Good Girl : An Enemies-to-Lovers, Roommate Romance (Alphahole Roommates Book 2), page 11
“I’m not so sure about that,” I say. “That’d be mortifying.”
“Oh, he’s up, gotta run. Talk to you later.”
“Thanks again, Carly.”
“My pleasure. Bye.”
She smiles at me while she swipes to end our video chat and I catch sight of Aiden moving in behind her, bare chested, in just a pair of blue swim trunks, and he looks sleepy and sexy as he approaches her. I put my phone down, pushing away jealous thoughts. She’s about to get lucky – of course she is. She’s on her honeymoon.
I sigh, thinking about the fact that it’s been nearly three years since I had sex. Josh and I had sex just before he died. Literally right before he drove home and died on the way. I swallow down a lump of emotion before I set my phone on the bedside table, and then I head to the kitchen.
Austin isn’t there or in the living area which is all sort of together. This apartment isn’t huge, but it has an open almost loft feel to it. You walk in to the gourmet kitchen with an island and then the living space which is surrounded by big windows with a great NYC view. Beside the entry door there’s a short hallway with two bedrooms, the main bathroom, and the utility room. The spare room used to have a small ensuite bathroom, but a few months back, Aiden had it taken out to make the master ensuite bathroom bigger and more luxurious.
The master bedroom door is open an inch and I catch sight of his shadow in there, so I go to the kitchen counter and I wait.
12
Austin
I’m back here, because the hotel I’m in basically kicked me out. Turned out they couldn’t extend my stay because of pre-bookings for a convention. I could’ve moved to another hotel, but decided to come back here and stay in Aiden’s apartment. I’m not happy about this chick being here, but I’ve also reluctantly given my family the okay to let her work for me on a trial basis, but only because of the urging of both Carly and my sister Adele.
Sounds like Carly wants to help this girl out and got Adele on her side, which doesn’t take much. My older sister loves to meddle in what she thinks of as a great cause and Adele met this chick while she worked for Aiden and likes her.
Carly sweetened the deal, too, with a sales pitch that followed her telling me she’d gone to the hotel manager about what happened to me in the bar that night. She got them to fork over video surveillance from the bar and the elevators that night and it’s very obvious that Sienna fucked with my drink and that I was looking totally out-of-it as she escorted me to my room, even having to open the door with my keycard because I was that disoriented that I couldn’t do it myself. I’m glad that hotel has cameras everywhere. Four pieces of footage were given to our lawyers and I’ve seen the videos myself. Weird watching yourself when you have no recollection of the events. I hate how it felt.
In the first video, two drinks are put down on the bar and she pulls something out of her bag, leans in and blocks the camera view, but then you see her stir the drink with her finger and hand it to me when I get back from the men’s’ room. Then there’s video of her steering me toward the elevator from the bar, me looking wrecked. Then, helping me stagger out of the elevator. Then, the scene by the door to my room.
That coupled with the lab report and eyewitness testimony from both Aiden and my mother – if my mother will testify about the following morning – this is going to mean Sienna has to answer for what she’s done.
As far as I know, the ball is rolling and she should be arrested this week, though the lawyers told me it might take a couple months to go to trial.
Carly used the security video to her advantage, telling me about getting it for me and after sending it to me, adding, “Can you do me a huge favor, Austin? My favorite brother-in-law?”
My immediate response was “of course”.
And then she asked me to please give Jada Miller a one-week trial as my housekeeper and personal shopper.
I deflated, feeling cornered.
“That’s dirty, Carly.”
“I know,” she said through the phone, sounding contrite at least, “But that girl has had the kind of few weeks that beg a break. She needs a break. She’s been screwed over by her brother, lost everything, she’s got nobody, and letting her stay at the condo and giving her a job to help her get back on her feet are something she really needs, and deserves. She’s got no one. She’s a great girl, Austin. You’ve got the wrong impression of her.”
