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  Letting out a reluctant sigh, he seemed a little unsure how to answer. “I don’t know. Maybe because I see the person you are deep down inside. The person you refuse to see in yourself.”

  “Well, whatever it is, thanks,” I whispered.

  “Anytime.” He smiled and his dimples deepened, causing me to smile in return. “Come work for me,” he uttered out of the blue.

  “What?” I creased my eyebrows in confusion.

  “You’re going to need a job, so I’m offering you one.”

  “I am very grateful for that offer, but I really need to do this on my own. Besides, I don’t know if I’m cut out to do office work all day.”

  “I didn’t say working for my company.”

  “Umm…then what type of work are you suggesting?” Was he being serious?

  He let out a lighthearted chuckle, but I wasn’t finding much humor in it at all.

  “Really, Simon? You have the audacity to offer me a job as your personal call girl after I just told you I’m done with that!” My blood pressure rose when his chuckle turned into full-blown laughter. “Just go!” I shouted.

  “Bree.” He tried to get the words out through his amusement. “I wasn’t proposing anything of the kind.”

  “Well then…what?” My agitation was rising.

  Remnants of a smirk still riddled his face as he tried to regain his composure. “I need to hire someone to look after Jack—like picking him up after school and watching him until I get home from work, and occasionally staying overnight when I have a business trip.”

  “Wait—you want me?” I pressed the palm of my hand into my chest. “You want me to be Jack’s nanny?”

  He nodded. Then it was I who couldn’t stop laughing.

  “Why’s that so funny?” he asked.

  “Simon, I’m honored that you would trust me with your most precious possession, but in all honesty, I don’t think I’m a really good candidate for the job.”

  “Well, why don’t you let Jack and me be the judge of that.”

  “You’re being serious, aren’t you?”

  “I am.” He nodded. “The woman I had taking care of Jack for the past few years moved away about a month ago to be closer to her grandchildren. I’ve got a busy couple of months ahead of me with work, and I could really use some extra help with Jack, and you just happen to need a job. It’s not rocket science.”

  It was a ridiculous thought, but I did need a job, and I wasn’t qualified for much. But taking care of a child was a huge responsibility. What if I did something to screw up? Simon would never forgive me. But at the same time, I needed to start having confidence in myself that I would get it right. Jack was a little cutie pie, and I’d have a much nicer, much handsomer boss than Margo.

  “If I take you up on your offer, then the two of us need to forget we have a history. Meaning, we never…”

  “Had sex?” he finished.

  “Yes. I want to start anew and put everything from my past profession behind me. You are my boss, and I’m your employee, nothing else.”

  “Okay, that sounds fair.”

  I bit my bottom lip, deep in thought. “I can’t believe I’m even agreeing to this.”

  He flashed a triumphant grin.

  “Since we don’t have a past, we never met. Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Aubree Davis, Mr. Grace. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I extended my hand to him, and his smile deepened.

  “Aubree? So I finally know your real name.” He took my hand and shook it. “Does this mean we have a deal, Miss Davis?”

  “Yes, I do believe it does, and you can call me Aubree or just Bree, whichever you prefer.”

  “I think I like Bree—it reminds me of this pretty special girl I once knew.”

  My face heated, and I was pretty certain my cheeks were some variation of red. How on earth did I get so lucky to have people like him and Hannah in my life?

  “So, Mr. Grace—”

  “Oh, you can call me Simon if you wish.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, Simon? I happen to love that name.”

  “Do you?” He played along.

  “I do. It reminds me of a caring, genuine, handsome man. One who has a huge heart, but sometimes doesn’t have the best judgment in people or business deals.”

  “Really? Because I can assure you, I make excellent deals every day with my business, and as far as my judgment in people goes…” He moved closer and whispered in my ear, “I don’t let too many people into my life, so you can bet that the few I do allow in are pretty special.”

  There was a level of sincerity in his eyes that spoke volumes, and even though I knew I was far from special, in that brief moment he had me believing otherwise. My face may have been battered and bruised, but it didn’t matter—how I was feeling on the inside erased all of the pain on the outside. The barren wasteland that had once occupied my heart was fading away, and for the first time in a long time it was full. Full of courage, full of admiration, and full of a newfound hope—not only in other people, but in myself as well.

  Chapter 22

  By the time Tuesday arrived, I was starting to feel a little better. The bruises were still evident, but I was healing emotionally. I had even decided that I wasn’t going to let Margo down and would meet with her and her interviewee as planned. I got myself dressed and prepared for what lay ahead. With the help of some makeup I was able to camouflage the bruising on my cheeks somewhat and look a little more human. Giving myself one last look in the mirror, I fluffed my hair out with my fingers and was on my way.

  The cab pulled up to Margo’s office building, and I took a deep cleansing breath as I stepped out. You can do this. You are stronger than ever, I repeated to myself with each step I took, getting closer and closer to the lion’s den. Moving my sunglasses from the top of my head and concealing my eyes, I lightly knocked on Margo’s office door before entering. Her jaw dropped when I entered. The pretty young brunette—her next victim—was in the seat across from her. Just by the way she seemed to be ogling Margo, I was fairly certain she had already been fed a bunch of lies about how wonderful the business was.

