Chapter Three

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

 

 

 

Shock.

Loss.

Disbelief.

It all roiled through me in dizzying waves. I tried to process what had happened. But it was impossible. My dream had been shattered. Not only could I never try to work my way to the top of my father’s company, but now I couldn’t even work there, period.

By Saturday evening, I was a complete wreck. I wavered between wanting to storm JFI to tell Lana I didn’t need her—I’d go somewhere else and show her how successful I could be on my own—and wanting to beg for another chance, because oh my God, I couldn’t lose my dream of staying with my parents’ legacy.

In reality, I sat on my sofa in my pajamas and moped as I tried to find a true, paying job on the internet. Nothing looked promising in the corporate world but there were plenty of food service or cleaning opportunities. I sighed and set my laptop on the coffee table in front of me while I scrubbed my tired face, only to wince at the smell that wafted up. As I tried to remember if it’d been three or four days since I’d last showered, a knock fell on my door.

I frowned at the door, wondering who it could be, as another knock sounded, followed by the muffled voice of my stepbrother.

“Kait? Hey, hurry up and let me in.”

Brick? What was he doing here? I scrambled from the couch. Running my hand over my hair, I cringed when my fingers met with greasy slickness. And, oh dear, there was no way to hide the spaghetti sauce stain on my flannel pajama pants.

Ugh. I guess stains were my new fashion motif. Christopher Elton would probably tell me white vinegar could clean this too.

I wondered if white vinegar would remove Lana from my life.

When I pulled the door open, Brick blew inside, right past me, already complaining. “I just realized when I stepped inside your building that I’ve never actually visited you at your apartment before, and holy shit.” He gave a full-body shiver. “This place is a dump. How can you handle…?” His words died as he focused on my face. Then his incredulous gaze dropped to my clothes. “What the hell are you wearing?”

Crossing my arms moodily—and maybe also self-consciously—over my chest, I mumbled, “Pajamas.”

He blinked. Then blinked some more. That’s when I noticed what he was wearing, along with the black garment bag draped over his right arm. He looked like freaking Prince Charming with a white polyester suit jacket, gold buttons, a gold cord hanging from one shoulder to the next where gold tassels dangled, and a gold belt cinched his waist to match the gold stripes racing up the outsides of his red pants.

I blinked, sure I was seeing things.

“You’re not ready,” he finally stated, as if suffering from his own shock. “Why aren’t you ready? I told you I’d pick you up at a quarter to eight and I’m ten minutes late.”

My mouth fell open. “Huh?” I said dumbly before running my hand over my hair, and wincing again from the grossness of it. Then realization finally settled in my brain, and I gasped. “Oh! The Halloween party! Ohmigod. I’m so sorry. I totally forgot about that.”

I wasn’t exactly the forgetful type, so Brick squinted his eyes as if suddenly suspicious. “You forgot…?” Then he shook his head, trying a new approach as he waved a hand. “You know what? I’d probably forget all about office parties too if I found myself living in this kind of squalor. Seriously, Kaitlynn. Is this why you’ve never invited me over before? So I couldn’t see how you suffered?”

“I… What? No!”

Shaking my head, absolutely confused, I just gaped at him.

All this time, I thought he hadn’t stopped by before because he just wasn’t interested. It was startling to realize I had never actually invited him. To me, he’d always been welcome, no invitation needed. Except, I guess, he hadn’t known that.

And… Now, I felt like a crappy sister.

But when I opened my mouth to apologize, he was already off again, demanding, “How much does my mother pay you if you’re forced to live in a place like this? You do know how to manage your money, right? You don’t give it all away to the poor, do you?”

With a painful swallow, I just stared at him. I didn’t realize he hadn’t been aware I was an unpaid intern, and wow, I suppose the gossip of my dismissal hadn’t gotten around yet, either.

“I don’t…” I shook my head and bit my lip, dealing with one answer at a time. “Well, she never paid me. Didn’t you know? I agreed to work for her for free until I proved my worth enough to make full-time employee status.”

“You agreed…” he started slowly, only to drop his jaw in shock. “You agreed to work for Lana Judge for free? Are you completely insane? You’ve actually met my mother, right? She’ll never pay you now that you agreed to those idiotic terms. And what the hell…?” He spun in a circle, taking in my living room. “How are you surviving on no income? I thought the trust fund your dad left you only paid for college and then like a measly thousand each month until you’re thirty.”

I nodded enthusiastically. “That’s exactly right. I get by fine with that.”

“You…” Again, his voice fell short, a loss for words. Then he once again exploded. “Are you trying to tell me Arthur Fucking K. Judge’s daughter has been living below the poverty level since she was, what…?”