“Whatever. For you, fine. I’ll give it a week. If she fucks up, she’s fired. And I’d tell you that you owe me one, but I don’t work that way…”
“If you asked me for a favor from the bottom of your heart, I’d do it, Austin, even if it was hard.”
“Sweet talker,” I grumbled.
She laughed. “Okay, thank you. I’m sure she won’t mess up.”
“And if she gets on my nerves too badly, she leaves the apartment, too.”
“No. Nope. Sorry. I told her she can stay for as long as she needs.”
“Aiden also told me I can stay,” I volley.
“Then I’m sure you two can make it work.”
“If we can’t, you’re telling me your favorite brother-in-law has to find another place to stay while he’s in New York?”
Two can play dirty pool.
“I’m sure you guys can make it work,” she says, brimming with confidence.
“We’ll see,” I grumble.
And later I got a call from Adele who slipped it into conversation that Jada kept his apartment immaculate for Aiden when he was here, that he came home every day to great food, his errands taken care of, and even his clothes shopping done for him.
“I know how much you hate clothes shopping, Auz,” Adele said. “Besides, I met her twice when we were visiting and she is so nice. She set up a romantic evening for me and Dirk once, and I just love her. She’s super sweet.”
And I rolled my eyes, knowing Carly has recruited Adele to her cause to get me to give Jada Miller a chance.
Frankly, I don’t care all that much; this chick should not be my problem. I’ve got no time for other people’s problems. But I also don’t need to get ganged up on by Adele and Carly, so whatever. I’ll give it a week. And I’ll be a hard-ass to work for.
And either she’ll prove herself or she’ll hate the hard work and she’ll quit. And I’ll have given her the chance my sister-in-law emotionally blackmailed me into giving, so I won’t be the bad guy when Jada quits or fucks up and gets fired with good reason.
I’ve had plenty of practice being a hard-ass the last few days at our New York office. To say things are fucked up there is a gross understatement and it’s been a good outlet for my frustrations, because things at the office are a fucking mess so I’ve fired people, reprimanded people, and been a demanding prick.
I’m doing an in-depth internal audit and finding all sorts of shit with red flags, like the way Bassell fudged shit with his expense reports and petty cash. There are even fake temporary employees on the books, with their pay checks coming from petty cash. It’s a mess and I’ve been working from eight in the morning until after midnight most nights since I’ve been here. Having someone make sure my suits are cleaned for work and that I don’t have to fuck around with room service or take-out food sounds good – though I have very low expectations for Jada Miller. But that doesn’t mean she can’t jump through hoops trying to prove herself.
***
“So, I, um… are you moving in?” Jada asks when I come out. She’s sitting at the kitchen island.
I nod and lean against the counter. “Yeah.”
“And are you all right with me being here, too?”
She’s asking this timidly, her big eyes on me, her body language … submissive.
And everything about her right now has me angry. Her body language. Her look. The way she’s being all… demure and soft-spoken.
Because that’s the kind of thing I go for, to a tee, and it almost feels like she’d somehow know that and use it to try to buy her way into my good graces.
Though, she can’t possibly have a clue about what I prefer or don’t prefer in a woman.
She’s got her hair up in a knot on the back of her head with pieces hanging loose, framing her face. She’s make-up free. She’s wearing loose grey shorts and an off-the-shoulder black t-shirt. The t-shirt is old and nearly sheer so I can make out her bra outline. She’s got a great body. Bare feet with pink painted toenails. Curvy hourglass figure. A generous ass. A wholesome face. And I’ve got a thing for that messy bun, fresh-face look. I’ve got a thing for everything she’s got goin’ on right now, not the least of which is her generous rack, but I will absolutely not be taken in by that image she has goin’ on right now. Not like I did with Meryl. Not like I’ve done in the past, either.
In my experience, sweet, innocent-looking women often hide their true nature.
13
Jada
Austin strolled out giving me a dark look, like I don’t belong here. Like I’m unworthy of his time.
