“Who are you? How did you get in here? And what the hell is going on?” I wanted to scream. I wanted to run into my bedroom and lock the door. I was jet lagged and travel weary, and my head was still spinning from the airport; a stranger in my locked apartment was not something I wanted to deal with right now.
“My name is Rachel Weber. I’m Jack Saunders’ personal assistant. Your landlord, Mrs. Jenkins, let me in. She was very nice, though very eager to tell me she would call the police if there was any trouble. What ‘the hell’ is going on is that I am here to bring you to New York.” She said it as though it were all very simple and straightforward. I could feel my jaw hanging open again.
“You work for Jack?” Saying his name seemed to invoke some courage within me.
“Yes. He sent me here to come get you.” Rachel smiled, looking professional and calm. I, on the other hand, felt like a nervous wreck.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” I said slowly. Rachel guided me onto the threadbare couch. It looked very drab compared to her nice suit, but I collapsed into the chair anyway.
“Due to the publicity surrounding your ‘wedding’, the Saunders family would like you to come out to New York until the dust has settled. Mr. Saunders sent me to personally escort you.”
“But I can’t go to New York. I have work tomorrow,” I said. Rachel patted my knee gently.
“That has already been taken care of. Your employer was very understanding.”
“But how will I make rent? I can’t go. I don’t have enough saved up and—” Rachel cut off my panicked sentence, her voice full of patience.
“You will be compensated for your time. Besides, you are now the wife of a billionaire. I’m afraid this is non-negotiable.”
My mouth hung open for a moment as I took in what she was saying. I was going to have to leave again, but I was going to get to see Jack! A thrill went through me at the idea of seeing him again, followed quickly by a burst of fear. We had said our goodbyes. He had fallen for vacation me and I was now back to regular me.
“Oh. I guess I should go pack then,” I said, standing. I wanted to go into my room and pretend to put things in a suitcase to give myself a moment to think. The world was spinning too quickly and I needed a minute to catch up.
“That won’t be necessary. I have already packed your bags with clothing I deemed appropriate,” Rachel said matter-of-factly. She inclined her head toward a small handbag by the door. It was only about the size of a plastic grocery bag. “The rest of your attire will be purchased for you in New York.”
“I guess that’s one way to avoid baggage fees,” I murmured looking at the small bag. I sat down again, overwhelmed. This was a lot to come back to after a long flight and the way things were looking, I had more travel time in my future. “Are you the secretary that went on vacation with him?” I asked, my brain skipping like a stone on water. I could barely keep two thoughts from running into one another.
Rachel’s dark brows pinched with disgust. “No. That was his secretary, Brandy. I’m his personal assistant.” She made sure to enunciate the words as though there were a very clear difference and that a personal assistant was much more important.
“Oh. Are you sure I have to go to New York?” I asked, suddenly feeling very nervous and tired. As much as I wanted to see Jack again, the idea of New York City was a bit terrifying. I really wanted to sleep for a little bit. This was all happening so fast. Rachel looked at me as though she were waiting for a child to realize that her parent’s decision was final.
“Yes. Here, Mr. Saunders asked me to give this to you. He said he promised you a copy,” Rachel said, handing me an envelope. I opened it carefully to find a 4x6 photograph. It was the wedding photo he had taken on his phone. I looked so happy, and he was so handsome. It was much better than all the tabloid photos. I touched his face and could almost feel his strong arms around me. For a brief moment, the joy of that moment surrounded me. I could do this. I could do this for him. I turned to Rachel and smiled, drawing strength from the photograph.
“When do we leave?”
Chapter 11
It wasn’t easy, but I convinced Rachel to let me take a quick shower, begging her to let me get warm before hopping on another plane. She finally relented and even had a PB&J sandwich ready for me when I got out. I felt better after scrubbing the travel grime out of my hair, but she had me out the door and into a dark SUV before it was even dry.