Training the Orphan

The Goddess

God, the Goddess saw me ogling her. She must have thought I was a weirdo. Or she must have thought I was into women. Which I wasn't. Not like Kate, who didn't know which side of the fence to stay on. Either way, this was not the way to make a first great impression.

Way to go, Natalia.

I plastered a smile on my face and ventured further into the room. The red-headed Goddess waved to the vacant chair at a ninety-degree angle to hers. A little hesitant, I sat with them. Kate stood above me.

"So, you're the orphan?" Kevin asked, with that signature smile of his.

If I was any other girl, my brain would have interpreted the question as 'So, you're the woman of my dreams?' But, I wasn't that kind of girl.

So, I blinked and cleared my throat. "Yep."

"Hmmm," he hummed. "Well, I'm sure your friend…" His voice petered out as he looked to Kate for her name.

Unlike me, Kate had a huge crush on Kevin. No doubt she had already caught the Kevin fever. She smiled at him but didn't give him an answer. I pinched her, and she snapped out of whatever fantasy she was in with a grunt.

She had the heart to glare at me. I narrowed my eyes on her. She finally caught on to what was happening and turned to Kevin.

"I...ah...what?" She stammered.

Well, this was going well.

Kevin's smile widened, and he bit his bottom lip. "I was asking for your name."

"Oh," Kate tittered. "It's Kate. Kate, that's me."

Oh, God.

"Right, Kate." The name rolled off his tongue as if it was a song.

Damn, the rumors were true. He was good. Too good.

The Goddess cleared her throat, attracting all eyes. "I'm sure Kate filled you in on how my dear friend, Javian needs a little...assistance. From what we've heard, you seem to fit the…criteria we're looking for. We just have to ask you a few questions."

Huh?

I fidgeted in my seat. This seemed more like an interview than anything else. The woman was gorgeous. Of course, the way she talked was impeccable. Her accent was also different. Italian, French, maybe.

I sighed.

Maybe this was indeed a mistake. These people and I would never get along.

Even though the bad thoughts poisoned my mind, I couldn't stop thinking about the money, about college fees, and how many things I could get with that money.

Therefore, I straightened in my seat with, "Yes, Kate told me you guys were looking for a companion."

The Goddess's lips tilted at the edges. She was about to respond when Mr. Hot, Javian intervened. "I don't need or want a companion. Those are easy to get." The way he said companion made the word seem dirty. "I want a girlfriend. Someone who my family will like. Someone who is a fast learner. She has to be confident and knows what she wants or she'll be scared away before this even starts. I can assure you, my mom has already hired a private investigator to find out about this 'girlfriend' of mine. My grandmother will call or drop by unannounced to quiz and test this hidden girlfriend. Therefore, she has to know everything about me. Everything. Down to how I piss in the toilet. And, she can't be afraid of the camera. Do you think you can handle such a harsh task?"

Could I? Of course, I could. But, did I want to? I had never backed down from a challenge before and I didn't plan on starting now.

I crossed my legs at the ankles. "Yes, I am."

I had to. I needed the money.

"I hope so," Javian murmured. His back was still to us. There was no way to tell what expression he wore. "Any moment that you slip or show anything less than confidence, you will be smothered and stomped over. Not just by my family but by the media. I won't hold your hand. I won't cry with you. I won't sympathize with you. If you're not up for this, then no one will judge you. You can leave."

Everyone turned to me, waiting. This was my chance to walk away. I could go back to my job. Sure, I could talk to my landlord. He could give me a little more time to pay rent. I could start purchasing my school supplies for next year from now. It would be easier. I could leave all this drama behind. My childhood consisted of enough drama and tragedy to last me a lifetime. I couldn't handle more. It was the main reason why I came to L.A. to avoid drama. What these people offered was the one thing I was running from.

Still, I couldn't move. It was as if this was where I belonged. The sensation was weird but it was there. If there was a slight chance my assistance could change these people's lives, then I couldn't leave. I needed to find out what this new sensation of belonging meant.

My gaze swept the faces of everyone staring at me. They needed my answer.

Before I could answer, an exasperated sigh filled the room. Javian swiveled around to face me. He held me with his gaze. This was the look fathers gave their kids when they were being reprimanded. It's a pity, he was still so hot. I swallowed aloud.

"Once this starts," he started, "there's no turning back. If you're not up for this, speak now or forever hold your peace. If this blows up in my face, the media and my family will be the least of your worries. Death will be peaceful compared to my wrath."

"Arrête ça!" the Goddess scolded. "Arrêtez d'être un con. Tu lui fais peur." (Stop it! Stop being a doosh. You're scaring her.)

Javian's glare left me for the Goddess. Unlike me, she didn't cower away. She returned the glare with as much intensity. Even more. Kevin shuffled in his seat. Kate grabbed my arm.

"Voulez-vous que ce plan fonctionne ou non? Ce n'est pas un jeu, Javian. C'est ta vie. Si vous n'êtes pas d'accord avec ça, vous pouvez dire au revolt," the Goddess gritted out. (Do you want this plan to work, or not? This isn't a game, Javian. This is your life. If you don't agree to this, you can kiss it goodbye.)

At the moment, I wasn't sure what happened. If it was the hostile environment or if it was the French. Something brought back bad memories.

Then, I just snapped. "Look, I don't care if you have problems attracting the right set of girls. To be honest, your attitude is a big indication of why. What I do care about is the money. Unlike you, I have to work hard for what I want. So, I need that money, and you need me. In case you forgot, I'm an orphan. I've been in the system since I was five, so, your empty threat doesn't scare me. You're just a rich boy still with training wheels and trying to get daddy's approval. You don't know what it means to work hard. Maybe you should turn back around and try to make out your reflection in that glass and ask him if you can handle it. I think you can't. I've had plenty of boyfriends. I can bet you've never even had a serious girlfriend. Stop kidding yourself Mr. Smooth and Hot, but you're the one who's going to make a fool out of both of us. And, when you decide your failure to be anything but a self-centered asshole warrants a tantrum, just remember your trust fund came to save you from everything."

By the end of my speech, all eyes were on me. The room was quiet. Too silent. Javian's eyes had darkened. It had become similar to the shade of the sky on a stormy day. The new feature gave him a serial killer look. A look I knew all too well.

Before embarrassment could take over, I pushed to my feet. "When you grow up and learn some manners. You know where I am. I'll be working."

I turned and walked out.

Halfway down the hallway, the reality of what I did flooded my nerves. If it was one thing, no one was permitted to piss off an elite. Especially not Javian Webster. The last guy who did that had to move to a different state. He was more than humiliated. He lost his job, home, and got kicked out of school all within a few hours.

I managed to make it to the bathroom and puked my heart out.

This was it. My life was over. I could kiss everything I worked hard for goodbye. Five minutes ago, I had financial problems. Now, I had to look for somewhere else to live, and a new school to attend. We were in the middle of a semester. If I went to another college, I would have to take the courses over.

Damn it! Me, and my big mouth.