“How?”
“I could be working a job I hate that pays me little,” I said. “At least I’m getting paid a lot, right?”
She didn’t laugh.
And I didn’t have the energy to fake one.
“Look,” she said, leaning over and smoothing my hair, “just because Mr. Hudson was telling the truth about this job offer doesn’t give him the right to run your life. I’m very wary of him, by the way.”
“I’m wary of him, too.” I unbuckled my seatbelt. “But I only need to last for one month to make this all worth it, okay? No judgment on how tired or terrible I look until then?”
“Deal.” She smiled. “But the Chloe Sterling I know would put this man—billionaire or not—in his place sooner rather than later so she doesn’t shortchange herself or burn out.”
If only it were that easy.
“I just wish they sold reputation cleanser in the store, you know?” I said. “That would be the easiest way for me to fix how people see him.”
“Or, Mr. Hudson could start addressing his lower-end properties instead of simply collecting things, and maybe then people would like him. It’d be a decent start anyway…”
“Wait, what did you just say?” I sat up. “Repeat that for me.”
“Oh come on, Chloe.” She shrugged. “You’re the one who said it months ago. Our place is a shithole, as are most of the other ones he owns. If he started caring about those and not just the luxury ones?—”
“Oh my god, I love you.” I cut her off with a hug and felt a swell of new energy. “I love you so much!”
She shot me a confused look as I jumped out of the car.
I rushed inside the building, anxious to write down some notes, but Mr. Hudson was standing in the hallway.
Looking impeccably sexy in a new charcoal gray suit and soft gold tie, he glanced at his diamond watch. Then he looked back up at me.
“It’s four minutes after six o’clock, Miss Sterling,” he said. “Do I need to buy you a watch that works?”
“I was outside at 5:59,” I said.
“I saw,” he said. “You were sitting in that car without a single sense of urgency to come in here for your job.”
“I needed to gather up my energy since I literally haven’t slept since I started.”
“I’m not responsible for scheduling your nap time.”
“If you keep me going at this pace, I’ll never have a gap in my schedule for any rest. That’s my entire issue.”
“The only issue is you being four minutes late on purpose, Miss Sterling.”
“Okay, look.” I glared at him. “Just because you paid me?—”
“Exactlywhat you asked for and then some,” he interrupted with a smirk.
“Yes, that.” I held my ground. “That doesn’t mean I’m one of your personal toys that you can wind up whenever you feel like it. I need time to decompress. Time to have a life outside of doing work for you, and you need to know that now instead of later. Understood?”
He blinked.
“I require at least six hours of sleep a night and ten free hours a week—a week—where I can do something fun without your presence hanging over my head.”
“Is that all, Miss Sterling?”
“Yes.” I let out a breath, relieved.
