you know."
"I'm just giving you the real reasons she'll want to get rid of you—no matter what the paperwork says at the end."
"You've looked into her records, haven't you?" I accused.
"Yep. She's fired every female assistant she ever had. I'm adding her to my list of investigations into Rome hiring practices. No woman has ever lasted more than three months, working with Hannah."
"Great. More good news," I sighed.
"I think you should apply for a job elsewhere, especially if Lee gets the job he applied for, hint-hint."
"Right. That's great in theory, but not so great in practice," I said. I couldn't tell Anita why I was working for Rome Enterprises to begin with—it would only raise questions about relatives I couldn't explain or produce on demand.
"I guess the clock's ticking, then," I said.
"It's always better to turn in a notice than wait to be fired; that way you won't have to put that on your next job application."
While I pondered that bit of advice, it occurred to me that perhaps this was Aunt Bree's way of telling me I shouldn't have run away in the first place. It was diabolical in its simplicity; force me into a situation where I couldn't meet the terms of our agreement, and I'd be homeward bound for a wedding I didn't want.
"I'm going to be the best female assistant Hannah the Horrible has ever had," I announced.
"What?" Anita's voice betrayed her shock.
"Just what I said. She won't be able to get rid of me because I'll be that good."
"On your head be it," Anita huffed. "She'll make you wish you were dead; believe me."
"Oh, that may already be," I retorted. "I just intend to be the perfect assistant when that inevitability arrives."
"Then stay two steps ahead of her," Anita responded. "Read her mind and anticipate."
"I'll see what I can do," I said.
"Three months, tops," Anita reminded me.
"Yeah."
* * *
Kordevik
"That's simply not acceptable," Hannah informed me. "Plans can be changed—this is important for your future career," she added.
How the hell was I to know she wouldn't take no for an answer? And the veiled threat at the end?
Genius. On her part, at least. It didn't bode well for me in the least. She was telling me that my future as a Rome Enterprises employee depended on my showing up at her party on Saturday night.
Fuck her, and not in any traditional sense.
"I'm engaged," I blurted.
"What? I have no record of that," she purred.
"I am," I insisted.
Well, I had been, at least. I still considered myself engaged, no matter what Lexsi thought.
"To whom? Bring her with you. I'll make an exception this time."
She intended to break us up. Well, break my phantom fiancée and me up.
Fuck.
Triple fuck.
Now what?
I needed a fiancée in two days.
Holy, fucking hell .
"I'll see if I can pry her away from her plans," I sighed.
"Please do. I look forward to meeting her."
Visions of Hannah, with a knife held behind her back invaded my thoughts.
"Of course," I responded. "Thank you for inviting us."
"It's nothing, darling. See you Saturday."
I was never so glad to end a call in my life. Hannah Tilton, as predicted, was going to complicate my life terribly.
I dialed Lexsi's number, then, to ask if she wanted me to grab pizza for dinner on my way to her house.
* * *
Lexsi
Anita came up with the solution I needed, and it surprised me that we hadn't thought of it before. Anita planned to lay her obsession whammy on Hannah the Horrible, and things would work out for everybody.
At least I hoped they would. We only had to get Anita within speaking range of Hannah, and that looked to be a problem.
Until Kory came home, loaded down with pizza boxes. He announced that he needed a fiancée by Saturday night, to keep Hannah at arm's length.
I was on the phone with Anita in three seconds. She agreed to go to Hannah's party with Kory, but we needed a suitable engagement ring. "You know I can't do much—just tell her not to fire you," Anita pointed out. "Too much of a change and people
"I'm just giving you the real reasons she'll want to get rid of you—no matter what the paperwork says at the end."
"You've looked into her records, haven't you?" I accused.
"Yep. She's fired every female assistant she ever had. I'm adding her to my list of investigations into Rome hiring practices. No woman has ever lasted more than three months, working with Hannah."
"Great. More good news," I sighed.
"I think you should apply for a job elsewhere, especially if Lee gets the job he applied for, hint-hint."
"Right. That's great in theory, but not so great in practice," I said. I couldn't tell Anita why I was working for Rome Enterprises to begin with—it would only raise questions about relatives I couldn't explain or produce on demand.
"I guess the clock's ticking, then," I said.
"It's always better to turn in a notice than wait to be fired; that way you won't have to put that on your next job application."
While I pondered that bit of advice, it occurred to me that perhaps this was Aunt Bree's way of telling me I shouldn't have run away in the first place. It was diabolical in its simplicity; force me into a situation where I couldn't meet the terms of our agreement, and I'd be homeward bound for a wedding I didn't want.
"I'm going to be the best female assistant Hannah the Horrible has ever had," I announced.
"What?" Anita's voice betrayed her shock.
"Just what I said. She won't be able to get rid of me because I'll be that good."
"On your head be it," Anita huffed. "She'll make you wish you were dead; believe me."
"Oh, that may already be," I retorted. "I just intend to be the perfect assistant when that inevitability arrives."
"Then stay two steps ahead of her," Anita responded. "Read her mind and anticipate."
"I'll see what I can do," I said.
"Three months, tops," Anita reminded me.
"Yeah."
* * *
Kordevik
"That's simply not acceptable," Hannah informed me. "Plans can be changed—this is important for your future career," she added.
How the hell was I to know she wouldn't take no for an answer? And the veiled threat at the end?
Genius. On her part, at least. It didn't bode well for me in the least. She was telling me that my future as a Rome Enterprises employee depended on my showing up at her party on Saturday night.
Fuck her, and not in any traditional sense.
"I'm engaged," I blurted.
"What? I have no record of that," she purred.
"I am," I insisted.
Well, I had been, at least. I still considered myself engaged, no matter what Lexsi thought.
"To whom? Bring her with you. I'll make an exception this time."
She intended to break us up. Well, break my phantom fiancée and me up.
Fuck.
Triple fuck.
Now what?
I needed a fiancée in two days.
Holy, fucking hell .
"I'll see if I can pry her away from her plans," I sighed.
"Please do. I look forward to meeting her."
Visions of Hannah, with a knife held behind her back invaded my thoughts.
"Of course," I responded. "Thank you for inviting us."
"It's nothing, darling. See you Saturday."
I was never so glad to end a call in my life. Hannah Tilton, as predicted, was going to complicate my life terribly.
I dialed Lexsi's number, then, to ask if she wanted me to grab pizza for dinner on my way to her house.
* * *
Lexsi
Anita came up with the solution I needed, and it surprised me that we hadn't thought of it before. Anita planned to lay her obsession whammy on Hannah the Horrible, and things would work out for everybody.
At least I hoped they would. We only had to get Anita within speaking range of Hannah, and that looked to be a problem.
Until Kory came home, loaded down with pizza boxes. He announced that he needed a fiancée by Saturday night, to keep Hannah at arm's length.
I was on the phone with Anita in three seconds. She agreed to go to Hannah's party with Kory, but we needed a suitable engagement ring. "You know I can't do much—just tell her not to fire you," Anita pointed out. "Too much of a change and people
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