Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
“You! You made the front page again! Of four different magazines, and I can’t even count the rags. You promised to take this seriously!” Granny screeches.
“What?” I gasp and nearly drop the phone, then nearly drop myself when I throw back the sheets and jump out of bed. My heel gets caught, and I do a hop skip and another hop across the room, nearly landing in the full hot tub in the corner of the room. It burbles and bubbles at me, hiccupping water in invitation. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you with your tongue down some girl’s throat all of two seconds into your arrival there! You weren’t even through the front door! She works there! Of all the people—of all the places—of all the evil things!” Granny roars out the word evil like she’s got a pitchfork sharpened and ready for me and is about to hand out some serious medieval-style justice.
“Seriously. Okay.” The hot tub continues to bubble at me gracefully. “Okay, I did it. I did kiss her. I…I mean, it happened, but I didn’t instigate it. She was standing there, and she grabbed me and just…did it. She was having an argument with someone. I think she just wanted to prove a point.”
“She proved it all right!” Granny calms down and sighs. I can imagine her face, still beautiful, her big green eyes sad and tired, her lips wavering because even when she’s angry with me, she still loves me more than anything on this earth, which makes me feel like a golden pile of shit for upsetting her.
“Granny, I—”
“I warned you,” she hisses, cutting me off. “One more scandal, and you’re out! You’ve given me one heart attack after another your whole adult life. Sixteen! This started when you were sixteen. You’re double that now. For the past decade and a half, you’ve shaved years off my life. Years!” That’s also roared out like the very devil was here.
I can practically feel that pitchfork of hers coming straight for my tender buttocks. I know I need to calm my grandma down quickly because she’s right. I did promise, but I’m also right. This one, for once, wasn’t my fault as I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place, rather, because I was supposed to be there. Only at the wrong time. Although, that kiss didn’t feel so wrong. It was honestly quite delightful. I mean, no. I hated it. Every single second of it. How dare that stranger just grab me and do something so intimate? In my head, I say it in my deepest, lecturing professor-style voice, deeply salted with sarcasm.
“I mean it,” I say, hoping my grandma can hear the sincerity in my voice. “I haven’t dated anyone for the past six months. I was so absorbed in work that I didn’t have time. When you offered me this company, a fresh start, all of that, I wanted it. I still do. I really was just there, and she really did just kiss me. I didn’t realize there were photographers, or I wouldn’t have enjoyed the surprise so much if I had known.”
“Asher! Of course there were photographers! You’ve given the media every reason to follow you around over the years. You have money, you’re young, you’re attractive, you’re exciting, and you’re bad. You’re everything they eat right up and sell so everyone else can devour it.”
“That’s a little bit harsh, especially before six in the morning.”
“I’ll give you six in the morning, you little shizzle snizzle!” she growls.
I wince. Granny might be barely more than five feet tall, but when she starts bringing the curses, watch out. She’s every bit as dangerous as a raging grizzly disturbed from hibernation. I also recall she’s in Paris, and yeah, it’s not exactly before six in the morning there. Not that I know what time it is, but I know she doesn’t care. She called me the second she found out about the kiss.
“Granny…I really am sorry. I had no idea, and I haven’t broken my promise. It truly was an accident. She kissed me, and I have no idea why. She took off right after, and I didn’t see her again. I…please don’t get upset. You might seriously damage something.”
“Yes,” Granny grunts. “You.”
“No!”
“That company is an ethical clothing line. It puts good into the world. I bought it for you because I thought it’s what you needed!”
Now she’s using her despairing tone on me—the one she’s used ever since I was somewhere around, well, birth. For as long as I can remember, she’s always told me I’d put her into an early grave. She uses that I’m fragile, I’m fading, this last act of yours is going to be the straw that shoves me right into an earth hole, and it will be all your fault tone every single time. I can still remember her doing it to me when I was five years old. I stole a cookie before dinner, and she gave me that grave look. As in the grave. Her grave.