Page 21 of American Beauty

Until I figure out who else I can trust, I’m keeping my circle small and tight.

Which is why I did something I might regret.

A sudden thud startles me from my thoughts. A large tote bag lands on my desk, followed by the unmistakable sound of my sister’s voice. “All right, golden boy. Let’s do this. And when do I get a raise?”

“Jesus, Leilani.”

She grins, unbothered, and plants herself in the chair across from me, kicking her feet up onto my desk like she owns theplace. “Relax, big brother. I already know the answer. ‘Start by not pissing me off.’Or ‘Never.’”

Damn. She does a decent job of impersonating me.

“That sound about right?”

I stare at her for a long beat. “This was a terrible idea.”

She gasps, clutching her chest like I’ve wounded her heart. “Wow. That hurts, Alex. But it’s too late now. You hired me.”

I did. Because I need someone I can trust, and right now, family is the only option.

“You realize this is an actual job, right? Not an excuse for you to sit around, annoy the shit out of me, and play on your phone all day.”

Leilani scoffs. “Please. I can annoy youandbe productive. I’m a multi-tasker.”

“God help me.”

She flashes a wide grin. “Oh, come on. It’ll be fun. You and me, taking on the corporate world together. Just two Sebring siblings, making dreams come true. Changing lives.”

I level her with a stare. “Your job is to read my work emails.”

She shrugs. “Same thing.”

Am I sure I can put up with this every day?

Leilani stretches her arms over her head. “So. Where do I start?”

I gesture to the computer. “My inbox––start there. Flag anything that’s important, delete the junk, and don’t—I repeat,don’t—mess with my calendar. I don’t need you moving things around without telling me.”

Leilani mock salutes. “Yes, sir.”

She slides into the chair behind the desk, cracking her knuckles like she’s about to perform surgery. “So what you’re telling me is that I’ll be doing your job but on a much lower pay scale.”

I meet her gaze with dry patience. “No. You’re filtering out the bullshit emails that are a waste of my time.”

She tilts her head. “Like I said—doing your job.”

I grab a pen off my desk and launch it at her. She dodges it with ease, laughing. “You’re so damn grumpy since Magnolia left.”

She clicks through emails, humming under her breath. “All right, let’s see what we’ve got. Spam, spam, someone wants to sell you a new, bigger yacht.” She pauses, eyebrows lifting. “Hmm… this one sounds kind of legit about expanding your social media presence.”

“Delete it.” I don’t want to be in the spotlight any more than I have to be.

She clicks on one, and snickers. “Ooooh, here’s one about performance enhancement pills. Stronger, longer, harder. Bro, you need pills for that?” She bursts out laughing. “It’s no wonder Magnolia booked a one-way ticket out of here.”

I groan, dragging a hand down my face. “Shut up, Lei.”

She wipes a fake tear. “This is already the best job I’ve ever had.”

I shake my head, cursing myself. This was a mistake.

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