“Twenty,” I nearly whispered. I’d been twenty when Dad had died. It still stung to think about, and my guts twisted with misery. But I had enough energy to say, “You know, the poverty level for a single person household is actually below twelve thousand per year, so I’ve been keeping above…” But I couldn’t even successfully argue against that, because yeah, I was broke, there was no way to deny it.

But now that I no longer worked for Lana or JFI, I guess I could find a job that paid enough to get me into a better apartment, though strangely, this place had kind of grown on me. I’m not really sure I would move if I could.

Brick sniffed bitterly and shook his head. “Un-freaking-believable. You’ve been living like this and never once came to me?”

I pulled back, startled by the venom—and even hurt—in his tone. Shaking my head in confusion, I sputtered, “I… Well, I didn’t want to bother you.” And honestly, I hadn’t thought he’d really care.

“Bother me?” He lifted a single censorious eyebrow. “I’m your brother and probably the only fucking family you have left who gives a shit about you. Who else would you consider going to?”

“I…” I shrugged, feeling lame. “I didn’t think I had to go to anyone. I’m doing just fine. I don’t exactly need help.” Honestly, I’d been proud of how self-reliant I’d become.

Brick, however, wasn’t so afflicted. And he certainly seemed to be on a roll with repeating me tonight because he sneered, “Just fine?” as he glanced around my apartment before settling his gaze on me and shaking his head, clearly disappointed. “Jesus, Kaitlynn. You’re a real piece of work, you know that? You can be so selfless and giving with everyone else, but it’s like some kind of crime for you to ever ask for help in return.”

“But I don’t need—”

He cut me off by pointing and snarling, “Don’t.” After taking a deep, calming breath, he exhaled through gritted teeth, rolled his shoulders and sent me a pointed glare. “We’ll figure this out later. For now, just… Go change into your costume.” He flung the garment bag into my arms. “We have a party to attend.”

I cringed at the dark bag, wondering what kind of awful, skin-revealing costume must be inside. “I really don’t feel like going.”

He gave me no sympathy. “Too bad.” His stony voice held no room for argument. “I’m not leaving you alone in this dump. Now put on your damn gown and get ready for the damn ball, princess.” Then he clapped his hands, stressing my need to hurry. “Chop, chop. Your fairy godbrother has spoken.”

“Brick,” I started, an exhausted sigh in my voice. Halloween and parties were the last things on my mind right now.

He shook his head, eyes beseeching. “Don’t flake out on me, Kaity. Not tonight.” Then he pulled out the big guns and said, “Please.”

I groaned and flung my head back. “Okay, fine. But I’m taking a quick shower first.”

“Yes.” He nodded encouragingly. “Please do.”

Sending him a scowl for so easily talking me into this and letting me know I really did stink, I turned away and stormed down the hall. I knew why I’d given in, though. Brick had been right; he was the only family I had left that seemed to like me. He had no idea how much that meant. And because of it, I’d probably drag myself with him to every party he wanted me to attend.

I didn’t realize he’d followed me down the hall until he started talking to me through the door of my bathroom about two seconds after I shut it.

“So did you notice the present I left for you at work?”

I jumped, in the middle of slipping off my pajama top, then shook my head with an amused smile. He’d never been able to handle being alone, even when he was young, which was probably why he’d actually talked to me when our parents were married. Too many times I’d been the only person around to keep him company.

“What present?”

“The sticky trap,” he prompted, which made me frown in confusion. “Jeez, kid, you really didn’t notice, did you? I replaced your old archaic mousetrap for a new, improved glue board.”

My eyes bulged. “You did what?”

My heart began to pound. Jacqueline. I’d completely forgotten about her. What if she’d starved to death after I left, or worse, gotten caught in Brick’s new trap?

My stepbrother chuckled on the other side of the door. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay, you’re welcome,” he sang, imitating Maui’s song from Moana, as if trying to get me to thank him, but the gratitude stuck in my throat. He might’ve just killed my quasi-pet. How could I thank him for that?

“Uh, you… You didn’t have to do that.” I cringed as I spoke, hoping I sounded as if I were grateful for what he’d done.

He cheerfully answered, “It was nothing. I wanted to.”

Suddenly needing to make it to that party so I could rescue my tiny friend, I stepped into my shower and turned on the water, drowning out whatever Brick was saying. For the next few minutes, I concentrated on washing and devising a plan to break into my old workroom so I could remove all traces of mousetraps.

I’m coming for you, Jackie, don’t you worry.

I barely had the water off before Brick started talking to me again through the doorway and then pounding on it with his fist. “Um, Kaitlynn? Why are you looking for a new job?”

I froze, before quickly drying and pulling on underwear. “What?”

“I said—you know what? You heard me just fine. Now quit stalling and answer.”

