“Here.”
I push my clutch against his chest, and he reluctantly takes it from me as we venture into the store. Justin trails behind me obediently, like a good little servant, and a part of me feels like a queen for just a few seconds before I realize that it’s him I’m doing it to.
I’m a horrible person.
“Miss Pierce!”
Yvonne rushes over to me, and we do an air kiss. I don’t mind coming to this store so much, because the same people are always here and they help me with my selections the right way. One of her people rushes to lock the door on her command too, and so I know I’ll be able to shop in privacy, away from tourists and the like.
“Wonderful to see you darling. Let me show you the new line for fall..”
I follow her into the back room, where they keep their new collections that only people like me get to see first. I glance back over my shoulder to ensure my assistant is still with me, and motion him to sit down on the bench against the wall, which he does without a word.
He looks pissed, but I guess...
I guess I was a little over the top this afternoon. I called him an idiot in front of my manager, and...I shouldn’t have. I know that now.
Ray just sprang the stupid basketball shit on me. He knows how much I hate doing things like that, and instead of backing down, he just kept putting more and more pressure on me to comply. I guess St. Jude’s is a big deal and everything, but I only gave in to avoid getting bad press.
Well that, and I guess a part of me wants to prove to Justin that i’m not such a horrible mother after all. I want him to know that he’s the one that’s wrong...that I do care about my daughter. I still think it’s a great idea, hosting the game with Hailey. We’ve never done anything like that before, and it will make us seem so close, and that’s good for my image. I might get picked up for one of those heartwarming motherly roles and get the cover of People. The title will read London Pierce: Inside America’s Sweetheart.
Then I’ll get that Oscar worthy role I’m so desperately seeking.
“Just try all of these on, London. It’s the latest from Milan and Paris. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.” Yvonne smiles brightly as she carts a rack full of outfits towards me.
“Wonderful. I need some new things for my promotional events,” I smirk. “Justin, wheel that into to the dressing room for me, will you?”
I see his chest rise and fall harshly, before he pushes himself to his feet and walks over to where I’m standing, my clutch still in his hands. “Sure thing.”
“Is that your assistant, London?” Yvonne asks, once Justin has disappeared behind the curtains.
“He is.”
“Justin...something, right?”
I give her a strange look. “Justin Timberlake. But how do you...”
“Well, I probably shouldn’t be gossiping...” Her eyes shift around the room cautiously, as if somebody else could be listening in. “But Nicole was here the other day, and she told me about him.”
“Nicole?” I cock my head to the side. “Kidman?”
She nods. “She told me she interviewed your assistant over the phone...loved him, said she offered him the best salary for him to come work for her.”
I feel the rage boiling inside of me. Naturally, why would he have told me? He didn’t want me to know...especially because that bitch got the part I was after last summer. I hate her. “He told me he turned down a job,” I whisper. “But he didn’t say who he talked to. I blew it off as nothing. I didn’t know...it was her.”
“Well you better just watch out,” she warns. “People know a good thing when they see it, and you have a real gem working for you right now. If you’re not careful, he might get snatched up from under you.”
“Thanks Yvonne,” I smile tightly, and cross my arms. “You can go.”
“Happy to help. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Of course.”
I wait until she’s gone, before letting my smile fade to nothing, and then I storm toward the curtain, brushing it aside harshly so I can get to the dressing rooms. I see Justin right away, seated on the plush bench beside the three way mirror. His arm is outstretched towards me and the first of many outfits is hooked onto his fingers by the hanger. He’s not looking at me. I know how much he hates shopping.
I don’t care right now. I’m too pissed to care. Sure, I knew he’d been offered jobs but I figured they were low key, definitely not up to my pay scale.
Now I guess...I guess I feel threatened by the truth, even though I try to play it off like he’s not so important to my career.
He is.
He really is.
I snatch the outfit from him, making sure to pull down on his arm for good measure, and drape the clothing over my arm.
