Page 19 of Jerk
My knees literally shake when my eyes zero in on the photo from last night, Krystal cradling me in her arms like some sapphic love story. Now I have a death glare. And it’s pointed at Marisol.
How could she?
“Miss Nam, I can explain.” My heart races as quickly as I speak. “If you’ll just give me a moment, we can sit down and talk about this.”
“Did you or did you not start this fire in myhome?”
“Is there proof that I did?” Was there a video? Is this photo all they have?
“I have enough reason to believe it's true,” Michelle says, and I feel sick. “You should be grateful my daughter was there to save you.”
“I’d never want to tarnish the Nam brand. I’ve been following you since I was a little girl. I made my mother buy my first Nam ribbon bow tie. I?—”
“That’s very sweet, but in this industry, we don’t have time for mistakes and inviting you here today was that. A mistake. My home studio is precious.” My mind flashes back to last night. Rye’s body pressed against mine, his mother’s letter opener against my body. Why does he make me freeze up like that? “Itwasprecious. You've ruined my pieces. Every dollar that I bleed affects my brand.” I should be listening to her, but my mind is on whatever’s gotten into her son. I’ve never seen him this involved in anything. Not even hockey. “The damages and fees I have to pay to get that place together are horrendous.” Remembering his skin on mine, his piercing eyes, makes my skin tingle all over again. “It’ll take months to recover from the work I lost.”
I zone back in on her last words. “I can help!”
“You’ve done enough. You’re lucky I don’t charge you or your parents, but I would rather not humiliate the Alfonsos. Your father is on our board.”
“Michelle—”
She holds up a hand, cutting me off. “Thank you for your time, but your candidacy ends here. Consider yourself lucky, Hannah.” She turns to Marisol. “I’ll see you in June.” And with that, she turns towards a long hallway, disappearing out of sight.
With a smug fucking smile, Marisol walks last year’s Jimmy Choos to the elevator.
I slip in behind her. “You have some nerve.” Stepping to her, my fists clench. Marisol doesn’t look afraid of me. She’s not startled or bothered, and that’s new, but I want answers. “When did you apply for an internship at Nam Atelier? You’re not even studying fashion or art.”
“Iamstudying business.”
“And you’ll be studying how to cover up a scandal about you and the entire football team if you don’t tell me what’s really going on. You sold me out.”
“You sold yourself out when you threw Rye to the media.”
My nails dig into my palms. “You did this forhim?”
“Rye and Krystal made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” She pulls out her silver compact, checking her makeup like I’m boring her.
Ding!
The doors open before she pushes her chest against mine, backing me against the elevator rail. “Face it, your time is over, Hannah.” Then she turns towards the main lobby doors with a cunty smile.
“You don’t deserve to be in the Posse!” I call after her.
She shrugs, her keys dangling off her shitty manicure. “Turns out, you don’t deserve this internship.” She walks away as the elevator doors begin to close on me. I catch them, my body frozen.
Her words echo in my ears as I make my way to my car.
Rye and Krystal made me an offer I couldn’t refuse
Standing alone in the parking lot, the sun feels like a thousand degrees as I try to breathe. But his words in my head just won’t let up.
You’re mine to play with. Mine to torment. Mine to ruin.
I slam the door as I climb into my car. Reaching for my emergency pack of Cocktail Sobranie, I light a pink one as the last twenty-four hours swirl through my head. It’s all so humiliating. Infuriating.
Fuck turning over a new leaf.
This new Hannah isn’t cutting it.
