. It’s seven in the morning. “Someone better be dying,” I growl into the phone without bothering to open my eyes.
“Be at my office by eight.”
One eye pops open, and I look at the screen. “Why?”
“Don’t be late,” Theo barks.
“But why?” The line goes dead. “Fucker.” I drop my phone and flop back onto the bed. Hopefully, he meant eight p.m. I close my eyes and snuggle back under my sheets. My phone dings with a text. Slapping my bed, I grab it and peer open one eye to read it.
Boy Toy Monroe: That’s 8 a.m.
Dammit! He creeps me out when he does that. I grunt and pop out of bed. After a quick shower, coffee to-go and a sideways glance at the pile of letters, I’m off to Theo’s castle, walking in at eight on the dot.
“We meet again.”
His secretary looks at me as if it pains her to smile. “He’s expecting you.”
“Duh. I’m like his second in command.”
Her brows scrunch in amusement. “The wifey is first. But when she’s not around, I call the shots—”
“Mindy. Now,” Theo barks.
“See.” I wave her off and strut down the hall.
“Close the door,” he demands from his big, bad boss chair.
I walk up to his desk, the latch of the door clicking behind me. “What’s with the impromptu meeting? You making me sign something so I won’t get strippers for your fiancée’s bachelorette party? If that’s the case, I refuse. She needs to know her options before taking the plunge.”