Her Silent Revenge novel Chapter 17

Maybe—and I might be shooting for the moon here—it'll undo some of the bruising damage Arlo did to my reputation.

Mr. Rory didn't even show up this morning to the senior staff meeting. Something else that sets me on edge.

Here I am, waiting breathlessly and dreading his arrival equally.

I want him to be impressed. I want this mentorship on my résumé more than anything, but ideally, I don't want to see him again beyond the necessary meetings, once I've got my bearings.

And no, I don't have a clue how to reconcile these two desires. My phone buzzes and my heart jolts until I see the caller.

Not Mr. Rory calling to arrange another meeting—probably to fire me.

It's Kayla.

I should ignore it. I want to ignore it.

Honestly, I'm supposed to be working, so the best thing to do is ignore. But I can't, and we both know it.

Sighing, I swipe to accept the call. "Hey, Kay."

"Oh my God, you're alive! It's been forever, Lemmy." It's actually been about three days, but Kayla's attention span rivals a goldfish. "How's it going?"

"Um, it's fine."

"Just fine? I've heard The Cardinal is to die for. It's their big new thing, you know. The brothers' money-maker." She practically squeals with delight. I hold the screen away from my ear. "And now you're working there! How glad are you that I got you this gig?"

"Super glad," I gush, knowing she won't pick up the sarcasm. My heart sinks into my stomach.

That's the real reason why I can't ignore the call—Kayla put me here. And because it's Kayla, she acts like I should fall to my knees in gratitude for this magnificent act of charity.

"What's it like? Is it as lush as everyone says it is? Are the people nice?"

"It's gorgeous. We're just getting up and running, so no customers yet," I say, and for once it isn't a lie. "Especially the pool. They have these cute little igloos on their rooftop bar where you can sneak away. You'd love it. Very private."

"Ohhh, cool. Yeah, I know I would. I'm tempted to come stay to see what it's like." She giggles. "Maybe I could show it off on my Instagram. I'm sure the Rory bros would appreciate that if I tag them."

Oh, the things rich people do to get in each other's good graces.

I'm not sure if Patton Rory even has an Instagram, though. He doesn't strike me as the type to leave much time in his life for the rampant social media addiction that's swallowed Kayla whole.

"We just had a quick business meeting, Kay. There wasn't a lot of small talk," I tell her. "It was pretty down to brass tacks. He wore a suit and tie. We discussed The Cardinal. He tried to give me a rundown on my job."

Tried, yes. I don't elaborate. She doesn't need to know Arlo ruined said suit.

By the way, did I mention he's the father of my son?

"He wasn't shirtless?" She pauses dramatically before she bursts in my ear. "Kidding!"

Ha-ha.

I force a laugh so awkward my throat hurts.

"I mean, you could have discussed other stuff," she says. "You know, small talk. Smiled."

"He's my boss. It's my job. That's how this works."

I hate that I have to explain what it's like to work for a living. But honestly, I do when Kay's powerhouse father has pulled the strings for everything she's ever done.

"So you can introduce us?" She steamrolls right over me. "You've got an in now, lady. Help a girl out. I need to get serious. These good looks won't last forever."