I ask if he’s okay with me being here and he folds his arms across his chest and glares. He’s wearing a washed out soft-looking grey t-shirt. The guy has muscles. And pecks that make my mouth water. He’s even got a sexy neck. Weird to think a neck is sexy. I pry my eyes away from his throat and stare at my hands resting on the island.
“Under certain conditions.”
“Okay?”
“No company. My brother and Carly agreed you can stay temporarily, but you’re a guest; this isn’t your home. This is supposed to be my place for three months, so you’re entitled to your room, the main bathroom. I won’t use that; I’ll use the master ensuite so that main bathroom is all yours unless I have guests over so make sure you keep it spotless. We’ll obviously have to share the kitchen. I don’t want to come home from work to any noise, any people, any mess. When I’m here, make yourself scarce; do your best to make me feel like I’m living here alone.”
This is going to go well. Not! But what choice do I have?
“About that… what would you say to me doing for you what I did for Aiden? I know you said no, but I could really use the job, and I’m good at it. I’m here anyway, so I can cook, clean, shop… run errands. Aiden was very happy with me while I worked with him, enough to recommend me to you. You just… you caught me at my worst. It wasn’t even my worst – it was like someone else’s worst because that… that’s not my life. I don’t live that way, I don’t have parties like that, and I just got caught up in-”
“Save it. You’ve already said it,” he interrupts.
My shoulders slump.
“The fact that you’re not even lookin’ me in the face right now says something about you,” he mutters.
I look up. “I’m embarrassed. That’s all it says about me.”
He scoffs like he doesn’t believe me.
“Fine. You’re on a trial run, only because Carly and Aiden wanna help you out. I’m not convinced you deserve their help after the crap you pulled, but whatever. That’s how I feel. First impressions and all.”
“Yeah, well my first impression of you wasn’t all that great, either,” I mutter and instantly regret it.
Something about this guy brings out some outspoken brattiness in me that I don’t usually have. I’ve never been one to stand up for myself. I’ve never been one to engage in confrontation. I normally go completely introverted around any sort of conflict.
He just told me he’s giving me a trial run and I backtalk him. Dumb move.
I looked him right in the eye when I said that, too, and now his jaw is ticking. And it’s incredibly sexy. My heart skips a beat, but I don’t know why. Am I getting aroused by ticking him off?
“The day we met was a bad day,” I say quickly. “I can get past it and do a good job for you. Just tell me your expectations and I’ll make sure I exceed them.”
He examines me for a minute, then asks, “What did you do for Aiden?”
“I kept this place clean, did his laundry and grocery shopping. Dropped off and picked up dry cleaning. He told me what he liked to eat and I came in every other day with new meal options and cleared out whatever he hadn’t eaten. Laundry, personal shopping for clothes and gifts, that kind of thing.”
“And how were you paid?”
“He did a weekly Friday deposit into my account. Thursdays I’d send him an email with copies of all my receipts and if I did something extra, I’d list it and he’d add accordingly. He was generous.”
“How generous?”
“He paid me well. And when I did extra things, he paid extra. I used his credit card to manage the expenses, so if you need me to do that, I’d need another one.”
“What sorts of extra things did you do?” he asks, and his voice has gone husky.
My face burns and I’m sure it has to be beet red.
He’s trying to get a rise out of me by being insulting. I don’t believe he’s really propositioning me, more like he’s testing me.
“If something had to be done here, I’d be here to oversee it. Like upholstery cleaning, any repairs. Cable installation, that kind of thing. Packing for trips. Liasing with his driver or other employees for things when he lived here. Making calls for things for the apartment and waiting for repair people or picking extra things up. Sometimes he’d make a list of things he wanted. Shop for a birthday gift for somebody, get theater or concert tickets, pick up stuff at the post office, buy a better showerhead and get it installed, errands to a pharmacy, buy him new shoes or clothes. You know… errands.”
