Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“I missed Pop-pop,” Ada said solemnly. She turned to me and tilted her head to the side. “Are we still going zoo?”
“To the zoo,” I corrected her gently. “And maybe – we’ll see what Pop-pop feels like doing today.”
Ada smiled and giggled, then turned back to the movie.
This is the worst part of being a single mom, I thought as I bit my lower lip. Having to miss so much time with my daughter, just to keep a roof over our heads. It wasn’t fair – but it was life, and I was determined to do a good job at work.
As soon as my dad got there, I gave him a quick kiss and then hugged Ada goodbye. Darting into Manhattan took over an hour on the subway – by the time I got to the office, it was almost one-thirty in the afternoon.
Nell hadn’t lied about the shipment: there were sixteen large boxes, all filled with clothes. They were vintage deadstock, ordered from a warehouse in Japan, and as tempted as I was to really comb through and admire each piece, I was determined to get home as soon as possible. I made sure that everything was clean and pressed, and then folded everything in the stock room.
Just as I was about to leave the office, my phone buzzed in my pocket. When I saw that it was Nell calling me again, my heart sank.
“Hi, Nell,” I chirped. “I just finished with the clothes – they’re all gorgeous!”
“Yes, well, there’s something else I’d like you to do,” Nell said. “We’re doing a menswear feature – the most fashionable men of New York.”
My stomach twisted and suddenly, I had a bad feeling about this call.
“And?” I asked.
“We want to do a photoshoot with at least the top five,” Nell continued. “Each of my assistants is going to take one man and research him, then do an interview and we’ll have a little something written up to accompany the photos.”
“I see,” I said.
“Your man is Nico Ulrich,” Nell said. “He’s number two on the list – so this is very important, Harper.”
My jaw dropped and for a second, the world stopped spinning.
“Harper?” Nell asked. “Hello?”
“Sorry,” I said, recovering as quickly as I could. “Nico Ulrich?”
“Yes,” Nell said. She sounded exasperated. “Is there a problem?”
“Uh, no,” I lied. “Of course not.”
Nell sighed. “Harper, I need you to do your job,” she said, and I cringed. “If you can’t, I’ll find someone else who can.”
We hung up, and it was all I could do not to scream. Why the hell was Nico fucking Ulrich popping up in my life again, and how the hell could I make him stop? I was filled with both anger and exhaustion: the idea of having to deal with Nico again, no matter for long how, was enough to make me feel completely drained. New York was a huge city – it had to be karma coming back on me for quitting his job on the spot, or something.
There was no other rational explanation.
As I rode the subway back home to Brooklyn, I leaned my head against the dirty, smeared glass window. I had to think of an explanation, had to think of something that would get me out of working with – and possibly even interviewing – Nico. I thought about asking one of Nell’s other assistants to switch, but I figured that since I was the new girl, they’d probably all chosen their men on purpose.
Like it or not, I was stuck with Nico.
At home, I walked through the front door and kicked off my shoes. Throwing my bag down on the ground, I felt like melting into the carpet.
“Mommy!” Ada yelled. She launched herself at me and I pulled her into my arms as she kissed my cheeks and neck with sticky lips. The stress of the day began to slowly leave my body as I snuggled my daughter for a few, innocent moments.
There wasn’t much that was certain in life, but at least I knew that I could always count on my daughter’s love and affection.
“We went to the zoo!” Ada said brightly as I set her down gently. “And got ice creams!”
“No wonder you have so much energy,” I teased as I tousled her brown hair. “Where’s Pop-pop?”
My father appeared in the living room, smiling. “She was great,” he said. “I swear, she grew three inches in the last week.”
I laughed. “I know,” I said. “How was everything?”
“Oh, fine,” my dad said. He grinned and then mimed a yawn when Ada’s back was turned. “She decided that she wants to be an elephant when she grows up, don’t you, kiddo?”
Ada nodded enthusiastically and I laughed.
“And I even taught her how to say it in French,” my dad continued. “Want to show your mommy what you learned?”