Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Genevieve
“You should really check out our latest collection,” Maya, the sales representative Rose introduced me to, said. “I have a few things you’ll love.”
I smiled at her, browsing through the rack she put together for me. “Next time, Maya. This is not very serious shopping.”
She returned my smile, although disappointment was evident in her eyes. “Will you at least tell Miss Rose to come check them out?”
“Of course. I bet she’ll be eager.”
The way her features brightened reminded me so much of my younger self.
It was incredible how much a person's life could change in the space of five months.
Not too long ago, I was like Maya. Beaming at people and smiling extra hard even when they were being overly mean and withholding tips for great hospitality and service.
And now, I could afford to shop around the season even though the old me still looked at prices and punched the calculator.
“Alright,” Maya replied. “I’ll leave you to it.”
I continued browsing through the racks. It was nice to have someone curate the best and have them waiting for you, but I preferred to make a few discoveries of my own, and with this being my first time shopping alone, I had all the intention of maximizing the options.
A burgundy silk dress caught my eye, pulling me deeper into the racks. It was a beautiful dress, but I couldn’t see it fitting into my wardrobe. I couldn’t walk away from it either, so I ended up getting it for Anna.
Thirty minutes had passed when I decided I had enough to return to the dressing room for tryouts.
With the launch of the new products approaching, the company was getting busier and Caroline had thankfully brought to my notice that I’d be taking more trips with Kazimir to meet with investors and partners.
Rose, being the fairy godmother of shopping, found a way to hook me up with a session with Maya.
Kazimir was yet to apologize for the little stunt he pulled in Dallas, insisting that he gave me something many assistants were looking for: free time and unlimited money despite a heavy workload.
And as expected, Anna agreed with him, pointing out my need to not feel like I was trading sex for opportunity and not wanting to feel like a glorified whore as the reason for my fight.
She had argued that if I wasn’t having sex with Kazimir and he gave me a free day, I would’ve jumped for joy and not felt underutilized, and I absolutely hated how right she sounded.
I returned to the dressing room with my selections and was immediately grateful I listened to Rose’s advice to dress in tight leggings and a top with a built-in bra if you were shopping alone.
There was no way this dress was making it onto my body if I wasn’t near nude, and as much as I loved my body, I wasn't liberal enough to strip naked in a changing room.
The undressing part was, however, intended to be a joint situation.
I could imagine the designers intending for it to be the kind of dinner dress that stunned your date and then you get home and they help you out of it.
Unfortunately, I was alone in the dressing room.
I pulled the bottom over my head, trying to manipulate the bodice with a sway when a soft voice reached me.
“Let me.”
Shortly, my neck was free from the suffocating fabric and microscopic beads of sweat had covered my skin.
I tossed the dress to the sofa, undecided if the beauty was worth the torture, before turning to thank my saviour.
“You’re not Maya,” I blurted the moment I beheld the blonde in front of me.
Her lips dipped slightly. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ll get Maya—”
“Oh no,” I rushed out. “I didn’t mean to be rude, I was just surprised.”
“I figured. You were here all by yourself one minute and the next…” she snapped her fingers, “I appeared like a goddamn fairy.”
I smiled at her joke. There was something very familiar about her. I was certain I’d seen her before, but I couldn’t place the memory.
“Wait a minute,” she said like something just clicked in her head. “You’re the new PA.”
I blinked. “Sorry?”
“Kazimir’s. You’re Kazimir’s new PA.”
The image immediately fell into place and I took in her slender body, high cheekbones and blue eyes.
She was the woman Kazimir had attended the gala with. She looked a little different without the red lipstick, but she was stunning either way.
“Hi,” I replied, trying to hide my awkwardness.
There was no way for her to know I was burning with jealousy over her a few weeks ago, but I was aware, and the awareness was currently judging me.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t meet the other night. I asked Kazimir to introduce us, but he said it wasn’t important.”
“Oh.” Her tone was cheery, but her words stung in a way I couldn’t place. Not important.
“Were you his previous PA or…”
“Not at all,” she waved off the idea with a laugh. “I cannot tolerate his bossy, gloomy ass for more than three hours.”
When I didn’t say anything, she added, “Old friend. We’re just old friends.”
