Chapter 6 #2
"Don't they have children and grandsons and shit? Didn't Holly say that one of the grandsons is in charge of the entire company and is dating that supermodel or something, and that they might be having the wedding of the summer?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"I think it would be kind of cool to have inside knowledge about that and break the story first. Holly would love you."
"Holly will never love me."
"Yeah, maybe not, but it's worth a try to get a story that no one else can get."
"You're right.” I sigh. “Oh, did I tell you that my sister and Garth just bought a new Mercedes G Wagon?”
“Wow. Must be nice.”
“I mean, you can afford that, too," I say, giggling. "But it's just like… I feel like she does these things just to rub it in my face."
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone has known my entire life that my dream car is a Mercedes G Wagon.
My sister doesn't care about them, but now she has one.
I just feel like she's always trying to show that she's better than me.
She's married, she has the perfect husband, now she's got the Mercedes G Wagon, and she's got a great job, and she's blonde and cute, and she's just everything that I'm never going to be.
And I feel like she just loves to shove it in my face. "
"Oh, Gina, you shouldn't feel that way."
"I know I shouldn't. I sound like a jealous bitch. She's my sister, and yet I just don't feel like I'm a good enough Spellman. I feel like a loser."
"You are not a loser."
"Thanks, I guess."
"Hey, listen to me, Gina. You're not a loser. You're fun, you're funny, you're gorgeous, and you were a frigging FBI agent last week.”
“Ha. Very funny.”
She bursts out laughing. “I know. Maybe that was too soon, but I love your sense of humor, and I love who you are. I'm sure your sister is jealous of you for some things, too."
"Yeah, right. What does she have to be jealous of me for? I work at a company that my best friend's family owns, and I still might get fired. No offense to you, Emma."
"No offense taken," she says, laughing. "I mean, I'm barely hanging on to the job myself, and my family owns the paper." She laughs. "By the way, you don't even want to hear what my brothers had to say to me this morning."
"Oh, shit. What?"
"I’ll tell you later. I don't want to put you in an even worse mood."
"Oh, shit. Am I getting fired? For real, for real?"
"Let's just say, I think it is in your best interest to stay at that job and hopefully get a story that will make Holly sit up and take notice."
"So I guess I'm just going to come and get some more clothes and come right back then, huh?"
"Do you think it will be that bad?"
"I don't know. I just feel out of my league.
Ghostwriting a book when I've never really written anything like that, being part of a writing group when the people seem kind of off…
and then I don't know if Mr. Waverly is going to expect me to cook for him.
What if he asks me to clean? I can barely clean my own place, let alone clean that mansion. "
"I'm sure they have help. He's not going to be asking you that."
"Then why did he ask me to make him a sandwich? I just feel like my life is going down a path that it shouldn’t be, and I have no idea how to change it.”
“I understand, girl. I know you think that I have it easy because my family’s wealthy, but I kind of don’t know what I’ve got going on in my life either, and I don’t know where I’m going.”
“Oh, Emma, I’m sorry. I’ve just been talking about myself. I didn’t realize you were feeling that way, as well."
"It's okay, Gina. I just feel like I don't know what I'm doing with my life," she says. "I have no boyfriend. I am not excelling at my job. And I just feel like my parents are disappointed in me. My brothers are the businessmen, and I'm just me."
"Well, you were a covert spy for me, and you did an excellent job, so you should be proud of yourself for that.”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not exactly proud of the fact that I was standing in dog shit outside of a jewelry store, spying on your situationship." She giggles. "I mean, it's kind of cool that you thought I was good enough to be a real spy."
"Oh, you could totally be a spy. You could go to Russia and fool them."
"Girl, be real. I would set foot in Russia, and they would immediately know that I was up to no good."
"True. Maybe." I giggle. "But only because your face gives everything away.”
“Your face does, too."
"I know. Shit. You know what I just thought? What if my face gives away that I think Hunter is gorgeous?"
"You think he's gorgeous?"
"I mean—I take it back. I don't think he's gorgeous-gorgeous. But…" I groan. "I can't stand the man. But he has abs for days, girl, and I haven't had sex in a long time."
"Well… maybe hit it and quit it."
"What?"
"Men do it all the time."
"But I can't stand him!"
"So? Hate sex is a thing."
"You think I should have sex with him just because I hate him?"
"No, I think that just because you hate him doesn't mean that you can't have sex with him if you're feeling him that much."
"This is an absolutely ridiculous conversation. You know that, right?"
"Maybe." She laughs. "So, are you almost home?"
"I should be there in ten minutes."
"Great. I'll help you choose some sexy and absolutely stunning outfits so that you can get your man. Shit, if he's a gardener, maybe he'll take you into the flowers and have his wicked way with you."
"I don't want to get pricked by any thorns, girl."
"Maybe it won't be so bad. They say that you appreciate pleasure much more when there's pain."
I groan at her words. "I'm not trying to get into a sadomasochistic relationship.
" I groan dramatically and then slam my feet on the brakes because there is Hunter, standing near the gates, with a rake in his hands.
"I gotta go," I say quickly, hanging up and immediately lowering myself into the seat.
I don't want him to see me. I don't want his eyes to widen, his lips to curl up, or for my heart to flutter.
I am still in shock that he lives here. I need to process everything that has happened.
I am so overwhelmed that I wonder if I'm going to be able to get through this assignment.
I slide back up the seat and peek ahead.
He's bending down now and pulling weeds.
He looks tired and sweaty and far too gorgeous.
I wonder what he'd do if I popped out of the car and ran over to him and surprised him.
He'd be shocked. That, I was sure of. But maybe, just maybe, he'd be excited by my presence, just as I was excited by his.
It wasn't that I wanted the hot gardener in my bed or anything, but the thought of a roll in the hay with him, for one hot night, wasn't such an unattractive thought.