I opened my mouth, still not sure what to say, but Brick growled, “Yeah, never mind. You don’t have to answer. Mom fired you.” A disgusted sigh hissed from him. “Didn’t she?”

Instead of answering, I clenched my teeth and yanked my costume from its garment bag. “Were you snooping on my laptop?”

“I was bored.” And, yes, the man said it as if that justified why he did anything.

“Oh, really? Looking for gum again?”

“Brat,” he smarted back, before turning serious. “At least I know how to fix this problem. If you’re looking for a job, I’ll hire you in my office. With pay.”

My fingers froze around the costume I was stepping into.

While my heart stalled in my chest, I swallowed, trying not to get my hopes up.

Slowly, I asked, “I’m sorry, but what did you just say?”

“I said I’ll hire you to work for me. It’ll be fun to boss you around.”

A part of me wanted to tell him no, just for pride’s sake. I was totally fine and independent and didn’t need him to save me, but oh my God, if he hired me with pay at JFI, I might actually have a chance to finally start working my way up in the company. My dream could possibly come true after all.

Hope flared inside me, until, yeah…

There was just one little problem.

“Yeah, right.” I sniffed. “Like your mother would actually let you hire me back on after she just fired me.”

“Wrong,” Brick sang out cheerfully. “I don’t work under her branch. Hayden and I both made sure we got in with Nash’s wing of the company when he came on board. She’d have to go through him first before touching you.”

My lips parted as the possibility of becoming a full-time employee filled me. My mind spun. Nash seemed a million times more reasonable than Lana did. If I worked under his arm of the company and he noticed my competence, he might actually allow me to advance.

“Are you serious?” I asked, zipping up the last of my costume, not quite ready to trust such good fortune but getting excited anyway. “You’d really hire me?”

“Sure. Why not? I need the help. My secretary went on maternity leave and I’ve been drowning in paperwork ever since. Plus, she seems strangely attached to the kid she had, so I have a feeling she may not return. But if she does, I’m sure we could find a new place for you by the time she gets back.”

“Oh my God!” I squealed, realizing this was actually happening. I was going to be able to return to JFI. “Thank you, Brick. Oh, wow. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You’re the absolute best!”

I flung the door open to hug him.

“Sure. You’d actually be doing me a—whoa!” He lurched backward, gaping at me when I dove through the open doorway at him. Placing a hand on my forehead to stop me in my tracks, he pointed at my costume and demanded, “What the hell is that?”

Smoothing a hand over my ribs, I looked down at myself, confused. “What?” No stains marred any of the material.

“That’s a Power Ranger costume.”

I nodded. “Yeah. So?”

He shook his head as if I’d lost my mind. “That’s not the outfit I brought you.”

“It’s not?” I shrugged. It was actually pretty comfortable and covered all the essentials. I liked it. “Well, it’s the only one I found in the garment bag you handed me, so...”

“But… But…I ordered a big, frilly light-blue dress to match me, along with one of those masquerade ball masks to hide your face.”

“Oh, wait! It did come with a mask.” I lifted the yellow helmet with black shaded eyes and a silver mouth guard, then pulled it over my head.

My vision went limited, but I could clearly see Brick out of the eye holes as he shook his head. “Holy… No. No, you’re not wearing that. You look like a ten-year-old boy.”

“Correction,” I said, holding up a finger, my voice sounding extra loud inside the mask. “I believe the yellow Power Ranger is more often than not a girl.”

“Then you look like a ten-year-old girl!” he exploded in disbelief. “Granted, you don’t look much older than eighteen out of the costume, and you act fifteen, but—”

“I don’t act fifteen,” I screeched. “What the hell?”

He lifted a single eyebrow, disagreeing. “Still eat Cocoa Puffs for breakfast?”

I scowled because I couldn’t say no. But come on. Give a girl—er, woman—a break. Cocoa Puffs should be their own food group. A staple for happy living.

Brick smirked. “I rest my case.”

I refrained from giving him the finger, because I was mature like that.

My stepbrother sighed as he glanced over me in all my yellow glory. Shaking his head, he muttered, “There’s no time to return this for the right costume. You’ll just have to go dressed as a… As a…”

“Ten-year-old girl?” I prompted.

He shuddered and suddenly looked reluctant about wanting to be seen in public with me at all, but I kind of dug the costume. Since I was going to be the one hiding behind a mask all night, I didn’t have to worry about looking silly. No one would know who I was. And it’d be like icing on the cake to humiliate my stepbrother while I was at it.

Besides, now that I had hope back in my heart and a job at JFI again—with pay—I kind of felt like celebrating. So, Halloween party, here I come.

I rubbed my gloved hands together with relish, then punched my stepbrother good-naturedly in the arm. “Alright! Let’s do this.”