“What the hell, London?”
“What the hell?” I snicker. “Oh Justin, please.”
He gives me this look like I’ve gone insane. “Are you on something?” He whispers.
“When were you going to tell me that Nicole called you?”
His eyes get a little wider, and he quickly looks away from me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Spare me.”
It takes him a few moments, and then he sighs, finally seems to cave in. “So I talked to her...what’s the big deal?”
“I told you I didn’t want to associate with her anymore! Not after she stole my part!”
“You didn’t associate...”
“You associating with her is the same fucking thing!”
“London...”
I stop my foot angrily. “No! No no! I won’t listen to your damn excuses! Am I not good enough...or something? Jesus! I pay you...I pay you enough and I give you a roof over your head. Hell, I offered you a vacation too!”
“I told you, I turned her down.”
“I don’t care if you turned her down! You obviously were willing to listen to what she had to offer! What if she comes back with another offer! A better offer! What happens then? Where will I be if you bail before Paris? Huh? Bitch stole my part and now she’s going to steal my assistant too!”
He sits back against the wall and lets out a harsh sigh, before closing his eyes. “Just relax, London. I’m going to Paris. I’m going everywhere you go. So go try on your clothes. I’ll be here when you’re done.”
I put my hands on my hips, absolutely infuriated that he’s blowing it all off like this. I mean, it’s a big deal. She’s a bigger star than I am, and if she steals my assistant it will make me look like a damn fool. My ranking will fall from the rafters and I’ll end up doing some infomercial for Proactive...
Fuck.
“You’re going to open your eyes and help me pick out a wardrobe for Paris.”
One of his eyes opens a crack. “I think you’re capable.”
“I don’t care. You’re doing it. You’re earning your paycheck today.”
“Like I don’t earn it anyway?”
“I swear to God, I’ll fire you.”
He laughs at me, and both of his eyes open this time. “Fine, London. Whatever you need me to do.”
I glare at him, and storm away. I’ll show him. I’ll show him that I’m better than her. I quickly strip down to my bra and panties, putting my heels back on for good measure, and storm back out into plain view. The instant he sees me his eyes go wide, his face turns pale, and his breathing starts to get all weird, like he’s having an anxiety attack.
“What the hell are you doing!”
“I don’t think Nicole would do this if you went to work for her.” I smile for him, and do a little runway back and forth across the small dressing area. I feel his eyes on me the entire time...especially when I bend over.
“Would you please put some clothes on!”
‘What’s wrong, Justin?” I straighten myself out and flash him a dazzling smile. “Too much for you?”
He swallows hard and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. He’s sweating. I guess seeing me this way, practically naked, has made him very nervous. It’s so comical.
It’s also kind of cute in a boy next store sort of way.
I wonder how many times he’s had sex?
“Can you please put some clothes on? I’m asking you...as nice as I can possibly ask you London.”
“Fine,” I groan. “You’re no fun. I doubt you would have been Nicole’s type.”
He covers his face with his hands and groans into them.
Mission, achieved. Now, he’ll think twice before ever interviewing with her...or anyone else, ever again.
Damn, I’m good.
*************
“This one.”
I continue to hit the back of my head against the wall, my eyes partially closed in case she pulls another stunt. “Gorgeous.”
“That doesn’t sound very sincere. You’re barely looking at me.”
My employer was in her bra and panties a couple of hours ago, strutting around like this was strip club and I had some dollar bills to dish out. To any normal man, seeing London Pierce in her lacy bra and thong would seem like a dream come true. Not to me though. Not to me...no way, because she’s my boss, I live with her, and put up with all the stupid shit she dishes out to me every day.
This was by far, the most extreme thing she’s ever done to teach me a lesson, and I still have no idea how to wrap my brain around it.
I mean, did she need the reassurance that I wasn’t going to sell out to Nicole so badly that she felt stripping was the best option?
