“Alex and I love each other, and we are a solid unit. If we invite another partner into our bed occasionally, male or female, well, neither of us is going to be upset if we’re both in agreement. And let’s face it, did you see Jace? You’d have to be dead not to be attracted to the man.”
I drain the rest of my coffee as Shane pours himself one. “Well, I’ve got to say, I’m immensely jealous, but I’m happy for you all. Just don't let Jace be late for the plane. Nana messaged me, saying it’s scheduled for eleven. She said she would message Alex the details, so make sure they come up for air at some point.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be there on time. Alex is determined to help him, so we’ll be away for a few days. You have a key to get in if you need the place,” Shane reminds me as I grab my things off the counter. “Good luck today. They’d be stupid not to realize what an asset you are. And if theyarethat stupid, I can always get you work modeling.”
I laugh and wave goodbye, hurrying out the door. “Say goodbye to the others for me, will you?” I shout over my shoulder.
A little later, I’m heading toward the corporate offices of the MacGinty Sanctuary. It’s an almost two-hour drive from LA with the traffic, and if I do get this job, finding somewhere to live nearby will be a priority. I can’t drive this distance every day, nor would it make sense to use one of the helicopters.Did I just say that? Have I accepted the fact that I’m a Summers and have access to that sort of thing?Luckily, I’m stopped at a light when this thought occurs to me because otherwise, I might have driven off the road. A blaring horn has me shaking off the distraction and moving again.
I’m still contemplating the fact that I’ve accepted being part of the family when my phone rings through the car’s entertainment system. Max’s name flashes up on the screen, and despite knowing what’s coming, I pick up.
“Girl, I haven't heard from youfor days!You better have a damn good reason why.” Max’s voice comes through the speakers, her annoyance echoing, and I roll my eyes. Of course I couldn't just be busy.
“Hey, Max, how’s it going?” I reply, keeping things light and nonchalant.Does mentally crossing your fingers count for good luck?
“Oh no. Last time I spoke to you, you were a mess. You don't get to pretend everything is okay! You don't get to put on a fake smile and try to reassure me you're fine.” She sounds angry, and I’m kind of surprised she even realized that’s what I’m trying to do. She’s never really noticed in the past. I love Max, but sometimes she doesn’t dig too deep.
Blowing out a deep breath, I proceed to tell her everything that has gone on. She’s lucky this traffic is horrendous because that’s a lot to unpack.
“What the fuck!” Max explodes after a moment of stunned silence. “And you’re just telling me all this now? When I see you on Thursday, I’m going to kick your ass. Are you okay?”
“Actually, I think I am,” I try to reassure her. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ve got that interview, and I finally got here. We’ll talk more on Thursday. Can’t wait to see you. I miss you, love you.” And I wisely hang up before she can say another word. I really don't have time for Max dramatics at the moment, no matter how well-meaning they are.
Disconnecting my phone from the car system, a text comes through. A whole heap of angry emojis followed by a few middle fingers then Max wishing me good luck and promising that this conversation isn't finished.
Smiling, I throw my phone into my backpack before checking my reflection in the mirror of the car. After I hop out of the car, all that’s left is straightening my clothes and taking a deep breath before I walk inside.
A polished-looking secretary looks up from her computer with a polite smile and asks, “Can I help you?”
“Ah yes, I’m Harlow Stubbs. I have an appointment with Rose Smith regarding an opening in your veterinary residency program.”
The woman frowns and looks down at her appointment book before looking back at me. “If you could just take a seat, I’ll make a call.” My stomach sinks at the frown on her face. It doesn't look positive at all.
I take a seat while she makes a hushed phone call. Straining, I try to hear what she’s saying, but the music pumping out of the speakers is loud enough that it blocks out her voice. Any other time, the rainforest sounds might be pretty zen, but not today. After a few moments, she hangs up the phone and stands up.
“Someone will be out here to see you soon.” She won’t meet my eyes as she says this, sitting back and out of my sight fast enough to somehow make me feel even more awkward than I already do. Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself for the worst. I mean, it just wouldn't be right for my life to go as I’d hoped. There’s always been something to shit on it. Whether it was Mom hanging around to ask for more money, or the asshole kids at school that Max called friends, or any number of other things that had happened to me over my lifetime, things just don’t run smoothly for me. I guess I’d just hoped it would be different this time, that my luck had finally changed.
Theclick click clickof a pair of heels can be heard, and my head comes up, bracing myself for what’s to come. An older woman appears from behind a frosted glass panel. Probably close to Nana in years, she's tall and thin and has a slightly disapproving sneer on her face which smooths out as she reaches me. “Harlow, I’m Rose Smith, the director of the MacGinty Sanctuary and Foundation. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, but unfortunately, we are no longer in the position to offer you a place within our team. Someone should have called you to let you know.”
“But, but… why?”Is this another cruel joke?I look around the room to see if maybe Jacinta is here, waiting to watch the fallout, but no.
“Well, as you know, we take into account more than your grades and academic achievements. We also examine your personal and private life. It has come to our attention that you have been in the media just recently, being portrayed in... shall we say, a not so rosy light.”
My hopes come crashing down. I knew that the billboard would hurt me in the end. No matter what embarrassment Jacinta had hoped to bring me, this right here is the cruelest result.
“But that was a mistake and was quickly cleared up by Neighpalm Couture,” I try to explain, but I can see that she has no sympathy for the situation.
“It’s not even just that. Our goal is to care for our animals, first and foremost, and as a sanctuary, part of our funding comes from the generosity of our donors. We can’t take on an employee whose notoriety might outweigh our donors’ attention to our cause. Perhaps, with the public record of the company correcting their billboard’s statement, we could have discussed overlooking it. However, the new one doesn’t exactly show you in a light that portrays family entertainment either. We like to hold our employees up to exemplary morals, and let's face it, you rolling around on a bed with two men doesn't exactly portray that, does it?”
Oh, now she’s done it, the prudish cow. I can’t believe she’s slut shaming me and anyone else who enjoys an “untraditional” relationship. Fuck her. I put a smug smile on my face and adopt my best impression of Jacinta, that looking down at you like you're not worth spitting on if you were on fire kind of sneer.
“No, that just makes me fucking lucky.” Turning my back on her gasp, I leave her clutching her pearls and don't look back. If that's the kind of place this is, I don't want anything to do with it.
Despite my surge of bravado lasting long enough to get me out the door, I feel a tear roll down my cheek once I hit the parking lot. I hurry to the car in the hope that they’re not looking out the glass door, waiting to see if I break down. I tear out of the driveway, my eyes stinging with tears, but I manage to keep them from falling until I can find another parking lot to pull over in. There was no way I was going to sit in my car and cry in front of the other one.
Pulling to a stop, I apply the emergency brake. “Fuck, fuck!” I bang my hand against the steering wheel and let the tears fall. In one fell swoop, my dreams have just been destroyed, and I can't even blame it all on Jacinta. They had a problem with the billboard period, no matter which slogan it was. Prudish cocksuckers. How dare they judge me! On the other hand, why hadn't I thought about it when I agreed to do it? I was so busy trying to get one over on Jacinta, I didn't even consider that the billboard could have consequences. Would I have done things differently?
This hurts, knowing that I’ve missed out on even the chance to earn this position, but if I try to look at it objectively, I can honestly say I wouldn’t want to be a part of that organization. A company with that kind of mindset is ready to jump and judge at the tiniest infraction, and being a Summers makes it a larger possibility that I could be in the media for really any reason. One wrong step and I would have been out on my ass anyway. I guess better to lose the chance in the first place than to start shaping my life around a position and have it tugged out from under me.