“You haven’t exactly shown responsibility with a credit card.”
I sigh. “I’d be careful. Very careful after what happened.”
“How much money did you make?”
“About two thousand a month. Sometimes more. That was for the basics.”
“And how much time did all this take you?”
“Ten hours a week, maybe.”
“I could probably get all that done a lot cheaper.”
“Aiden was also very happy with my efficiency and my ability to be discreet about things. I guess it was worth it to him to not have to worry about that stuff. If he wanted something done he’d tell me and I’d make it happen.”
“Discreet about what?”
“Sorry, but that’s none of your business.” God that feels good to say. “Wouldn’t be very discreet of me to reveal that, would it?”
“Hm.”
“And it was worth it to me. The flexibility with him allowed me time to work on other things knowing I had steady money coming in. He didn’t police my time, just told me what he wanted and I made sure it happened around my schedule.”
“And you think you deserve that kind of money when you’ll be living here too?”
I shrug. “If you don’t want to pay that much, I’m willing to negotiate.”
“Maybe for the fact you’re staying here you shouldn’t be paid at all.”
I tilt my head to the side. “If that’s how you feel, I can deal with that.”
He scoffs. He doesn’t believe me.
“Really, Austin, I need a place to stay for a little while. If it makes you feel better to have me cook and clean as part of that bargain, I can deal. I’ll look for a job. Carly said maybe she’d get me a job at her New York office, so I’ll just-”
“I’m running the New York office, so that’s not exactly up to Carly.”
“Oh.”
“Oh,” he returns, injecting it with snark.
I shrug. “What would be fair to you?”
He studies me for a minute. “I’ll give you the same deal you had with Aiden. The company agreed to cover your salary as part of my duties here. But don’t screw it up, don’t break my rules, and meet my expectations. I won’t hesitate to fire you.”
I’m relieved.
Of course I’d clean and cook to stay here for free for right now, but that money means a lot. It will mean I can start moving forward. I’ll save every dime I can until I have to move so that I have some money aside.
I blow out a breath.
“Thank you. Thank you very much. You’re fine with the expectation that I might not be fully available 24/7 though? I might take some classes at the college. Part time.”
“No. For that money and the fact that you’re living here and, I’m assuming, going to eat the food that’s here and use the toilet paper, shampoo, and laundry detergent that you’re going to be at my disposal 24/7.”
I blink. “You’re counting toilet paper as part of the deal?”
“Why shouldn’t I? You’re not paying for it, are you?”
“I will happily pay for my own toilet paper if it means you don’t own me,” I counter. “I’m not looking for a master/slave relationship, bud.”
He eyes me from head to toe, a dark expression brewing in his eyes, and my heart skips a beat.
He doesn’t even crack a smile. It makes me wonder if Austin Carmichael has ever cracked a smile in his life.
“We’ll see how this first week goes. Consider yourself on probation.”
“Fine with me. Do you have a brand preference for toilet paper, shampoo or anything else?” I ask, hoping to get on a different track because while I didn’t mean anything sexual about that master/slave comment, suddenly it feels like I said something overtly in that vein.
“Probably. I’ll get back to you on that.”
“Fine. Maybe I can take a list of things you like and don’t like. Aiden gave me his meal and brand preferences, but most of it was ready-made and he could just heat it up when he got home. He usually didn’t know what he wanted so I’d have two or three fresh options here and get rid of whatever he didn’t eat. And if he didn’t like something or really liked something, he’d just leave me a note or send me a text. Since I’m living here, I can cook or pick up food each day if you’d prefer someone else cook it.”
“We’re not sitting down to meals together,” he clips.
“I didn’t mean like that. I wouldn’t expect that.”
“You cook and I’ll eat. I don’t need a pile of options every day. If I don’t like something, I’ll tell you. Make sure there’s extra stuff here in case I don’t like dinner. If I hate your cooking, we’ll know soon enough.”
