Page 12 of Twisted Truth

“I make pennies compared to the executives.”

“Well, you still look like a supermodel.” And he does. Matthew has perfect boy-next-door golden hair, bright blue eyes, and dimples that are criminally adorable and sexy at the same time. And his clothes look straight out of a fashionmagazine. If he wasn’t gay, I would be doing everything I could to land him.

“At least I’ve met you now that we get to be a part of this super fun project. There’s a divine sushi place just across the street, and they always get me in right away since they know I’m Asher’s assistant. Do you like sushi?”

“Love it.”

The buzzof the lunch rush in the restaurant filters around Matthew and me as we sit at a cramped corner table barely large enough for two.

“Wait, your bank account and all your credit cards were drained?” Matthew gasps through a mouthful of food. “And this is after he assaulted you for trying to leave him? Ella, you were not wrong. This is like a made-for-TV movie.”

“Don’t I know it.”

I've been living by the grace of Zahra for a month, in part because I sent a large majority of my last paycheck—what little there was—to my best friend-turned-adopted-sister, Maya. She’s away at graduate school in the UK and because of the demands of school and limitations on her visa, she isn’t able to work much, so Mom and I help pay for her monthly expenses.

Maya would kill me if she knew I’d sent her basically all my money this month. She already hates that Mom and I help her out, but we can't let her give up on her dream. All I want is for her to succeed, so I didn’t change how much I sent her even though I’ve been in a tight spot.

I wouldn’t change a thing.

Except for the asshole Kyle stealing from me and burning my things, obviously.

“Yes, so I haven’t had my clothes, my things, or much moneyfor the last month. I’m lucky my friend Zahra is letting me stay with her.”

Matthew is rapt.

“Okay, but then this is the big question: what are these clothes you’ve thrown on today?” He looks at them like they’re a rabid sewer rat.

I laugh. “These are Zahra’s. She’s five-foot-two and has a very petite frame. These were the only clothes of hers that would remotely fit. The shoes were bridesmaid shoes she wore a couple years ago, and, luckily, they were a size too big for her, but they’re still a size too small for me.”

“And when does the bank think they’ll have everything in order?”

I sigh. “I don’t know. I call in every day and get the same story that they’re working on it, and it will be fixed as soon as possible. But we don’t get paid until Friday, so I have no idea how I’m supposed to come into work the rest of the week,” I groan, shoving a California roll into my mouth. I like sushi, but I’m a basic bitch at heart.

“There’s only one real solution here. We’re going shopping, and we’re going right now. You can’t work under these conditions; those clothes are like workplace torture, and I won’t have it.”

“As I said, I would love to go shopping, but my cards are all literally frozen, and my bank account has less than a hundred dollars in it thanks to Kyle the asshole.”

“Yeah, I know, babe. But this is clearly a business emergency, and I have Asher’s credit card.”

I almost spit out my water. “We are not going shopping with Mr. Langford’s credit card!”

“Asher won’t even notice or care.”

“Um, yeah, no. The last thing I need is to get fired. Or get you fired.”

Matthew rolls his eyes. “First of all, Asher would never fireme. He would die without me. I could take his credit card for a joyride to Vegas, spend thousands of dollars on gambling and strippers, and he still wouldn’t fire me. That’s how much he needs me. And he trusts me, fully. I’m listed on the account for approval of purchases.”

“And you would risk that trust by using his credit card like it’s your own?”

He snorts. “You’re not getting it, darling. Asher doesn’t care what I buy with his card. The man has more money than God, he doesn’t even notice when I use it. But I want to be clear that I am not only his assistant, but his friend, and I respect him completely. I never have and never would take his card for a joyride spending spree. I only use it for things that benefit Asher. His life is so crazy that he can’t run it all himself; that’s why he has me. I am the one who makes sure his life runs exactly how he wants it to, both at work and at home. And I have total freedom in that.”

“But my wardrobe problems are not Mr. Langford’s problems.”

“See, that’s where we differ in opinion. I have concluded that they are.”

“You’ve concluded?” I snort.

“Yes. I don’t mean to speak ill of your colleagues, but it’s clear that only about half of you in that room are equipped for the challenge ahead. And you and Emily seem to be the only ones who really, actually get it. Which is sad; we spend so much on PR, how do we not have a better team? And you’re not even from PR, you’re from marketing—but I digress. You’ve shown that you should be one of the leads on the team, and in order to do that, you need to be able to come into work wearing clothes that actually fit you and that you can actually work in. You being able to do your job to the best of your ability very much benefits Asher. The only way this whole plan is going to work is if it’s flawless. So, I needyouto be flawless. Which means I needyou to be able to come into work and not worry about damn clothes. Clothes are easy to replace, talent is not.”