CHAPTER SEVEN

Coraline

My heart was going to beat out of my chest.

Mr. Castelli was standing there in the middle of the sunken living room, hands in his pockets while he gazed at me with an expression of calm indifference.

I wasn’t fooled though. I knew a storm was brewing beneath the facade. And it was aimed at me.

“Um… um, sir—”

He raised a hand to stop my babbling and I immediately clamped my mouth shut.

Was I really going to lose my job on the very first day I started it? Could this be a world record?

Actually, hold up a minute. What did he say I did again?

“She wasn’t a stranger.” I rushed to prove my innocence. “She was your girlfriend, Georgina Mendez. She just came to pick up something she left behind.”

One brow lifted in a silent ‘oh?’ and the feeling that I might have dug myself into a deeper pit washed over me.

Standing in the midst of fallen grocery bags and my still ringing phone, I wrung my hands together in agitation.

Then he started walking—no, stalking—towards me and all the remaining air was zapped out of my lungs.

Maybe I shouldn’t have let her in. Maybe I shouldn’t have let her in at all.

Oh God, why was I just realizing that now?

“Did I give an exception, Coraline?” he asked when he was stood three feet from me. “Hm?”

I shook my head. “No, sir.”

“Did I say ‘don’t let anyone into my home apart from my so-called girlfriend as you so aptly labeled her.’ Was that what I said?”

“I’m sor—”

“Ah.” He silenced me. “Now isn’t the time for apologies.”

To my horror, I could feel my eyes getting wet. I raised them to meet his unyielding ones. “If you’re going to fire me, just do it.”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a cruel smile. “Now why would I do that?” He took a step towards me. Then another. Till he was so close I was almost kissing his suit-covered chest.

One hand lifted my chin till I was staring into his icy gaze. His eyes were so blue they looked almost unreal. I was tempted to ask if they were contacts till I remembered the predicament I was in.

Then my brain registered his touch. He was touching me. Stroking my jaw in light, ticklish movements that made my body almost short-circuit at the feelings he was inducing.

“Why are you so mean?” My mouth suddenly blurted out.

His brows shot up at the question and it was apparent I had taken him by surprise.

I had surprised myself too but I wasn’t taking the words back. His fingers stopped rubbing my skin and he cocked his head, eyes filled with contemplation.

“Why do you think I’m mean?”

“You talk to me like I’m not worth your time. Like I’m stupid.” I fumed. “If you don’t like me, just let me go.”

He released me then, turning to walk away. “You’re right. I don’t like you.”

My eyes widened at his agreement.

“I like your cooking though. So I can’t let you go just like that.”

I crossed my arms over my chest in irritation. “Then you have to treat me like a human being.”

“You haven’t been working for me for a full day before you went against one of my rules.”

“How was I supposed to know your girlfriend isn’t allowed into your apartment?”

He was back in front of my face in two long strides. “That woman isn’t my girlfriend. And even if she was, I had given you a clear rule. You were supposed to follow that to the latter. Even if the fucking pope showed up, you still shouldn’t have opened the door.”

His words were a low growl, spoken into the tiny breadth of space between us, and they triggered a traitorous shiver of heat through my body.

“Fine.” I conceded, albeit reluctantly. “I shouldn’t have opened the door. I wouldn’t jump into conclusions next time and will always follow your express instructions without question from now on.”

His hypnotic eyes narrowed and I wondered if he had detected the hint of sarcasm in my tone, but he stepped back without calling me out on it.

“That’s good.” He slipped one hand into his pocket, pinning me with an unreadable stare for a second before turning around and heading for the door. “I’m going back to work. Take care of this mess before you leave.”

He smoothly stepped over the scattered grocery bags on the floor and I eyed him behind his back, wanting to curse him out and throw a tantrum.

I reeled myself in and waited till he was out the door before letting the words out.

“Fucking pompous ass scumbag son of a bitch!”

Damn, that felt good.

I went about scooping up the grocery bags and putting the items and foodstuff I had purchased away. Then I placed his card back on the center table before picking up my phone and my tote bag then hauling ass out of his stupid, probably-worth-more-than-my-entire-existence penthouse suite.

It was only when I was on the subway back to my apartment that I checked who had called me and saw it was Marcus, my sister’s boyfriend.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance because I knew why he had called. But if I didn’t call him back he was only going to keep disturbing me so I pressed his number and put the phone to my ear.

“Have you told him about it yet?” Were his first words.

“Hello to you too, Marc.” I replied sarcastically.

“Hey, you know I have nothing against you. I just want an update.”

“There’s no update. My employer is an hotheaded asshole and there’s no way I’ll be able to tell him about ‘one of my friends’ wanting to work under any position he has available in any of his company branches without him blowing a fuse.” I sighed. “That is, if I’m even able to get a few words out without him immediately shutting me up.”

I also didn’t have the desire to talk to the man after what went down today. He was so frustrating. He made me want to hit something. Preferably his face.

“Just try it. Help me out here, Cora.” The desperation bled from his tone and I wasn’t immune to it. I knew what he was passing through. His parents’ company was on the verge of bankruptcy and since that was where he worked as a marketing strategist, he needed a new job for when it inevitably happened.

But I wasn’t going to be the sacrificial lamb for him to get what he wanted. Also, I was a hundred and one percent sure Mr. Castelli wasn’t going to invite him for an interview even if I managed to tell him about Marcus. The man wouldn’t give two fucks.

“Fine, I’ll do it.” I lied. “Just know the answer’s going to be no.”

“Thank you, Cora. I owe you one.” The relief was so obvious in his words that I just shook my head after he hung up, hating how disappointed he was going to be when I came back with the bad news.