Page 81 of One Bad Idea
"I know," I said. "But maybe they're step-siblings."
Cassidy gave it some thought. And then, after a long moment, she said, "No. Definitely not."
"How can you be sure?" I asked.
"Because neither brother referred to Morgan as their sister. And even with Darla, it's not like she told Jax, 'You fired your sister.' She said, 'You fired my daughter' -- or something to that effect."
I saw what Cassidy meant. "If you find out," I said, "will you let me know?"
Cassidy laughed. "You'll probably find out before I do. I mean,youwork for them.Idon't."
At the reminder, I felt that all-too familiar pang of guilt. "Yeah, but you could've."
"Oh, forget that," she said with a happy smile. "Guess what?"
"What?"
As I listened, she went on to tell me that she'd just found a job. Starting tomorrow, she'd be working as a waitress at a bar and grill located within walking distance of our new apartment.
She looked glad, which made me feel glad, too. After congratulating her, I said, "But why didn't you tell me right away?"
"Because," she said, "the Jaden thing was a lot more interesting."
On this, she had a point. Itwasinteresting, like a train-wreck, with lots of screaming and twisted metal.
As we chatted back and forth, Cassidy also mentioned that she'd gotten the job out of the blue, without even applying.
I asked, "But how is that possible?"
She shrugged. "I've been making the rounds. I'm guessing someone knew someone. Funny how that works, huh?"
Itwasfunny, even more than Cassidy realized – as I learned later that same week.
Chapter 31
It was late Friday afternoon, and I was beyond eager for the week to end. The last few days had been quiet, but stressful, with both brothers out of town and Darla working in the neighboring office.
By unspoken agreement, the two of us weren't talking – not even a basic good morning to start off each day.
Obviously, she wanted me to feel unwelcome and was doing a pretty good job of driving the point home. She still had visitors, but there was no cake, and no large, noisy crowds. And yet, it was pretty obvious that she'd told everyone far and wide that I was someone to be avoided at all costs.
By the end of the week, I was almost anxious for Jaden to return. Oh sure, he was rude and unpleasant, and a giant smartass, but at least he never acted like I didn't exist. And for that, I was grateful.
How pathetic was that?
Each day, he checked in by phone. And each day, I told him that everything was fine. Whether he believed me or not, I had no idea.
I didn't ask what he was doing or if he was having fun in Miami with the horrible person who may or may not be his own step-sister.
Instead, I gave him a daily rundown of his messages, along with notes from the meetings that he'd asked me to attend on his behalf.
It was funny in a way. When I'd first met him, I'd assumed that he was just as shallow as he looked. But now, after only a few days on the job, it was beyond obvious that he was a real driving force in the company's success.
I could tell by the messages – from suppliers, from advertisers, from distribution centers, and on and on – that he was more than just some figurehead or namesake. Already, I felt slightly embarrassed that I'd assumed he was some muscle-bound pretty boy with no ambitions other than to drive people crazy.
Still, I had to admit, he was obnoxiously good at that, too – driving people crazy, that is. Or maybe it was just me.
Even from Miami, he delivered little pokes and prods over the phone – the crack about me being pint-sized and the veiled references to trucks, sandwiches, and psychos on doorsteps.