She has issues. I’m right about that, if nothing else.
Of course I wouldn’t have gone to work for Nicole. For one, I promised myself if I ever did stop working for Sarah, that I wouldn’t work for another woman ever again. They’re too damn unpredictable. Second, Nicole’s salary offer was weak anyway. Just a couple of thousand more a year than what Sarah pays me.
If I go to anyone, it’s going to be Cage, and I’m hoping that information never reaches Sarah’s ears. Seeing her freak out about Nicole concerned me. The thought of losing me terrifies her, that’s more than obvious now, thanks to her stripping charade.
So what happens to her if I actually do it?
I shudder at the prospect.
“Justin, look at me!”
She’s whining and I sigh, but do as she’s asked. Thankfully, she has real clothes on this time. A really nice dress that would be perfect for her perfume event. In fact, it’s the nicest thing I’ve seen her in all day. “I like it.”
Her eyes narrow.
“No, I really do. Seriously.” I flash her my most sincere smile that I only bring out when it’s necessary. “You should get that one for the perfume promotion.”
She slowly walks over to the three way mirror, and gazes back at herself for several moments. I see her smirk slightly, but then it goes back into hiding.
One of her main problems is, she has no fucking self respect.
“You really like it that much, Justin?”
I get up this time, slowly walk over to where she’s standing, and look into the mirror along with her. “I think you look beautiful, Sarah.”
Her eyes go wide. “Justin...”
“Nobody is around. Relax.”
She bites down her lip, and that small smile creeps out again. “Do you think Alex would like this...for dinner?”
“Dinner?”
“He called me last night,” she tells me, her eyes gleaming. “He says he wants us to have dinner when he comes to town. Just us.”
“Oh. Well I mean...if that’s what you want.”
“I think he’s changed this time. Really changed. He says he’s been thinking a lot about me and Hailey. I think he wants us to be a family, finally. Isn’t that great?”
I nod, but don’t say anything. I can’t. I can’t because I don’t have the heart to tell her it’s all lies. That he’ll do the same shit he does every time he comes out here. He’ll take her to dinner, take her home, have sex with her, and be gone in the morning.
But if I say that, she’ll just go into another tirade, and to be honest, I’m just about done with today.
“You’re a guy so your opinion counts. If you were taking me out to dinner, would you like this dress or would you think it’s too much?”
“I already told you I liked the dress.”
“Yeah but...what if you were taking me out?”
“London, I wouldn’t take you out.”
She frowns. “What...”
“Look, I can’t think of you that way.” I walk back to my beloved bench and take a seat. “You’re my boss. They have laws about that sort of thing, don’t they?”
“Huh?”
I laugh. I have to, because I’m so tired and frustrated. “Wear the dress. If I didn’t work for you, I’d probably love to take you out while you were wearing it. Satisfied?”
“You really know how to fuck up an afternoon, Justin.”
I nod and smirk. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before. “So what does Hailey think about Alex coming out?”
She shrugs. “I guess she’s excited. She hasn’t said much to me.”
Right. Because she’s probably more scared about seeing her father than anything else. “Can I ask you something?”
She huffs and starts to unzip the dress from the back, and I pray she doesn’t strip again. “If you have to.”
“What’s going to happen to Hailey if Alex pulls his usual crap?”
She scoffs. “Justin, come on. He’s not. He promised.”
“But what if he does?”
She shakes her head. “Just stop it. He’s different.”
“How can six months change a guy like that?”
She pauses on her way back to the dressing room. “He deserves a chance.”
“How many, Sarah?”
She turns to me, and there’s this look in her eyes. One that wants to give in, tell me she hasn’t really thought about it because she’s too scared. But she has too much pride to do all that. The frown takes over her expression all too soon, and she sighs roughly.
“You’re supposed to call me London.”
She disappears behind her designated curtain without another word.
I guess that’s all she’s going to say about it, but did I really expect more from her?
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