The Billionaire's Bitch

Eleven

"What?! You're moving out tonight?!"

My sister had stopped jumping up and down and congratulating me on getting the job the instant she saw me packing.

"Yep. Job starts immediately." I rolled my eyes over to her with a rueful smile. "And I do mean immediately. This guy takes himself so seriously."

"$180K seriously." She folded her arms to eye me with unmistakable big sister concern. "Are you sure about this, Evie? I mean, moving in with your boss on the first day, who does that?"

"Us poor PAs! That's who!" I scoffed her off. "You got any food in this joint? I'm starving!"

She sighed. "There's some lasagna in the oven I kept warm for you."

"Bless you!" I gave up packing momentarily to rush into the kitchen to scarf down my sister's famous lasagna. I hadn't even changed out of my day clothes yet.

Bernard had informed me stonily that he would wait for me out in the car until I was done packing and to let him know if I needed his assistance carrying luggage. Such a charmer, that one.

"I don't know, hon, this just seems kinda...off to me, don't you think?" Lyndsey persisted, pouring us both a glass of wine that I inhaled gratefully.

"I mean, sure? But, like, rich people are weird and I don't really have any other choice, sis. No offense, but I can't crash here forever. I need to, you know, strike out on my own."

"By moving in with your boss?" She said skeptically.

"Well, when you put it like that!" I blew out an impatient breath. "Baby steps, okay? Besides, it's not like that! I sound like his mistress when you put it that way.

"I told you, I have my whole own apartment; kitchen and everything. You and the kids are invited anytime. There's even a pool and a hot tub."

"Wow." Lindsey batted blue eyes at me. "You still totally sound like you're going to be his mistress."

"I hate you sometimes." I told her through a mouthful of lasagna, but we were both laughing.

"Look, don't judge me, okay?!" I whined at her playfully. "I bombed sooo many other interviews; apparently I suck in the adult world."

"Awww, don't say that, sis! You just...let your imagination run off and then you let your nerves get to you. You've gotta overcome it."

"To slave away in a cubicle somewhere for a fraction of what Kingsley will pay me?" I murmured to myself. It's not like I hadn't spent the whole day thinking about it.

She sighed. "This is how it starts. Don't sell your soul for money, Evie! I raised you better than that!"

We liked to joke that she had raised me, because our mom hadn't really been around to do it herself, but it wasn't much of a joke.

"Yeah, and if I don't take this job, I tell you, I'm gonna end up a stripper working the day shift because you feed me wine and lasagna all the time and you've gotten me fat!" I told her, throwing a napkin down on the counter dramatically.

Of course, her son Ronald had to choose that exact moment to sleepily wander into the kitchen. "What's a stripper?!" He demanded, rubbing his eyes with his little fists. "Daddy's always talking about them."

Lyndsey and I exchanged a look, and if they hadn't been long divorced, it would've been a painful moment, but Lyndsey had stopped caring about what that jackass Brian did a long time ago. Thank God, I loved her kids to death, but their dad was seriously a piece of work.

When Ronald and Chloe found out I was leaving, they bawled inconsolably and begged me to stay.

"But why does Auntie Evie have to go?!" Wailed Ronald, who was up way past his beddy-bye time at this point.

"Awww, honey, I'll still have dinner with you guys at least twice a week!"

Lyndsey snorted.

"Once a week?" I suggested sheepishly.

She rolled her eyes. "You had better come over as often as you can, silly butt!"

"But why does she have to go? Auntie Evie tells the best stories!" Ronald persisted, to which I was highly flattered.

"Oh, does she now?" Lyndsey said with mock pique, putting her hands on her hips.

"Thanks, buddy, tell ya what, we can Skype every night and I'll tell you a bedtime story."

"Okay." Ronald sighed in a woebegone fashion as he trudged away with his teddy bear.

Chloe was next and she wasn't as full of protests as she was questions.

"What kind of job is this again, Aunt Evie?" She asked me, and I laughed.

"One that pays well. Which means lots of presents for you, sweet vultures! Tell ya more about it at the end of the week, okay?"

I took the last of my bags out to the car, helped by a silent Bernard, then it was time to get in my final round of hugs goodbye.

Then I got into the back of the town car, gazing out the window at the little house I was leaving behind. My sister, her two kids and their dog, standing on the porch, haloed by the warm light of their home.

And then the car was moving and taking me away from them. I couldn't help the tight lump of homesickness already forming in my throat.

*~*~*~*~*

Thanks for reading!

HRH