Page 1 of Boss of Her

CHAPTER 1

“Why did I let you talk me into this?” Jade muttered, glancing down the line in front of them. At least it was shorter than the line behind them.

“Into what?” Renee ran her hands through her short, dark hair. “Having a little fun, for once?”

“I shouldn’t be here. I should be getting ready for my interview.”

“It’s onMonday. You’ll have all of Sunday to get ready. And knowing you, you’ve already spent the past week preparing.”

Jade crossed her arms. “You don’t understand how important this interview is. This isn’t just any job. It’s an executive assistant job forSimone Weiss.”

Renee raised an eyebrow. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“Simone Weiss? LA’s hotel queen? Owns half the hotels in the city?”

Renee stared back at her blankly.

“Let me put it this way. If I get this job, it’ll open any career door I want. Simone’s name is enough to do that. And the kind of experience I’ll get working for someone like her is priceless.” Jade had already passed the preliminary interview. She was thefinal candidate. All that was left was the interview with Simone herself. “Opportunities like this don’t come every day. I can’t afford to screw it up.”

“Opportunities likethisdon’t come every day either. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get on the guest list for tonight? I had to talk to my ex, Jade. Myex.”

“Which one?” Jade murmured. It was hard to keep track of all the women Renee dated.

“You know, the aspiring actress who ditched me as soon as she got her five minutes of fame? And now I owehera favor. This better be worth it.”

Jade glanced down the line again. It hadn’t moved. “What’s so special about this place anyway?”

“You’ll see when we get inside,” Renee said. “Just trust me on this.”

“Well, I can’t have a big night tonight. I couldn’t afford it even if I wanted to.”

For the past couple of years, Jade had survived on grad school grants, but now that she’d graduated, she had no money coming in. She’d been relying on what little savings she had to cover food and rent on her studio, but her bank account had run dry. She needed this job.

Renee slipped her hands into her pockets. “Don’t worry about paying for anything tonight. Drinks are on me.”

Jade studied her friend through narrowed eyes. “Okay, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you being so generous? Why did you want me to come out with you so badly in the first place?”

“Because it’sopening night. Opening night of a brand-new ladies-only club right here in West Hollywood. This is the hottest event on the sapphic social calendar this year!”

“Right,” Jade said. “So why didn’t you ask someone else to come with you? You know, someone who actually cares about things like ‘the sapphic social calendar’?”

“Like who? Most of my other friends are as straight as they come.”

“And here I thought you asked me because you want to spend time with me.”

“That too,” Renee said. “Come on, Jade. We haven’t gone out like this since undergrad. I just want us to have some fun together like we used to. And maybe get you to loosen up a little. You’re so high-strung these days.”

Jade glanced to the side. “Yeah, well, a lot has changed since undergrad.”

That was when she’d first met Renee. They’d been assigned roommates in their freshman year, and she was the first friend Jade made after moving to Los Angeles from her small midwestern town. They’d been inseparable throughout college, but they’d drifted apart in the years since. Or rather, Jade had drifted apart from most of her friends from college.

Renee put her hand on Jade’s shoulder. “Just promise me you’ll at least try to have fun tonight?”

“I will,” Jade said. “After all, I should enjoy myself while I can. If I get this job, tonight will be my last night of freedom for a while.”

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