THREE
968 Words
NATALIE
“I can’t believe that stupid, egoistic bastard. He thinks he can do whatever the f**k he wants to whoever and no one will question him. He’s got a whole penthouse in his head and he lives in it.” I say to my best friend Kate as I angrily pack my bag for the trip.
“It’s just a few days, Nat. Try not to let him get under your skin. Everyone always avoided him before he became the big boss.”
I still haven’t told Kate that the man I had s*x with the night of the CEO’s party was Aaron Curry. I just can’t find the right time to say it.
“He wants to live under my skin at this point. He completely cleared out his schedule for us to leave for Minneapolis tonight. We don’t even need to be there until Tuesday but he’s insisting we leave three days earlier. He calls me whenever he wants to do whatever for him. He literally wants to take control of my life. Literally!”
My phone ringing cuts my rants off and, before I check who the caller is, I silently pray that it will not be the arrogant Aaron Curry.
“It’s your mom,” Kate says as she picks the phone up from the dresser and gives it to me. She must have read my mind.
“Hey mom. How’s it going?”
“Great,” her gentle voice says from over the phone. “Are you getting ready for your trip? Make sure you don’t forget anything.”
“Well, thank you mom. I won’t.”
“Alright, sweetie. Call me when you get to the airport.”
“Bye mom.”
“Bye!”
I return the phone back to the dresser and sigh.
“She wanted to check on you?” Kate asks, strands of red hair dropping over her face.
“You bet,” I say as I close my traveling bag. “She’s been calling nonstop since I told her about the trip. I don’t know if she’s excited or restless.”
“I think she’s just concerned since it’s your first time in that side of the country. I doubt it’s anything. Are you done packing?”
Confused, I look from Kate to my traveling bag and back to Kate. “Yes, why?”
“Wait- How long will you be gone for?”
“Two- three weeks. Just a few meetings and to watch construction begin.”
“Three weeks!” My best friend exclaimed. “Natalie, You barely packed anything in that bag.”
Pushing me aside, Kate opens the zipper of my bag and starts unpacking and repacking.
When it comes to dressing up, Kate and I are two polar opposites. She would buy a new dress for every occasion while I just prefer to wear my old dress. She also has a very good fashion sense so I let her style me sometimes, which is why I’m not objecting to whatever she’s about to do.”
“First of all,” she says as she goes through my closet. “We have to change that bag. Maybe use it as a carry on or something.”
“I don’t need that dress, Kate–”
“You have no idea what you need until you need them,” she cuts in before I object to the red slip on dress she’s stuffing into the bigger traveling box she chose.
My phone rings again and I leave her to pack while I attend to the caller.
My boss. Of course. I roll my eyes.
“Hello?”
“Miss Smith, I need you to go down to my stylist and grab my new suit on your way to the airport.”
Fuck. Here we go again.
“Are you there, Miss Smith.”
“Yes.” I try to steady my voice from the shock and anger flaming through me.
“Good. Don’t be late.”
He hangs up.
“f**k!” I yell out, stopping Kate in her tracks.
“Everything alright?” She asks in a concerned tone.
“Aaron f*****g Curry wants me to pick up his dress from his stylists store that is thirty minutes away from here and at least an hour away from the airport. I’m supposed to be in the airport in less than two hours and I’m not even ready yet. I literally just walked in here less than an hour ago from running an errand for him. It’s the f*****g weekend and I don’t even have time for myself.” My voice breaks as tears fill my eyes. “Maybe I shouldn’t have signed the contract, after all. I would have still had my peace, at least.”
Burying my head in my palms, I sit on the edge of my bed and sigh, on the verge of tears. Kaye sits beside me, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“It’s okay, Natalie. You’re going to be fine. Aaron Curry is a f*****g asshole and I hope he slips in the bathroom and breaks his neck so you don’t have to see his face or hear his voice for a very long time.” She starts harshly but ends softly and I stifle a laugh. The idea of Aaron Curry breaking his neck doesn’t sound bad after all.
Dragging in an exasperated breath, I push myself to my feet. “I better start getting ready. I don’t want to be late.”
“Right,” Kate agrees. “I’ll finish packing up and pick out an outfit to wear to the airport for you.”
“Thanks Kate, I love you.” I say, blowing her a kiss as I rush into the bathroom.
- Writer
