Rainey
I walked back to the living room as if I hadn’t sneaked a taste.
“What’s Dad up to today?” I asked, opening the next box of decorations. Tinsel burst from the stuffed box and I tried to untangle it.
“He’s checking some job.” Mom snapped her fingers and I looked up at her. She mimed swiping her hand over her hair.
I did the same and realized I had a chunk of lasagna in my hair. Busted. I smiled at her and tied my hair up into a messy bun. It was always in my face. I needed a cut and coloring really bad, but that wasn’t in the budget this month.
She rolled her eyes. “You never could wait.”
“It’s so good, though, Mom.”
“Well, you know how your father is with leftovers. I need to give it to someone.”
Dad hated leftovers. It was a repeated argument in their house. At least Tanner and I would benefit from Dad’s pickiness. Though I had an idea she made two lasagnas instead of one, knowing we would be able to eat it for a few days.
“Can I have some too?” Tanner asked. He was a scrawny kid, but he could eat more than me. And he did on a regular basis.
“No, we’re saving that for dinner,” I said.
He stuck out his little bottom lip.
“But if you’re hungry, you can have a snack,” I amended.
“Cookies!” Tanner pumped his fists in the air and hopped over the ornament box and ran into the kitchen.
“No more than two!” I laughed and resumed his ornament-hanging duties.
“Any luck on the job front?” Mom asked now that Tanner was out of the room. The kid was like a sponge and repeated everything he heard. I didn’t need him to say anything at school about my work situation. Or worse, to Killian.
I picked out one of the more fragile ornaments, a large red and green ball, and hung it close to the top.
“I found a job this morning that looks pretty good. And I’m qualified. I’m going to check on it Monday.” Nerves raced through the center of my chest. Another job interview, another try, another possible failure.
“Well you just graduated in May so don’t worry if you can’t get something.”
“Mom, I do worry,” I said honestly. I expected bigger things for myself at twenty-nine. And for six months I’d been working my ass off to find a good job. “I’m not twenty-one and fresh out of college. I have a kid and I need to find my own place.”
“You and Tanner are always welcomed here,” Mom said. “For as long as you need to get on your feet.”
“I know. And I’m so grateful for you taking care of Tanner while I was at school and offering this apartment when you could be making money off a tenant.”
Mom waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t listen to your father. We don’t need the money, and I’m happy to have my daughter and grandson so close to us. It’s every mother’s dream to keep her family close.
It wasn’t my dream, though. Since the divorce, my life had been in a tailspin. I thought after getting married and having a child, my life would be complete. A cheating husband put a wrench in that. And since I didn’t want Tanner around someone who had a drinking habit to boot, I didn’t have much help other than my parents.
“Besides, I know you’re a hard-worker and none of this would have happened if Killian would have been honest with you.”
“Mom,” I warned.
She put up her hands defensively. “I’m done.”
She knew it was a sore subject for me. And with Tanner in the other room, I didn’t want him to know what his dad did to us. Even if Killian was a shitty husband, he was good with Tanner. At least when I was around. Since the divorce, Killian has only had supervised visits with our son.
“Anyway,” I said, desperate for some positivity. “It’s an assistant job to a real estate mogul. I could get some experience while building relationships with clients. I’m actually excited about it and I’m hoping they will let me interview last minute.”
“I’m sure you will do fine. You were always good with interviews.”
Yeah, I thought, I’m not so good about getting the jobs.
“What are you going to wear?” Mom asked.
I shrugged. “I have that pantsuit.” I’d bought it on clearance at a department store a year ago. It was a little big in some areas, but I couldn’t afford to get something tailored.
Mom sidestepped the tree and placed both hands on her thin waist. “You’re still wearing that hideous thing?”
“Mom!”
“Well, it is! I’m taking you shopping tomorrow to find something more professional.” She looked me up and down. “And something that fits.”
I sighed. “No, you’ve done enough.”
“Think of it as an early Christmas present,” she said.
“I don’t want any more charity. I’m so much in debt with you it's not funny.”
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll loan you the money and you repay me when you get the job.”
“With interest,” I said, not backing down.
“Absolutely not,” she said as if I’d insulted her.
