Page 46 of Empowered
“I told you, I’m American only in birth city and accent. You should meet my mother sometime. She’ll British the shit out of you.”
“Ah, yes, the British. Europe’s America.”
“Not everyone can be a magnanimous Dane.”
“We’re the happiest people on the planet. Not even the Swedes can say that anymore.”
“I thought that used to be the Norwegians?”
“Either way, the Finnish are still not invited to our parties.”
Sarah only vaguely knew of Scandinavian politics, but she would take his word on it.
“How’s the food?”
She shrugged. “You’re not a bad cook, but I’ve had better.”
“Ouch.”
“Hey, I didn’t say it was bad.”
“You know how to gut a man, though.”
“Maybe if I’m mean enough to you, you’ll decide I’m not worth the trouble.”
Instead of asking her why she continued to berate him like this, Lucas took another, more unexpected approach. “What is it that you want to do with your life?”
She sat back in mild surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, are you content to be an assistant for the rest of your life? Because it certainly is a good deal you seem to have. The retirement benefits alone would be worth you hanging on for a couple more decades. But do you want to do something else? Is this a stepping stone to some greater career that you want to have? Most of the assistants I’ve met over the years are either super passionate about it or learning skills to start their own businesses. I don’t get either vibe from you. What is it that you want?”
Sarah snorted into her wineglass. “It’s a job. A good one, yes, but I can’t say I’m passionate about it. It’s what I’m trained to do, and I’m good enough at it that I can work for someone at Mr. Monroe’s level. I do admit it was somewhat less stressful when my brother worked with me…” She stopped. Why did she bring up Nigel? He was one of the last people she wanted to talk about when it came to the men she was sleeping with.
“That’s right. I remember hearing that your brother also worked there until he resigned last year. What’s he doing now?”
“He’s…” Sarah struggled to remember her go-to explanation that was neither a lie but also not entirely the truth. “He’s a manager elsewhere.” She would leave it at that. Nigel’s impressive résumé had been enough to shoot him straight to manager of the boutique pizzeria he now worked at, but it was still leagues beneath where he had been before, in terms of both pay and prestige. The insurance was also so laughable that Nigel had to go from a private doctor to a one of those churn-em-out clinics five blocks away from their apartment. He had tried to keep paying his share of the rent, but took up all of the utilities instead. Now Sarah was sidled with paying $1500 a month for their two-bedroom. Didn’t sound likethatmuch at first, when one considered she made three times as that working for Mr. Monroe, but there was also the renter’s insurance and her student loans. Oh, and Nigel’s loans, because he could barely afford those now too, and they had both ran out of deferments. At the end of a long month, Sarah could not save that much money. Certainly not enough to start her own business, let alone qualify for a loan.
Besides, what in the world would she ever do?
“Good for him. Sounds like he’s on to better and bigger things.” Lucas pushed aside his now empty dinner plate. “But what doyouwant to do?”
“I have no idea.”
“Really?” Was he scoffing at her? “I find that hard to believe. You seem like the kind of woman who has grand aspirations.”
“You have to understand that my life has been all about practicality. My mother was an heiress who gave up a lot to marry my father. My grandparents… did not really support her choice in a husband.” They had been nice enough to Sarah and Nigel, even invited them over for holidays, but it was with the understanding that they would never be a part of that world – unless they worked for it. Elizabeth Brown-Clayborn had sacrificed more than a bare-bones inheritance so she could cross the pond and raise two children in a middle-class setting. She described it to her children as “the peak of mediocrity.” They went to the best public schools, had the occasional tutor, were supported in their extracurricular… but they were not given much beyond that. They never worried about food and shelter, but they also weren’t given cars for their sixteenth birthday and had the understanding that not much could be done about the esteemed private school they wished to attend. Not because Elizabeth didn’t want to give her children a debt-free education or further opportunities, but because she realistically could not afford it without her parents’ help. She had been raised to be a high-society wife and had chosen to instead marry a business manager from New Jersey and take up a part-time job as the assistant to an interior decorator to help make ends meet. It was that job that inspired her twins to go into administration work.It was always needed, paid decently, and we didn’t have to worry about specialized education.
“That’s too bad to hear. Your mother sounds like an interesting lady.”
“Her biggest aspiration in life was to marry for love, so that’s what she did.”
“Are they still together?”
“My parents? Yes, but my father never counted on the type of woman he married. She went to finishing school, all right? She runs that house and my father goes along with everything.” What Elizabeth wanted, Elizabeth got, even if that simply meant HBO being added to the cable packaging.“ThisGame of Thronestosh is bloody hilarious. Their accents are all over!”
“At least I know why you say ‘bloody’ when you think nobody’s listening.”
“It’s like fucking. Only more violent.”
