CHAPTER 3 - NEW JOB

They were silent for a long time. Kara fidget in her seat. From time to time, she threw copious glances on Mr. Bonacci’s side profile, but that is far as she went. 

She dared not open her mouth. 

Earlier, it was her adrenaline talking. She wanted to get away from David so bad and Marco Bonacci was her ticket. Now, in the confines of his car, she was tongue-tied. 

There was a tense silence in the air, but Kara knew it mostly came from her.  

“I understand you need my help?” Mr. Bonacci broke into her thoughts.  

“Mr. Bonacci, I..”  Kara stammered, her eyes watering in anxiousness. 

“Marco.  Call me Marco.’ He corrected her.   He turned his head around and pinned her with his unwavering gaze which surprised her.  He was so naturally accommodating. 

But Kara did not feel right to call him just by his first name, given the disparity in their statuses.   Her mind rejected the idea. That would be too presumptuous.  Mr. Bonacci is a man of prestige and high status. He commands respect. 

“It would not be appropriate.” She said, and bit her lip, trying to steady her racing heart. 

“Then, I won’t help you.”  Mr. Bonacci replied and turned his head. By now, he was facing the front of the car, leaving her to her own devices. Kara felt like crap.  

There was a long pause as Kara rehearsed calling him by his first name until she felt comfortable. 

“Mr., uhm, Marco.” She stuttered. 

Marco Bonacci nodded approvingly.  “That is more like it. Now, what do you need my help for?”   In a rare moment, he smiled and that dispelled the anxiousness in her heart. 

For the first time since meeting him, Kara felt a bit calmer.  She could not help admiring his handsome face.  He had smooth skin like porcelain.  In her mind, another handsome face popped up and she was reminded of her ruthless boss. 

Marco and Nico are equally handsome men. Both have strong personalities and command power.  But that is where their similarities end, because unlike her boss who refused to help her, Marco whom she met only briefly has offered to help.

Warming up to Marco, Kara found herself telling him about the foreclosed property.  Unlike any busy man, he gave her his full undivided attention.  His phone rang, but he only picked it up to decline the call before turning his attention back to her. 

“I can help you with your loan, but how are you going to pay me back?  A week’s delay is all I can offer.  More than that, I can not.  You have no choice but to go to court.”  Now, Marco Bonacci sounded like a real businessman. 

Kara winced.  “I worked as a barmaid in the Bernardi Hotel.” She offered to assure him she could pay. 

Marco shook his head and held up her palm to silence her.  “Kara, your work as a barmaid could not cover the terms of repayment.  You need to find a new job.”

Kara frowned.  Looking for a new job did not cross her mind. 

But given how she and Nico parted this morning, she did not think that she still had a job waiting for her.  Her boss was not known for being lenient. She disrespected him. He would not be called Perocchio for something. 

Yeah.  Nico Bernardi earned the moniker Perocchio due to his ruthlessness.  It is an American version of tit for tat.

Besides, she did not think she could still work for Nico.  It would be too awkward. 

“You need to find a new job, preferably one that is high-paying. Can you do that?” Marco’s words barely registered her preoccupation with her boss - no she had to correct that - former boss. Right there and then, she had decided to ditch her job and look for a new one. But where?

She just left Marco’s office and was wandering around midtown when someone approached her.

“Hey, are you lost?  New York could be a bit daunting for a tourist.” 

Kara eyed the woman who approached her. She looked smart, dressed in a smart chic ensemble with a pair of sunnies resting atop her head. 

She shook her head.  “I live here.”

The woman looked interested. “I am a talent scout, and I am sorry for approaching you like this, but your type of beauty is what I needed for my agency.”  

“Agency?” At first she did not understand. 

The woman nodded.  “I am Kate Ash and I work as a talent scout.”  Kate Ash handed her a card and her eyes widened seeing the logo of one of the most prestigious modeling agencies in New York. 

“You work for Top 1 Models?”  Kara’s high pitched voice caught the attention of the passersby that it necessitated Kate to invite her to the nearest cafe. 

After they sat in a secluded booth,  Kate started talking about her current projects. All these while, Kara listened with her jaw dropped. 

She did not think that she would be sitting in a cafe talking of a possible collaboration with a talent recruiter.  Kara recalled the few times when recruiters would approach her at the hotel, asking her if she was interested in becoming a model, but every time she rejected the offer. 

She did not think that she was cut out to be one. But Marco’s comment hangs in her head.  She needed to get a new high-paying job to be able to pay her loan. 

Their transaction was quick.  In no time, Kate Ash produced a contract and she signed to make their collaboration official. Kara’s eyes bulged when she saw the six figures mentioned in the contract and she almost jumped in joy. 

At least, she would be unencumbered from her loan and she would be well out of Nico Bernardi’s life for good!

Hastily, Kara went back to the hotel to file for her resignation. She had a meeting with Kate Ash the next morning to start with her new job. 

