Page 35 of Gold Digger
“Don’t hold back,” I muttered.
“That’s kind of the problem,” she said. “I never do.”
“If I take this job, I can’t work long hours in the day. I have to be here for Hayley. So it’s school hours only. The odd evening is fine – I can get a sitter after she’s in bed, but I can’t miss her coming home from school.”
“Okay.”
“And I want to be able to study whilst I’m on the job.”
“Yes, I thought you would. Your degree course requires sixteen hours a week.”
“Of course, you’d know that,” I muttered. “You probably know what I ate for breakfast.”
She shook her head. “The only one of your consummation habits I know of is that you don’t drink alcohol, which I assume is to do with your moth?—”
“I’m going to start my job of stopping you from putting your foot in your mouth right now, Vicky,” I interrupted, my voice rising. “Do not ever,evermention my mother.” I never talked about Mum. The fact that I told Ollie that day on the bench was a minor miracle.
“Right,” she said quietly, drawing back slightly from me and my sharp tone. Subtle cues were lost on Vicky, but she knew when someone was telling her off. She was rigid in her seat now. I could sense discomfort and maybe a little fear.
“It’s okay, Vicky,” I said softer now. “I know you didn’t realise how much that would upset me. I’m sorry I raised my voice.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I’m just… sensitive with sound.”
I tilted my head to the side. “I’ll remember that, okay? I wouldn’t have raised my voice, but I really don’t ever want to talk about my mother. Right?”
Vicky nodded, and her stiff posture relaxed somewhat.
“What will my job title be? I can’t very well go around saying I’m yourempath.”
“No, I suppose not. You’ll be my personal assistant.”
“And one more thing. Will I have to see your brother?”
“I can’t guarantee you won’t see my half-brother. I see him a lot, and my business partner is his best friend.”
“My agreement with your stepmother is that I could not see your brother again.”
“Romantically.”
“What?”
“You were not allowed to see my half-brother again romantically. You won’t be seeing him romantically when you’re with me. He hates you now, so there is definitely not going to be any romantic element to you seeing him.”
All the air left my lungs in a sudden whoosh as if Vicky had physically winded me. To hear so bluntly that Ollie hated me was worse than I imagined it would be. I looked away, blinking rapidly to force the tears back before I looked at Vicky again.
“Well, that’s a relief,” I said with a forced smile.
Chapter 16
Nobody likes a stale Jaffa Cake
Lottie
“Vicky,” I said through gritted teeth. “You did not tell me that your brother was going to be here.”
Since I’d started working for Vicky three months ago, I’d managed to avoid Ollie as now I didn’t even have to waitress at that awful bar anymore – and I was keen to keep it that way.
“No, I didn’t,” she said, stating plain facts as always, no apology in her voice.
