Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
I tried to look impressed again, but what I mostly felt was pity. Did Victoria have any real friends? Was there such a thing in a place like this? No wonder Halley had flown across the country to go to college.
When we parted ways, I was free to begin phase one of my plan. I borrowed Halley’s car for the first time and drove to a fancy lingerie store I’d found online. It had shopkeepers who actually came out from around the counter and helped you. An intimidatingly beautiful woman stripped me down and took my measurements, then guided me to the sexiest, flimsiest, most expensive garments I’d ever seen. If I’d seen the price tags before I saw myself in the three-way mirror, I might have refused to try them on. Unfortunately for my bank account, I didn’t.
It was more money than I’d ever spent on lingerie—more than I’d ever spent on any clothing, including my prom dress. I didn’t hesitate though. Right now, I was riding high on our kiss and the memory of Con’s hands on my body. He could puncture that confidence though. A dismissive look, a patronizing word, and I might deflate. I’d need the bolster of knowing that what I was wearing underneath my clothes could bring him to his knees.
Would bring him to his knees, eventually.
While I was breaking in my credit card, I bought more clothes for work, too. Being surrounded by designer wear was starting to make me feel insecure in my college-girl-playing-dress-up outfits. I needed Con to see me as the woman I was and not the college student I’d been.
On Sunday night, I dreamed of him for the third night in a row. When I woke up on Monday morning, I had a strange feeling of satisfaction, as though I’d already broken down his resistance. It took me a few moments to realize why—in my dream, I had. We’d been alone in his office, and he’d pressed me back against the glass that separated his desk from the reception area. In my head, I’d kept worrying that Maureen would walk in and catch us. Not because I would be embarrassed, but because he would stop. And I never wanted him to stop.
I’d never much believed in prophecies and premonitions, but now I fervently hoped that both were real, and that I was inextricably binding him to me with the power of my incessant, obsessive thoughts. Today was the day I enacted phase two of the plan.
I put on one of my new outfits. Black pants that looked deceptively simple, but they hugged every curve and made my legs look a mile long, especially paired with my new heels. A blue, scoop-necked blouse that almost would have been too casual but for how perfectly it was cut and the richness of the silky fabric. The color made my eyes pop and my hair glow.
I felt a buzzy high as I walked to work. There were nerves lurking beneath, but I tamped them down. When I got to the building, instead of going straight to the Brand Development department, I went to the executive floor. I was relieved to see Con’s office empty. I knew he generally had a Monday morning meeting outside the building, and I needed to talk to his executive assistant alone
Maureen pulled an apologetic face when I approached. “He’s not in, Lily. Is there something you need?”
“No, I actually wanted to talk to you.” I leaned against the side of her desk, glad that Con had such a warm EA. Prior to working here, I actually had more interaction with her than I had him. She was always who Halley called when we got in a jam while traveling. She’d wired us more funds, sent out repair men, geolocated gas stations, and over the summer, she’d even found us a doctor in Croatia when our friend sprained her ankle. Halley said that she was her dad’s right hand.
I also thought she needed help. She was almost eight months pregnant, and I knew from eating lunch with her a few times that she was worried about going out on maternity leave. She hadn’t liked any of the temps who had interviewed.
“You want to talk to me? What about?” Maureen asked, surprised. She could tell by my face it wasn’t just a lunch invitation.
“I want to be your temp.” I tried to keep excitement from leaping into my voice. This was the most important part of my plan, and it was so perfect in my mind. What better way to put myself in Con’s way, not just now and then when I could manage it, but every single day. I just needed Maureen to agree. “My time with Brand Development is up soon. I can move up here and start shadowing you. That will give us like, what, two weeks to get me up to speed?”