A knot I hadn’t noticed forming loosened in my chest as another sales rep wheeled a rack of clothes and a glass of champagne into the room.
I waited for the staff to position the items for her and leave before speaking.
“It’s nice to meet you. I never knew he kept female friends.”
“He doesn’t,” she responded, browsing through the rack with her perfectly carved stiletto nails. “That dick could never keep a woman longer than two months if his life depended on it.”
The knot returned with a sting. “Oh.”
She turned. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s fine, really,” I forced a smile. “I was just surprised, nothing else. I’m just a PA anyways.”
The weak chuckle that followed almost forced me into the ground. I sounded so guilty.
The woman looked me up and down slowly, like she could see something I couldn’t, before resting her razor-sharp gaze on me. “Of course you are.”
“Sorry?”
“You said you were just a PA, and I agree with you.”
Her tone had gone from playful to teasing with a hint of mockery. My chest tightened. It felt like my worst fear was finally coming to pass. Did Kazimir tell her anything about me?
Relax, Gen. She knows nothing and your mind is just playing tricks on you. You’re judging yourself again.
My inner voice tried to bring some rationale into the situation, but nothing could quell my growing discomfort.
“Remind me though,” she turned again, clutching a dress. “How did you become his assistant? He never kept one of those, and suddenly, he picked a beautiful woman?”
“Ummm… I guess I just made an impression.”
“Really? He interviewed you personally?”
My brain froze and my head couldn’t come up with an answer soon enough. I swear I saw her lips tip a little.
“Sorry if the question was too personal. I’ve been told I could be too forward sometimes, but I have this interview next week and I was hoping I could get a tip or two.”
I felt my body begin to relax again. Something about this woman, I couldn’t stay completely tense around her, yet I couldn’t relax either.
She blew hot and cold at the same time, confusing your body's thermometer and soothing you with relief almost immediately.
You couldn’t let down your guard completely, and yet, you couldn't have your armour up because then you’d look guilty.
“It’s no trouble,” I smiled. “The question definitely took me off guard, but it’s fine.”
She stared at me expectantly.
“Oh… the tip. Yeah. Just be yourself, you know. Keep it simple, honest and straight to the point.”
Her expression soured a bit as she tapped a finger on her chin. “So you didn’t climb from receptionist to PA overnight? I could’ve sworn that’s what I heard.”
My body completely tensed; the room emptied of oxygen. She heard? I was being discussed? By who?
Shaking her head like she was dissolving the thought, she turned to pull more clothes from the rack while I stood, still processing what I just heard.
“Men with power,” she said, her back to me. “They’re all the same, aren’t they?”
“I don’t follow.”
“They pick you up from wherever they find you and bring you to where they want. Where you’ll be accessible to them. Completely taking you out of your niche and introducing you to something very different.”
My brows furrowed. I’ve read about women being confronted by other women and women meeting each other in the bathroom to talk about a man, but I’d never been in one of those.
This woman seemed like the type to be in control and not jealous about anyone, but I couldn’t ignore the tone in her voice.
“What has this got to do with me?”
“I was once like you, Genevieve,” she sighed. “Picked from a comfortable life and shown what was possible. Flown in private jets, access to exclusive parties, a fat salary, you know, the full package.”
She laughed, a bitter, dry sound that rattled my ears, and then she continued.
“I’d thought I had arrived. Moved myself and my best friend to a better neighbourhood, shopped from the fancy stores the staff frequented and enjoyed all the privileges, but you know,” her eyes lifted to mine.
“Everything eventually comes to an end. The shiny new toy eventually stops being new with every use. The music stops, playtime ends and the toy is dropped just the same way it was picked.”
My throat tightened till breathing almost became a chore.
“I was quick though. I had built up a few connections for myself and was able to find something to fall back on, but his mark never left.”
She returned to unloading the rack like she didn't just unload a heap of information on me.
“My advice?” she said after a long pause. “Instead of prancing around shopping malls, gather as many resources as you can while he still fancies you and build a nice cushion for the big drop, because it will come.” She looked over her shoulder. “It always comes.”
She tapped the intercom while draining her drink. The sales girl that brought in the rack appeared almost immediately.
“I’ll take everything. Charge them to my card and have them delivered to the house in Tribeca this afternoon.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The girl hurriedly began gathering the dresses.