I smiled, a little giddy to go shopping for myself. I hadn’t been in quite some time, and I loved hanging out with my mom for sure. “Deal.”
She picked up another ornament and held it in front of her. “Now about your hair.” She wasn’t holding back today.
“What about it?”
“I know you like to wear it down, but maybe for this interview, I think you should wear it back. You’ll look smarter and accentuate your eyes.” She wagged her eyebrows.
I rolled said eyes and knelt down next to the box of ornaments. I grabbed the small box of hooks to find a new one. “Mom, it’s an interview. The last thing I want is some guy’s attention. Seriously.”
“Rainey, I know you hate when people put attention on them, but they are absolutely gorgeous. Embrace what God gave you.”
As a child, the other kids made fun of my honey-brown eyes. They were different and kids had a way of exploiting unique qualities in order to bring others down. It wasn’t until after high school that I started to be okay with them. Killian had a way of complimenting them several times a day, which made falling for him so much easier. Sorrow raced through my heart, and I couldn’t help but reach up and rub my chest. Even after all the shit he’d put me through, there was some small part of me that wanted things to work out. Mostly for Tanner, but it was there nevertheless. I needed to get my mind on something else.
“So you’re saying the reason I haven’t gotten a job already is because of my clothes and wearing my hair down?”
“Well, it couldn’t hurt to change something after being in a rut. Though I think blame mostly falls on that outfit.”
She was right. I needed something to change. I was nervous that I didn’t have an appointment for the interview on Monday. I hoped by going into the office early Monday morning I’d be able to show my dedication and persistence. It was something that Mr. Carrington admired. At least that’s what the article about him in the New York Times had said. It was worth a shot and I had nothing to lose since I was already close to rock-bottom.
MichaelMy body was stiff as hell when I woke the next morning. Something about switching beds or the way I fucked the blond the day before had my hurting in places I didn’t realize could hurt.I ran my hand down my stomach and stroked my erection as I glanced over at the clock, wondering if I had time to treat myself to a release before starting what was sure to be a long day.Lisa crossed my mind before Cynthia took her place.“Nope.” I got up. I wasn’t jacking off to the memory of the women in my past, at least not that morning. Next best thing to self-love was the gym. Thankfully, I had one on the second floor of my penthouse. It would have to do.The sun was barely over the horizon, which made the room just light enough to distinguish the outline of each piece of equipment. I enjoy running on the treadmill when it's still early. Looking over the NYC skyline from the 53rd floor gave me an adrenaline spike to start my day. I pressed the buttons on the machine for one of the harder
MichaelA half-hour later, I was at my desk. I’d only finished about half the smoothie. A few days away from it had made my taste buds turn against it. I choked down the rest of it, not delaying the inevitable. The chalky after taste was still in my mouth when I picked up the phone.I called Sandra first. She answered on the third ring.“Hello?” a muffled voice said from the other end of the call.“Sandra?” I asked, checking to see I had the right number.She coughed and loudly cleared her throat. I pulled the speaker away from my ear.“Yeah, boss. Sorry. I’m getting a cold.”Getting? She sounded like hell. I rubbed my forehead, feeling the beginning of a headache. She spearheaded all of the interviews for the assistant position; I needed her well, like now.“Are you healthy enough to chat?” I asked firmly. It was rhetorical and she knew that.There was a shuffling sound on the other end. “Of course I am. What do you need?”“How many interviews are set up for tomorrow?” My headache gr
RaineyAn ear-piercing alarm shattered my peaceful sleep. I sat up in bed and attempted to catch my breath after being startled awake. I’d set Killian’s ringtone to be the most annoying sound on the planet, so I’d know exactly who it was when he called. Hearing it that early in the morning wasn’t the most pleasant way to wake up. I grabbed my phone, ripping the charger from the socket. I pressed the END button and tossed the phone on the bed before throwing myself down on my back again. I shoved my hair out of my face and tried to calm my racing heart. It was a shitty way to wake up and he probably thought it was some sort of hilarious joke.Why the hell was Killian calling me so early? I glanced over at the clock and my heart ramped up again.Shit! Shit! Shit! I launched myself off the bed. Why didn’t my alarm go off? I grabbed my phone again and checked the clock app.Damn it!I accidentally set it for six p.m. instead of a.m. It was a good thing I pulled out my clothes for the inte
