Page 13 of Cupid Loves Curves

CHARMING CINDERELLA

A BBW & BOSS FAIRY TALE VALENTINE’S ROMANCE

CHAPTER 1

ABBY

Iwalk through the office, holding my breath, scared that if I exhale, I’ll wake myself up from a dream. Walking through the office of Ace Records is something I never thought I’d do. Despite everything, I can’t help but be excited about this job. If only my mom could see me!

A girl name Cheyenne leads me down the edge of a large, open-plan office. Gold and platinum records are framed in orderly lines on the walls, representing bands and musicians that the whole world listens to and worships. Even without seeing a famous musician, it’s hard not to feel starstruck just being here.

When my temp agency called with this job, I swear on everything that I thought the recruiter was playing a cruel joke on me. They know about my mom, because, well, everyone knows about my mom.

“It must feel glamorous to work here, right?” I ask her as she me to the desk I’ll have for the next few weeks. My agency was vague on who my boss would be, just saying they needed an admin assistant to come in.

Cheyenne turns her head to me and narrows her eyes, giving me a withering look as she pointedly looks up and down my body and visibly cringes at my curvy figure. I get that she’s skinny and pretty, but I don’t get why she looks at me like she hates me.

“You get used to it,” she says, her voice bored and impatient.

I shut my mouth and hope that the other people in this office aren’t as rude as her. There’s loud music coming out of offices and people laughing or yelling as they talk on the phone. There’s an urgent energy flying around the office, and it makes me want to dive right in and help this company succeed.

“Is this the new…girl?”

I turn and see a woman who could be Cheyenne’s sister. Same underfed body, same pin-straight hair, same clothes that cost more than I made last month. Without even thinking about it, I find myself sucking in my stomach to try and look less out of place as I feel. It’s not like seeing girls like them is a surprise – not working for a record label – but this is more…more than I expected it to be.

“Hi! I’m Abby!” I try and keep my voice bright and light, but when the second girl rakes her eyes over me and winces, I seriously consider turning on my heel and walking out, even if it meant the agency would drop me. There are limits to what I will put up with, even for a job. If I don’t raise the money I need in the next few months, I’m going to lose my last chance to make things right for my mom.

“Lisette,” she says, limply holding her hand out to me. Somehow, she makes shaking her hand to be both unpleasant and leave me feeling like I should be kissing her ring finger.God, I hope I don’t have to work with either of them.

“Do you think?” Lisette smirks at Cheyenne, as they both share some joke which I am definitely not privy to and which they are in no hurry to share.

“He has more pride than that.” Cheyenne sniffs, again casting a disapproving glance at me. She closes her eyes when Lisette opens her mouth, then holds up her hand. “I know, I know. He always takes his assistant. Do you really think that’s going to happen this year, now that Melody’s gone? Of course he’ll take you or me!”

“What are you talking about?” Memories of high school flood back over me – mean girls intentionally leaving me out of events, acting like I didn’t exist when I was in their presence. I bite my lip and remind myself I won’t be here that long. I need the money and I need to do this for my mom. If she was still alive, she’d have so much to say about me being here, even if just as a temp.

“Nothing,” Lisette says, then they both collapse into giggles.

“Come on.” Cheyenne says after she agrees to meet Lisette for lunch.Like they’re really going to eat more than a rice cake…“Here we are. And don’t make a fool of yourself,” she adds, a look of murder in her eyes.

Great. She’sthatkind of passive-aggressive co-worker. I cross my fingers and hope that I don’t have to work with her too much. I mentally remind myself to be extra careful around her, because if she’s the kind of person she’s leading me to believe she is, she’ll undermine others as much as possible just because she thinks it’s fun.

I really wish I knew what was going on. They’re treating me like I’ve stolen something from them and I’ve only just arrived here. What could I possibly have that they even want?

Cheyenne pushes open a set of double doors that open onto an office that is bigger than my apartment.

“Mr. Bryant? So sorry to interrupt, but this is Abby. The temp?” Her voice goes up into a singsong pitch, making the statement a question, and it irks the daylights out of me. She makes herself sound like a clueless high schooler, when she is clearly anything but. Yet, girls like her always have dates and boyfriends, so clearly she knows something I don’t.

Said Mr. Bryant is in a large executive chair that is facing a floor-to-ceiling window with the most stunning view of the city I’ve ever seen. Cheyenne flicks her shiny blonde hair and bats her eyelashes as he turns around to face us, feigning kindness and charm, masking how nasty she just was to me.

But when he’s facing us and I get a good look at him, I instantly understand why. Mr. Bryant is Aaron Bryant –themost famous entertainment executive in the country. I’ve seen his pictures in magazines and online, but none of those pictures captured how piercing his green eyes are, how chiseled his cheekbones are, the way his hair curls around his face, and just how drop-dead sexy he is.

And then a wave of quiet fury builds in me. Never in a million years did I think I would come face to face with the man in charge of the company that took everything from my mom.

“What’sthat song you’re humming?”

I’m startled by the sound of Mr. Bryant’s voice beside me, as we ride the elevator back to the office. He sounds so casual, but it makes the lunch I just finished sit heavy in my stomach.How can such a despicable man have such a sexy voice?

“Oh,” I say, turning to face him. I force myself to smile before I turn to him. “It’s just something my mom used to sing to me. It’s nothing.”

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