At first Mrs. Granger was reluctant to approve her request without the 15-day notice. But Kara insisted that she had to resign right away and her decision was irrevocable.  In the end, Mrs. Granger grudgingly approved with the condition that she had to secure a clearance.

Kara figured it would not be so hard to get her supervisor’s signature. She never had a problem while working at the hotel.  She was punctual and received no complaints from the hotel’s guests. 

But Nico’s signature was another matter.  She was surprised when Mrs. Granger sprung up this surprise. 

“I thought clearances are only signed by our immediate supervisor, why do I have to get the boss’s signature before my resignation is approved?” She said, averse at the prospect of seeing Nico Bernardi again. If she can avoid it, she would rather not see him again. 

But Mrs. Granger would have none of that. 

“If you want to get your back pay and other bonuses due you, then get Mr. Bernardi to sign this for you. Otherwise, you can kiss those bonuses and current salary goodbye.” Mrs. Granger insisted in a hard tone. 

That leaves her with no choice.  Unless she wanted to make a big deal out of it which she didn’t, she grudgingly complied.  All she wanted was to get as far away as possible from Nico’s radar. 

She first went to her supervisor. After a few Q&A where Ms. Norah subtly pried about her new job which she was reluctant to divulge, she signed her paper. 

Next, she rode the elevator to Nico Bernardi’s floor. She was so tense. 

By the time she arrived, she was gripping her paper so hard.  She stopped at the reception, briefly quizzing his secretary about Nico’s whereabouts. She was hoping he was not in, and was planning on leaving the wretched clearance paper to his secretary. She thought she could return at a later time to collect it. 

But luck was not on her side. Kara almost groaned when she realized there was no way she could avoid meeting Nico Bernardi today. 

Just as she was about to explain to Evelyn the reason she was here, Kara heard the door to Nico’s office open. 

He was surprised to see her, but not as shocked as she was at being caught like this. She wanted to run, but that would be cowardly. 

In the end, Kara squared her shoulders and proceeded to follow Nico when he motioned with his head that she should get inside his office. 

“What is wrong?” 

Kara did not reply. She only handed him her resignation letter and clearance paper. Her feet were antsy. She wanted to be gone with it so she can go on her merry way. 

Bye-bye Mr. Bernardi. 

She was feeling rather prickly being alone in the room with him given her previous knowledge that he wanted to bed her.  In honesty, her impression of Nico Bernardi plummeted the moment he laid out his off-putting offer. 

Nico Bernardi frowned when he saw the documents.  His jaw hardened. 

He wanted to lock eyes with her, but Kara chose to avert her face. She could not look him in the eye. 

“I found a new job.” 

Nico threw the documents atop his table. Then, he dug his hands into his pocket before pinning her with his intense black eyes. 

“Was it because of what happened this morning? We can always forget about that, Kara.  I am not throwing you out.” 

Kara shook her head.  There is no reason for her to lie. 

“I actually needed a high-paying job, and I found one.” She reluctantly disclosed. She wanted to get this over with. 

“What if I don’t sign? Will you still resign?” He challenged. 

Kara bristled. She hated ugly goodbyes, but Nico Bernardi is making it difficult for her.  Why can’t he just sign those da*n papers!

She sighed.  “Do you think after what happened earlier, I would be so inclined to work with you or stay within close proximity to you?  You did not just reprimanded me for a mistake, Mr. Bernardi, you offered to make me your mistress.  That is the most insulting proposition I got in my entire lifetime.” Kara blurted out. 

But the moment the words left her mouth, she instantly regrets it.  Looking at Nico’s hardened face, Kara could not help feeling agitated. 

She thought he would strike her when he suddenly lifted his hand, and so she dug her feet on the floor. Her pose challenged him. To her relief, Nico did not hit her. 

He only brushed his hair back.  Like this morning, a strand fell on his forehead making him look like a roguish pirate. Kara did not want to be reminded of that morning, but it still lingered in her head.  

“I told you, we can forget about that.” 

She shook her head, telling him that it would be futile to argue.  She wouldn’t change her mind. 

“Just please sign this paper before I change my mind and report you to human rights for harassment. You don’t want this getting messy, do you?”

They had a staring contest.  Neither one wanted to back down. 

Nico did not understand the aversion to Kara’s leaving. It just left a bitter taste in his mouth.  

Kara shook her head. Her mind is made up. She would be leaving. 

In the end, Nico Bernardi took the papers and signed.

Kara heaved a sigh when he handed her back the documents with his signature.

“Thank you.” She said in a clipped tone. Then, without wasting any more time, she briskly walked out of his office. 

After Kara closed the door behind her, Nico slumped back on his chair.  He had a bad feeling about Kara leaving.  He felt it was his fault.  But he did not want to dwell too much on this matter. This must be for the best. 

In truth, he could  not be distracted.  He was a man on a mission, and Kara is one big distraction that he could very well not afford at the moment.