RaineyTwice on the way to the train, Killian’s ring tone blared from my phone again. I didn’t need his shit today. I pressed END every single time. Even though he wouldn’t stop calling, he didn’t leave a message or send a text. So obviously whatever he needed wasn’t that important or else he’d try to find another method of contacting me. The only emergency I cared about was Tanner and he was safe with my parents. If I picked up the phone Killian would say something stupid and mess with my head somehow.It was only during those last months of our marriage that I realized how much he held me back in life. He had been the one to go to college while I was stuck paying the bills by taking odd temp jobs. Then when Tanner came along, Killian didn’t want me to work. It was only later that I understood that he wanted to be the big-shot breadwinner with a wife at home who would be at his beck and call. I had drive once and it took spending everything I had (plus money from my parents) on a law
MichaelMy first interview wasn’t until nine. Normally I would have arrived at the office by seven. Today was different. I stayed up until midnight, catching up on all of the work that I missed while I was in Bar Harbor. I wanted to hold onto that last bit of vacation, so I took my time getting ready. Being the boss definitely had its perks.I chose one of my favorite Italian suits to wear today. It was comfortable and that’s what I needed to get through all of these interviews.On the way down to the lobby, I decided to treat myself to breakfast and I knew exactly where I wanted to go. While I enjoyed the fresh selections of food in Maine, I missed the typical New York staples in my diet. And the one at the top of my list was Beth’s Bakery.My phone lit up with emails the second I stepped outside. My driver, Constantine, was standing by the car waiting for me. The cold breeze chilled me and I hustled to the car.“Good morning, Constantine.”He tipped his hat to me. “Hello, Mr. Carrin
MichaelThe traffic downtown was heavier at this hour, but I wasn’t in a rush. I still had plenty of time before the first interview. And I ate the bagel slower than normal to extend the experience.While driving around Bar Harbor, the people smiled and waved as you passed. In New York, everyone’s heads were down, focused on where they needed to go. The friendly faces were nice, but I felt more at ease with the scowling New Yorkers. This city was full of businessmen and no one bothered to notice another suit or luxury car.Even in the traffic, Constantine managed to get me to my building by eight-thirty.He opened the door for me as I was dusting bagel crumbs from my coat. I stood up and took my briefcase from him.“Have a great day, Constantine,” I said, adjusting my overcoat.“You too, Sir. Six o’clock pickup?”“Yes. I will have Sandra call you if that changes.”“Have a good day, Mr. Carrington.”I nodded and headed toward my building. Another perk of showing up later was less traff
RaineyI couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous man walking away from me. That was Michael Carrington? My almost-future boss? I remember seeing a small picture of him in the article I read and he was classically handsome, but he was even more attractive in person. And genuinely nice. His dark hair barely touched his shoulders and it looked incredibly soft. His eyes were so blue, like the ocean. He had seriously lucked out in the genetics department.Hell. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to apply for the job. He was dreamy on a level I wasn’t used to contending with. He’d be professional, right? I wasn’t at all his type. I was homely. Comely. Just me. My thoughts shifted and I realized I’d pushed on his receptionist in front of him.How long had he been standing there listening to me? I tried to think about what I said to the poor woman that had to put up with me. I hoped I didn’t say anything rude. Although if I had been rude, I doubted he would have given me the interview. Why did he give
RaineyMy mouth dropped open as I looked down. He’d spilled his coffee all over my coat. The liquid moved down my chest and I knew it had soaked through my brand new white shirt.“If I could be even sorrier than I already was, I would be,” he said, equally as stunned.Shit! I had no time for this. I picked up the two last pieces of mail from the ground and headed for the doorway.“Here’s a napkin,” he said, fishing in his bag for one.“I have to go,” I said.“Are you sure?” he asked. “Again, I’m so, so sorry. I can pay for the dry cleaning.” He was sincere but I didn’t have the time to get his number for him to pay. I had to go if I was going to pay for anything in the future. “It’s fine. It was an accident.”I pushed through the door and the cold air stung at my already tearful eyes. I couldn’t believe this happened to me! And before an interview that could change me and Tanner’s life. I steadied my breath while keeping a brisk pace to the building. If I had been paying attention to