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Candie
She’s certainly not shy about what she wants. I like that in a woman.
I just hope she’s enough of a distraction to get both Avery and Julia out of my head.
9
AVERY
I'm very proud of myself because today I managed to wait until I got to the car to break down and cry.
I thought I’d hit the apex of how poorly he could treat me, but Henri is as unpredictable as he is cruel. Somehow, he manages to be even worse on the days I meet with my teachers.
This is only the first week. You haven’t even met with all your teachers yet. He’s bound to get tired.
Every atom in my being wishes that were the case, but a nasty feeling in my stomach tells me this trend is likely to continue.
I hate that I had to tell him the start date of my session at Age Gap Academy, but I didn't have any choice. The kitchen needed to be staffed appropriately, so he had to know.
I just wish I knew what it was about me that he hated so much. I'd change it in a heartbeat.
I tried responding with gratitude at every harsh criticism he threw my way.
I tried anticipating his every question and need.
I tried making myself invisible.
Nothing worked.
Mia says he's jealous of me, but I can't see why he would be. He has a partner to help him with the kids, is so well off he can afford multiple vacations a year, and was trained as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu.
If that weren’t enough, he’s the undisputed king of the kitchen here. He’s got unchecked creative freedom.
Okay, Mr. Macklin has to approve it, but he never says no to Henri.
Ever.
Why the hell would he be jealous of an overworked, underpaid, single parent with hardly any social life?
By the time I get to campus, I’ve managed to stop crying, but a glance in the rearview mirror tells me I look like crap.
And that is exactly why Henri does this. He wants you off your game so you’ll fail.
That thought has me reaching for the emergency makeup I keep in my center console. I didn’t let Kyle get away with it, and I’m sure as fuck not going to let Henri get away with it, either. He can think he’s wearing me down all he wants. That’s just going to make it even better when I slip out from under his nose to somewhere he can never get to me again.
Just a little more color corrector. Now the concealer. And just a smudge of liner.
Perfect.
All the evidence of my hard day at work is gone, and I’m good to go in. Sure, I’m ten minutes late now, but it’s better than going in looking like I’ve got double pink eye.
A glance down at my phone tells me that I’ve got two missed calls. I don’t recognize the number, but it’s probably Mr. Murphy asking where I am.
No sense in calling back now. It’ll be easier for you to just walk in and apologize.
When I get to the door, I pause and take a breath.
This time, I won’t be walking in unprepared. I did some internet sleuthing and found a picture of him online at some food event with Wesley and Phillip. He’s the textbook embodiment of the term ‘silver fox’.