  “Bree, I didn’t think you were coming.” Margo’s voice quivered, and for the first time ever I could tell she was actually nervous. I was holding all the cards, and I loved it.

  “Whatever would give you that impression, Margo?” I asked, taking a seat next to the new sacrificial lamb.

  “I-I don’t—” Margo stuttered. How I was enjoying watching her squirm.

  “I’m Bree, by the way.” I extended my hand to the young girl, who looked barely legal. “Please forgive the sunglasses, but I have a terrible migraine.”

  “Oh, hi. I’m Kristen.” The sound of her voice matched her sweet appearance.

  “So, what did I miss? Did Margo tell you about how glamorous this job is?”

  She smiled and nodded.

  “And all the wonderful men you’ll meet and the fabulous places you’ll get to go with them?”

  “Yes, she said that some are even TV producers, so I’m hoping maybe that will help to boost my acting career.”

  I gazed deeply into her light brown eyes. She was like the fresh fallen snow after a storm, untouched and innocent, and Margo was the one who was going to cast those first footprints, damaging her forever. I was that same girl not so long ago—young, naïve, believing all of Margo’s bullshit lines. Changing my focus to the woman sitting on the other side of the desk, I had finally come to the realization that she was pure evil. She never cared about me like she had led me to believe. She just saw me as a young, pretty girl who would line her pockets even more. The same way she saw this girl.

  “So, Kristen, Margo asked me to sit in on this interview to give you a little insight on the job, so that’s what I’m here to do.” I slowly raised my sunglasses to my head, revealing the purple rings outlining my eyes.

  “Oh my god!” Kristen gasped.

  “This is the part that Margo didn’t tell you about.
” I glanced over to Margo, who was sitting still as a statue. “When she sets you up with a client who she knows is no good just for her own benefit.”

  “Bree. That is enough,” Margo requested through clenched teeth.

  I turned my head in her direction and stared directly into her cold blue eyes. “Oh, I know it’s enough. Enough of believing your lies and thinking that you have my best interest at heart. Enough of having sex with strangers to make you richer, and enough of hating myself because you stripped away every ounce of my self-confidence, making me totally dependent on you and your so-called business.”

  She shook her head and looked away.

  “Look at me, Margo!” I shouted. “You are just as guilty of doing this to me as he is. You knew he was violent. That’s why Kylee dropped him as a client. But instead of losing his business, you set me up! You’re no better than a cheap pimp standing on a street corner with his hookers.”

  “Get out of here, now!” she demanded.

  “Gladly!” I stood up, snatching my purse from the chair and flinging it over my shoulder. “Kristen, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll run as far away as you can from this evil bitch.”

  She didn’t respond, nervously bouncing her leg up and down with her bottom lip quivering. I could only hope that she’d take my advice before it was too late.

  Margo kept her head down the entire time I made my exit, holding back all of the anger that I was certain was growing inside of her. There was no doubt that she was still going to try to salvage the interview and keep up appearances with Kristen.

  I stepped outside, opting to walk a few blocks instead of hailing a cab. After all those years, I was finally out from under Margo’s thumb. I was excited and terrified all at the same time. It was all so new to me. I had been under her control for so long, like a brainwashed victim of an evil cult, and now I was being set free to live my life. I wasn’t sure if I knew how to go about it on my own, but I was going to do everything in my power to try. I was starting my babysitting gig the following week, I planned on volunteering a lot more time at the shelter, and there was always Hannah’s romance novel to help me escape from reality. They were all things that I had to focus on as part of my new life. I pulled my ringing phone from my purse, fairly certain it was Margo wanting to get in the last word, but was pleasantly surprised to see it was my brother’s partner, Trey, instead.

  “Hey there!” I answered.

  “Well, well, well. She finally takes my call!” he teased.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Trey. It’s been a crazy couple of days.” To say the least.

  “I was calling you to tell you your brother is in Manhattan for business. You know, just in case you’d like to meet up.”

  My heart sank. My brother was in the same city as me and couldn’t even pick up the phone to tell me himself. “Oh, I’m sure I’m the last person he wants to see.”

  “Aubree, sweetie, don’t think like that. He loves you very much.”

  “Okay, if that’s true then why are you calling and telling me he’s in town instead of him.”

  He let out a deep sigh.

  “Exactly! Look, Trey, I really appreciate what you’re trying to do, but Paul and I will never have the same relationship again.”

  “That’s not true. He misses you just as much as you miss him.”

  I blinked back the tears, deciding to switch topics. “I have some news.”

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “I-I’m choosing a different career path.”

  “What are you doing?” I sensed relief in his voice.

  “Well…” I let out a little giggle. “I’m going to be a nanny.”

  “A nanny?”

  “I know. Crazy, right?”

  “How did this come about?”

  “I met this really awesome guy. He’s a single dad and he needs some extra help. The best part of all is, he knows all about me and still trusts me with his son. I’m not sure if that makes him a good person or just crazy.”

