Of course, what Dr. Patel doesn’t know is that he’s dead, which does help. Dead, and one day, hopefully forgotten. Part ofme does wonder if my younger siblings will have issues because of him. They were small when our mom died, and I’m not sure how clear their memories of him and the way he neglected and abused us are. I protected them as best I could, and I’m hoping that the love and security they’ve been surrounded by since we walked into the Phoenix Center and met Keres, Ace, and Romeo has been enough for them. It’s been enough for me. I send up yet another prayer of thanks. It’s definitely a day to be grateful.
I add a slick of lip gloss and pin one of my stray curls back up. My hair is trying to do its usual escape act. I look myself up and down in the full-length mirror and like what I see.
My dress is perfect, hitting my curves in all the right ways. It has little buttons all the way down the back too, which makes it look demure from some angles, and I know exactly how much of a kick Maddox will get out of undoing all of those buttons and unwrapping me later.
I sigh, feeling a pleasant ache between my legs. I didn’t think it was possible for our sex life to get any better, but yet another miracle has occurred. I pause and send up one final prayer. “Thank you, Goddess, for big dicks, sinfully talented tongues, and Maddox James’s magical fingers.”
I laugh out loud. I should get that particular prayer on a T-shirt. Or maybe on a framed print, which we could hang in the bedroom of our new townhouse in Hell’s Kitchen. It’s so cute, with our own little courtyard garden where we grow herbs and fruit, right in the heart of an area that has every kind of culture known to man. It’s a great place to be, full of energy and life, music and food, and interesting people.
Not that I care where I live, as long as I’m with Maddox. Like he said on the day he proposed, we are each other’s homes.
I glance down at my finger. I have a new ring now, a beautiful antique Berber piece, but I also still have my plastic pony one inmy jewelry box. It will always be special to me because it’s the one that made him my fiancé.
“Okay,” I tell myself, looking at my reflection one more time. “It’s time to go.”
I grab my bag and prepare to leave my office. Just as I’m about to switch off the lights, Mason pops his head into the room. He looks uncharacteristically serious. “Ellie, I’m glad I caught you. Could you pop into Elijah’s office for a moment?”
I stare at him. Really? Now? What could possibly be so important?
He glares at me expectantly, and I nod. “Of course.”
Mason might be family, but he’s also still my boss. I got this job on merit, not because of who I was sleeping with, and I intend on keeping it that way. I follow him along the corridor and into Elijah’s big corner office. The man himself is sitting behind his desk, and Mason perches on the edge of it. Both are dressed in their finery, because of course this is a big day for them as well. For Maddox, for me, for all of us.
So, why are they looking at me like that? Why have they called me into the office just as I was about to set off? And why do I feel like I’m about to get told off by the principal?
I can’t help it, I feel suddenly nervous. My mind races going over all the various projects I’m working on. The huge workload that I’m juggling. There are a lot of plates spinning, but I’m managing. Or have I dropped one of those plates without knowing it?
Elijah nods, his face expressionless. “Please, take a seat.”
I do as I’m told, my heart thumping. “Ellie,” he says. “There’s no easy way to say this, but we’ve decided that we can no longer keep you on as our VP of Marketing.”
My mouth drops open, and my hand goes to my chest. What? What have I done wrong?How can this be happening?I love this job, I work so hard at it…I thought I was good at it.
I look at Mason, and he shakes his head sympathetically, as though he’s saying “I’m sorry kid, there’s nothing I could do.” I try to hold it together, but I can feel my lips trembling as I try to formulate a response. “I see. Can I…can I ask why?”
Elijah nods, very slowly, steepling his fingers in front of his serious face. “Because we feel you are no longer suitable for that role, Ellie.”
Are they firing me? Today, of all days? Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.
Mason lets out a weird noise, and I stare at him. His hands are in front of his mouth. Damnit. I realize the strange noise was him trying to hide a laugh. I fail to see what’s so fucking funny about this, and I feel so hurt that he does.
“Elijah, bro, enough. You’re too good at this,” he finally says. “Maddox will kick both of our asses if we upset Ellie. Especially today. You should have gone into acting.”
Elijah breaks into a grin, rubs his hand over his beard. “Funny you should say that. Amber’s trying to talk me into auditioning for a part at the community center Christmas play. Says I’ve got the right ass to play Captain Hook.”
Mason guffaws. “She just wants to see you in tights, right?”
Elijah shrugs and gives him a wicked grin. “I have my suspicions.”
I glance from one of them to the other, listening to the familiar James brothers banter. What is going on? Did I accidentally eat a magic mushroom omelet during my brunch with Katy earlier?
“Please,” I say loudly, making myself heard over their laughter. “Will one of you just explain what the hell is happening?”
They both look at me, and Mason grins. “Yeah. Sorry Ellie. We’re messing with you a little. It was his idea.”
“It very much was not,” Elijah assures me, giving me a warm smile. “It was his.”
“I don’t care whose idea it was. I do care if I still have a job. Because you’re both behaving like assholes.”
