dumb.”
“What? Just ask me.”
I twisted my mouth apologetically. “Can I be called something other than a gopher? That job title is like asking to be ridiculed.”
She smiled. “How about office assistant?”
“Much better,” I said, with a sigh of relief. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem. It’ll really help us out having an office assistant.” Her gaze drifted to the desktop and she bit the corner of her mouth. After a sec, she looked up again. “And it’ll be a good opportunity for you and I to get to know each other better,” she said, in a softer tone.
My gaze bounced around, unsure where to land. “Uh…”
“I was your age once, Lila. I know the fact that I’m dating your dad is…difficult for you.”
I started to blurt a denial, then chose not to. Why bother lying about it, you know? My face flamed.
She leaned a little closer. “Maybe you’ll come to realize that I’m not so big a threat and you have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried,” I stutter-fibbed, setting my empty coffee mug on the edge of her desk. So much for the not lying, huh?
She bestowed a patient, knowing smile. “Can you start tomorrow? Eight o’clock?”
“Definitely.” I gave Chloe Sebring a genuine grin, the first in a long time. Then, in a moment of impulse, I rounded her desk and hugged her. “You don’t know what this means to me. I’ll let you get back to work now, but thank you.” We split apart, and I sort of backed toward the door.
“No. Thank you,” she said. “For giving me a chance.”
As I left, I wasn’t sure if she meant a chance with the job or a chance with my father, but all I knew was, Chloe had just about saved my life. And right then, I didn’t even mind that she was sleeping with my dad.
Well…at least not as much.
*
On the way home, I decided to pop into Inner Power to (1) tell Meryl about my good fortune, and (2) buy a gratitude candle to burn in my room. She was dusting or something and looked up when I passed the window and waved at her. Dude, I have to say I’ve never seen Meryl move so fast, but before I could even reach for the door handle, she’d come outside and was standing in front of me.
“What are you, a sprinter now?” I joked.
“No, just…what’s up?” she asked, all breathless.
I frowned at her, confused. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Why would anything be wrong?”
“Oh. Okay.” Whatever. “I was just coming by to tell you I found a job.”
All weirdness fell away and she smiled broadly. “Lila, that’s fantastic! Not Burger Wonder, I hope.”
“No, but you’re not going to believe it.”
“Tell me,” she said, bouncing.
“I’m working for Chloe.” I crinkled my nose. “Horribly hypocritical of me, but it’s an awesome job as an office assistant at the travel agency.”
Meryl clasped her hands at her chest. For the record, Mer was the only person I knew who actually did things like clasp her hands at her chest without looking odd. “What a great way for you two to get to know each other better,” she said, sounding more mature than the rest of us—like always.
“That’s what she said.” I gestured toward the door. “Can we go in? I want to pick up a gratitude candle to burn.”
Her face paled, and it’s hard to say that about a freckle-faced redhead. It’s like saying a puppy suddenly got fuzzy. But seriously, she paled. “Oh, I’ll pick you up one as a congrats gift and bring it to your house later.”
“Meryl, that’s nice, but Chloe’s paying me ten bucks an hour—”
“Wow!”
“I know. And thanks for the offer, but I think the gratitude vibe will be stronger if I buy my own candle this time.” I started to bypass her.
“No, it works either way.” She grabbed my arm to stop me. “Lila, I…”
Now this was definitely weird. “Meryl Morgenstern, what’s going on? You’re acting—”
Just then the door opened a crack, and a girl with light brownish blond hair pulled
“What? Just ask me.”
I twisted my mouth apologetically. “Can I be called something other than a gopher? That job title is like asking to be ridiculed.”
She smiled. “How about office assistant?”
“Much better,” I said, with a sigh of relief. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem. It’ll really help us out having an office assistant.” Her gaze drifted to the desktop and she bit the corner of her mouth. After a sec, she looked up again. “And it’ll be a good opportunity for you and I to get to know each other better,” she said, in a softer tone.
My gaze bounced around, unsure where to land. “Uh…”
“I was your age once, Lila. I know the fact that I’m dating your dad is…difficult for you.”
I started to blurt a denial, then chose not to. Why bother lying about it, you know? My face flamed.
She leaned a little closer. “Maybe you’ll come to realize that I’m not so big a threat and you have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried,” I stutter-fibbed, setting my empty coffee mug on the edge of her desk. So much for the not lying, huh?
She bestowed a patient, knowing smile. “Can you start tomorrow? Eight o’clock?”
“Definitely.” I gave Chloe Sebring a genuine grin, the first in a long time. Then, in a moment of impulse, I rounded her desk and hugged her. “You don’t know what this means to me. I’ll let you get back to work now, but thank you.” We split apart, and I sort of backed toward the door.
“No. Thank you,” she said. “For giving me a chance.”
As I left, I wasn’t sure if she meant a chance with the job or a chance with my father, but all I knew was, Chloe had just about saved my life. And right then, I didn’t even mind that she was sleeping with my dad.
Well…at least not as much.
*
On the way home, I decided to pop into Inner Power to (1) tell Meryl about my good fortune, and (2) buy a gratitude candle to burn in my room. She was dusting or something and looked up when I passed the window and waved at her. Dude, I have to say I’ve never seen Meryl move so fast, but before I could even reach for the door handle, she’d come outside and was standing in front of me.
“What are you, a sprinter now?” I joked.
“No, just…what’s up?” she asked, all breathless.
I frowned at her, confused. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Why would anything be wrong?”
“Oh. Okay.” Whatever. “I was just coming by to tell you I found a job.”
All weirdness fell away and she smiled broadly. “Lila, that’s fantastic! Not Burger Wonder, I hope.”
“No, but you’re not going to believe it.”
“Tell me,” she said, bouncing.
“I’m working for Chloe.” I crinkled my nose. “Horribly hypocritical of me, but it’s an awesome job as an office assistant at the travel agency.”
Meryl clasped her hands at her chest. For the record, Mer was the only person I knew who actually did things like clasp her hands at her chest without looking odd. “What a great way for you two to get to know each other better,” she said, sounding more mature than the rest of us—like always.
“That’s what she said.” I gestured toward the door. “Can we go in? I want to pick up a gratitude candle to burn.”
Her face paled, and it’s hard to say that about a freckle-faced redhead. It’s like saying a puppy suddenly got fuzzy. But seriously, she paled. “Oh, I’ll pick you up one as a congrats gift and bring it to your house later.”
“Meryl, that’s nice, but Chloe’s paying me ten bucks an hour—”
“Wow!”
“I know. And thanks for the offer, but I think the gratitude vibe will be stronger if I buy my own candle this time.” I started to bypass her.
“No, it works either way.” She grabbed my arm to stop me. “Lila, I…”
Now this was definitely weird. “Meryl Morgenstern, what’s going on? You’re acting—”
Just then the door opened a crack, and a girl with light brownish blond hair pulled
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