“When was the last time you sculpted?”
My shoulders slumped. “A few years ago.”
“You need to get back to it.”
“It doesn’t exactly pay the bills.”
“Maybe. But you need to figure out how to love the life that you have, while you work on the life that you want. So you’ll find a job that pays the bills and sculpt at night. And on weekends.” She smiled. “That’ll keep you from trolling the internet and submitting fake real estate applications.”
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“That’s true.”
“Everything happens for a reason, Charlotte. Take this time to reevaluate your life and what you want out of it. That’s what I did. You can only find true happiness within yourself, not inside of other people, no matter how much you care about them. Make yourself happy, and the rest will come. I promise.”
She was absolutely right. I’d been so busy being miserable and sulking that I’d forgotten there were things I loved that made me happy. My own things. Sculpting, travel . . . I had the oddest urge to run home and make a list of things I wanted to do. “Thank you so much, Iris.” I engulfed her in a big hug, not caring that she had been a stranger an hour ago.
“You’re welcome, my dear.”
I washed my hands and, using the mirror, did my best to wipe away my smeared makeup. When I was done, Iris stood. “I like you, Charlotte.”
I snorted. “Of course, I remind you of you.”
She extended a business card to me. “I have a position open for an assistant. It’s yours if you want it.”
“Really?”
“Really. Monday morning, nine a.m. The address is on my card.”
My mouth hung open. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. But bring me a piece of pottery you make this weekend.”CHAPTER 5
CHARLOTTE
This place made my old office look like a dump.
I knew from the clothes that she wore, not to mention the fancy cream business card with gold-leaf lettering, that Iris Locklear ran a successful business. I just had no idea she was this big of a deal.
I looked around the reception area in awe. A giant, sparkling chandelier, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Park Avenue, and space—so much wide-open space. The lobby was bigger than my entire damn apartment. An attractive brunette called my name as I gawked out the window. I tried to hide the shake of my hands as I walked toward her.
“Hi, Charlotte. I’m Liz Talbot. I’m in charge of Human Resources. Mrs. Locklear said I should expect you this morning. She’s at a meeting but should be here in about an hour. Why don’t I take you back and show you around, and you can fill out all your employment paperwork in the meantime.”
“That sounds great. Thank you.”
Locklear Properties occupied the entire floor and employed more than a hundred people, including forty property managers, thirty real estate agents, a marketing department of ten, and dozens of other support staff. Iris hadn’t been kidding when she said she’d worked her way up. After the grand tour, we went by Liz’s office, and she gave me a stack of paperwork in a folder that had my name typed on it.
“I’ll take you to your office, and then you can get started on this stuff. Your employment agreement is in there, along with information on your choice of health-insurance plans, information on our 401(k) options, direct-deposit forms, and your W-4 and I-9, which we’ll need filled out and returned by Wednesday. Paydays are the first and fifteenth of the month.” She tapped her finger to her lips. “I feel like I’m forgetting something. But it’s Monday, and I’ve only had one cup of coffee so far, so I probably am.”
Liz opened a drawer to her desk and took out a large ring of keys before leading me to where I’d be working. She unlocked an office door and flipped on the lights. “Here we go. I’ll order a nameplate for the door and get an extra set of keys made up this afternoon.”
“Umm. I think maybe you’re confusing me with someone else.”
She furrowed her brow. “You are Charlotte Darling, right?”
“Yes. But shouldn’t I be in a cubicle somewhere? This looks like an executive office. It has a couch?”
A look of understanding crossed her face. “Oh.” She chuckled. “I’ve been working here so long that I forget how unusual some things at this place can seem. The assistant takes care of all of the personal needs of the Locklear family. You’re going to have access to a lot of confidential and personal information, and the family is very private. They wouldn’t want that information left out in a cubicle where everyone could see.”
“Oh. Okay. That makes sense.” Although it still seemed a rather large space for an assistant. But who was I to complain about a private, posh office on Park Avenue? Everything almost seemed too good to be true—a job where I could learn from a woman like Iris, a steady paycheck with benefits, and no Roth family to deal with. Even though I’d enjoyed my job working for Todd’s family, I’d always felt that some people looked at me like I’d gotten my job because of the man who slept in my bed. Iris had given me so much more than a job when we met, and I was determined to show her she hadn’t made a mistake.