Page 9 of Vengeful Devotion
“So Gemma, I need to be honest with you. I didn’t comejustto bring your bag back.”
My palms sweat. I can’t imagine what a woman like Francine wants with a girl like me. But in my experience, when people want me for something, it’s never good. I swallow the lead in my throat.
“Okay?”
Francine looks at me, her green eyes studying my every move. “I want to offer you a job.”
“A job?”
“Yes, a job. I need a new assistant.”
“An assistant? What kind of work would I be doing?”
“I run a non-profit here in Vegas. I would need you to help manage my schedule and keep my days on track. I tend to be a little scatterbrained. On top of competitive pay, the job includes room and board at my house. So, what do you think, Gemma?”
I sit on the bed, dumbfounded. “This sounds too good to be true.”
“I assure you it is true. You can call my non-profit if you’d like.”
“No, I’m sure you’re telling the truth. It’s just…” I sigh, trailing off.
“It’s just what, Gemma?”
“Why me?”
Francine smiles, sitting next to me on the bed. “You’re asking the wrong question, sweet girl. The real question is, why not you? You’re capable. You’re smart. I believe you can do this.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“You’re right, I don’t. But that means nothing. I knew my husband two weeks before marrying him and we were together for thirty-one years.”
“Were?”
The light in her eyes dim. “He’s gone now. Murdered a year ago.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“Nothing to apologize for. The point is, I believe in fate. I think fate brought us together today. How else do you explain you got fired in front of someone who really needed to hire?”
“Coincidence?”
“Nonsense. Besides, I have a good feeling about you. I think we’d make a great team. What do you say, Gemma?”
I sit silently for a minute. Working for Francine is bound to be more lucrative than waitressing. This just seems too easy. Finding a job not even an hour after being fired? That’s unheard of. But I’m in no position to turn it down. Francine fidgets with her hands in her lap, her eyes pinned to me while she waits for me to answer.
“I’ll take it.”
A bright smile lights up her face. “Thank you, Gemma. You’d really be helping me out. How much longer do you have this room for?”
“I’m supposed to be out tomorrow morning.”
“I told you it was fate. Would you be okay leaving right now?”
I think about it for a second before nodding my head.
“Grab your stuff and we can get you settled in at my house.”
I do as I’m told, grabbing what little I have and returning the key to the front desk. My hands are shaky as I climb into her car, the sleek leather seats cushion my body.
