Page 84 of My Ruthless Neighbor

She frowns. “Is it about your other jobs? Give me your schedule, I’ll make the shoot dates flexible so your work doesn’t suffer.”

I bite my lip. “I only work on weekends at the moment.”

“Oh, that’s great. So what is the holdup?”

When I don’t say anything. She touches my shoulder. “KIM Advertising pays well to the models it hires. And besides, Raleigh and I will be there with you throughout the process. You’ll feel right at home.”

I glance down at Goldie in my arms.

What do you say? Should I accept? I ask with my eyes.

He licks my chin.

Hmm. Should I take that as your approval?

But what about Archer? Then I frown internally. What about him? Why should I change the routes of my life simply to avoid him?

He won’t be there anyway, right? He is the bossman after all. He has bigger responsibilities than keeping track of the models his agency hires.

Hannah and Raleigh operate things like these. They work and carry out every small activity in the agency. He had told me himself.

Archer might not even notice I am working there.

“I don’t want to look elsewhere when I have a gem right here,” Hannah says. Then, “I wouldn’t have pressed if I had an inkling of doubt about you, Summer. You have potential. I can see it.”

“But I never did this before, you know. I don’t know how to… pose.”

Her expression softens. “I have a team full of amazingly talented people who will be there to help you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Okay.” I smile.

“Is that a yes?” She waits with a hopeful look.

I grin. A strange feeling of excitement fills me. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

She grins and squeezes me and Goldie in a hug.

???

The air of déjà vu fills my nostrils and wraps around my lungs like barbed wire, making it impossible to breathe.

My palms are cold and clammy and it trembles slightly as I wipe them on my green pants.

I am standing outside the KIM Advertising building. I never thought life would drag me here once again.

The menacing sight of the tall, intimidating building triggers me.

I feel dizzy. I wrap my arms around my middle, trying to stop the trembling of my body.

There’s nothing to be scared about, I reassure myself. I am expected to be here.

But they all saw you getting kicked out of the building, Summer.

The last time when I was here, I was desperate for a job. Not much has changed since and that realization makes my situation more depressing.

Standing here is giving me more anxiety. So I decide to rip the band-aid off.

I glance down at my green high-waisted pants, white tube top, and pink blazer. Colors.

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