  “Clearly he sees the Aubree we all know and love. It doesn’t mean he’s crazy, it just means he’s accepting, which in turn makes him a very good person.” He paused for a brief moment. “So, does this mean you’re retiring from your other career?”

  “Yeah, it does. Even if this doesn’t work out, I know I can’t do that anymore, and I don’t want to do it anymore.”

  “I love you, Aubree, and I am one hundred percent behind you with this choice.”

  “I love you too. I just wish my brother could be as supportive as you.”

  “This is great news that I think you should spring on him with a surprise visit.”

  I sighed deeply. As much as I wanted to, I was fairly certain it wouldn’t go over too well. “I just don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

  “If you change your mind, he’s staying at the Roosevelt, room twenty-two. I happen to know that he’s there right now working on his presentation for tomorrow. You know, just in case you decide that you want to pay him a visit.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at his persistence. “Thanks, Trey, and thanks for listening to me.”

  “Anytime, sweetheart. We’ll catch up again next week, and I want to hear all about the new job!”

  “Sounds good. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  We hung up, and I stopped dead in my tracks, ignoring the hurried pedestrians walking around me as I stood in the middle of the sidewalk. Maybe Trey was right: maybe this was the icebreaker I needed to win my brother back. What was the worst that could happen? He could become even more annoyed with me than he was already. If I was going to start a new life, it meant mending old fences, and I was going to start immediately, expecting the worst, but hoping for the best.

  Chapter 23

  My heart raced after tapping on the door of room 22. It was so silly; he was my brother—the boy I drove crazy growing up while he teased me relentlessly in return. The boy who I’d get into knock-down drag-out fights with one minute, and then be hugging the next. There was no need for me to be nervous, yet I was. So much had changed from those carefree years gone by. We had gone from two awkward kids who loved each other unconditionally to two total strangers.

  “Aubree?” He opened the door, taken a little off guard by my presence. I hadn’t seen him in over two years, but he was just as handsome as ever, an exact younger version of my dad. Jet-black hair and crystal blue eyes—they were the trademark of my family.

  “Hey, I’m sorry for intruding, but I was talking to Trey and he told me you were in town.”

  He nodded, seeming a little guilty. “Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It was kind of last minute and—”

  “It’s fine.” I cut him off, not wanting him to feel like he needed to make excuses.

  “Did you want to come in?” He opened the door wider and I took a step inside.

  “So, how long are you in town for?” I asked, looking out the window and taking in the midtown view.

  “Oh, just until tomorrow night.”

  I spun around to face him.

  “What’s with the sunglasses?”

  “Oh, I-umm…” Did I lie and use the migraine excuse or did I come clean? I decided to be honest, pulling off my sunglasses and holding my breath, awaiting his response.

  “Aubree, what the hell happened?” He moved closer, lifting my chin to get a closer look.

  I shook my head. “It’s fine, Paul. I’m okay.”

  “No, it’s not okay! Look at you! You think it’s okay to let some animal treat you this way?”

  “No, I don’t,” I whispered.

  “Who did this to you?” he demanded.

  “It doesn’t matter. I just want to forget it happened.”

  He shook his head in disbelief. “You are unbelievable, you know that? You’re just gonna let the guy who did this walk away, and then what? Are you planning on fucking him again?”

  My jaw dropped over hearing his true feelings coming out. “No. Th
at is not what I’m planning on doing at all.” I swallowed the baseball-sized lump in my throat, trying my hardest not to cry.

  “I wish you had never come here today. I didn’t need to see you this way.”

  I nodded, breaking the dam that was holding back my tears. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to talk to you. I miss you.” How I wanted him to tell me that he missed me too as I searched for some comfort in his piercing blue eyes and found none.

  “How could you have lost all respect for yourself?”

  The tears were falling faster than I could catch them. His words were sharp, painful, and most of all true. I had lost all respect for myself, but I was hoping with a little luck I’d find it once again. “I-I’m done with that now, Paul. I know I deserve better.”

  “Oh, now you know that you deserve better? It took getting the shit beat out of you to realize you deserve better? Jesus Christ, Aubree, how could you be so goddamn stupid?”

  “I’m not stupid, Paul!” I rushed to defend myself, even though I knew he was right. I was stupid for leading that lifestyle for so long, but I wasn’t planning on being stupid anymore.

  He looked away before meeting my gaze once again. “I’ve got a lot of work to get ready for tomorrow, Aubree.” And just like that, I was dismissed. My heart felt like it was being cut from my chest while he stood there stone-faced, unaffected by it all.

  “Okay.” I nodded, barely able to see through my tears. I stood on my tippy-toes and placed a kiss on his cheek, taking in one last look at the guy I had loved and admired my entire life before walking out the door.

  ***

  The sun was just beginning to set outside my bedroom window as I lifted my head from my pillow. I was emotionally spent after leaving my brother, but hadn’t expected to go home and fall into a three-hour coma. I got up, brushed my teeth, threw my hair back in a ponytail, and splashed some cool water on my face. My shoulder was aching after defying my doctor’s order and ditching the sling for the day. I was hoping that putting it on now would alleviate some of the pain.