The Lonely Apprentice (The Lonely Girl Series Book 1) Read online

  “Oh, my God, did you sleep with her?”

  “What? No!” I’d only tried to and that didn’t count, right?

  “What are you not telling me, Delia?”

  “Who says I have to tell you everything?”

  “I’m your best friend.”

  “Yeah, you are, but I can have my secrets. We all do.”

  “That’s fair, but you’ll call me and tell me how the interview went, won’t you?”

  “Right away, especially if it goes badly. I’ll need your shoulder to cry on.”

  “You’ve got it-always.”

  “Talk to you later,” I said and hung up. I couldn’t say why I hadn’t just told her the whole truth. I doubted she’d have minded one bit. She was over me. To see me at least putting forth a feeble attempt to move on would probably ease some of the guilt I sensed she felt. I’d never hidden the fact that she’d broken my heart. I’d also made it obvious that I’d take her back in an instant. It wasn’t jealousy I’d heard in her voice when she’d asked about Nadine. It was hope or sympathy or both. She wanted me to find someone so she wouldn’t have feel sorry for me anymore. Then again, maybe she was simply curious about what had transpired last night. It could be that simple. She always said I read too much into every little thing.

  After brewing a pot of coffee and taking a quick shower I searched the second bedroom for something to wear. When I’d moved out of Cheyenne’s place I’d gotten lucky and found this apartment. It was imperative that I have a two bedroom home so the second could serve as an office and a sewing room. My business in limbo, I was a one- woman operation, so I needed my own little factory. Finding the right apartment was a tall order on my tiny budget. I’d been fortunate to discover this place. It was in a decent neighborhood. Lately it was starting to feel like home. It was also awesome to have a second closet. That’s where I kept my business attire, which rarely got worn. I’d been working at the shop for too long. This was the first interview I’d had in ages.

  I had an idea of what I should wear. I pulled out a tan pair of slacks, a white silk tank top and a pair of pumps. Once I’d dressed I put on a minimal amount of makeup, brushed out my hair, and checked the mirror. I thought I looked okay. The dark circles under my eyes didn’t help, but I could pass for respectable. My appearance was a silly thing to worry about, really. Nadine and I had already met. I couldn’t say if my looks impressed her. I’d gotten some mixed signals in that regard. I’d been so sure she felt an attraction to me and then she’d pulled away with no explanation. My cheeks were starting to burn just thinking about it. If I didn’t stop, I’d lose my nerve and blow off the interview. It amazed me that she was even willing to allow me to keep the appointment. Of course, that would change if I didn’t get going soon. She lived quite a way out of the heart of the city and she didn’t strike me as the type of woman to tolerate tardiness. She had me so off balance I couldn’t fathom what it’d be like to work for her if I somehow got the job, but I wanted more than anything to find out.

  The drive wasn’t as bad as I’d feared once I got out of the morning traffic and exited the highway. It was rather scenic. Nadine’s private road was surrounded by forest. I passed a clearing and saw an orchard of apple trees that went on for a mile. How much money did you need to buy this much property and pave your own damned road? But of course, if anyone could afford it she could. Nadine Robertson ran the largest online clothing store in the world. If I had the smallest fraction of her success I could buy my own mansion. What I didn’t understand was why she didn’t live on Westlake with the other ultra-rich in Austin. I had a reclusive side myself, but this was ridiculous. She literally lived in the middle of nowhere. It was near the lake, but off a beaten path and nowhere close to the other wealthy souls inhabiting the area. If I hadn’t punched the address into the GPS I’d have considered the possibility that I’d made a wrong turn. The road seemed to go on forever. Finally rounding the last curve, I breathed a sigh of relief to see the tall iron gates separating the mansion from the rest of the world.

  A uniformed guard stepped out of his booth and approached my car with a wary stare. It was a cheap Honda, about ten years old and had over a hundred thousand miles on it when I’d bought it. He probably didn’t see too many like it here. It wouldn’t have surprised me to learn it was the biggest piece of crap to ever roll through those gates, but after checking my name off on his list he did open them and wave me on to the other side.

  I drove up to the front entrance, another half mile or so from the gate and grabbed the brown leather bag containing my designs. I shut the engine off and climbed out, suddenly more embarrassed than ever by my old clunker. Sitting outside Nadine’s mansion and parked next to her luxury SUV, it looked even older, like it should have duct tape on the side of the door. I took too long staring at the massive brick mansion, my eyes taking in every architectural detail. It was an odd combination of contemporary and old time gothic. A double archway, also gated with thick black iron, lead to a side walkway made of cobblestone. It probably went all the way through to the rear of the house and added a quaint accent to the exterior. I didn’t even make it up to the porch when a woman, probably the maid going by the uniform she wore, opened the door for me.

  “Ms. Goldstein?”

  “Yes, that’s me,” I said, hurrying up the stairs and holding my hand out to her.

  She extended her own hand and shook mine with a smile. “I’m Eva. Ms. Robertson has been waiting for you in her office.”

  She ushered me inside and I tried, but didn’t do a very good job of hiding my awe. People really lived like this, with high glass ceilings and mosaic floors? And that was just the foyer. When I stepped into what I assumed was the main living space the room would have fit my entire apartment into it. I needed to close my mouth and stop drooling, because, well, gawking wasn’t very polite. Last night had been a disaster. I needed to rebound, come on strong and at least pretend I was someone who belonged here. I had to fake it until I made it.

  “I’ll show you to her office. Would you like me to bring you a cup of coffee?”

  “No thank you. I’m nervous enough,” I confessed, immediately regretting the words. So much for faking it. I wasn’t the type to pull it off. I didn’t even consider the designs I’d brought for her to see a real portfolio. I wasn’t far enough along in my career to have one of those. The only thing I had going for me was that Nadine already knew I didn’t have anything going for me and had agreed to this interview anyway. It was possible she was only seeing me as a favor to Professor Mason, too.

  Her office was located at the last door down a long corridor. Eva knocked before opening it and announcing me.

  “Ms. Goldstein has arrived.”

  “Ah, Delia, come right on in,” Nadine said.

  I entered and Eva shut the door behind me. Nadine was sitting at her desk. She didn’t bother standing, but pointed to the chair facing her. “Have a seat. Are those designs in your bag?”

  “Yes, mam,” I replied.

  “Hmm, I could have sworn I asked you not to call me that last night.”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Robertson.”

  “Call me by name. Nadine. Say it.”

  “I’m sorry, Nadine.” The tremble in my voice made me sound terrified.

  She sighed. “Are you a mouse?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “You act as if you’re afraid of your own shadow. You act as if you’re afraid of me. Yet, you had the nerve to come up to me last night and introduce yourself. Then you went on to convince me to give you this shot…”

  I’d had the nerve to attempt to fuck her, too. I held my breath waiting for her to bring that up, but she didn’t.

  “I want to see more of that girl, so step up and hand over those designs.”

  I handed her the bag and she pulled out the sketches I’d been working so hard on for the past year, sketches that had cost me the one and only person I cared about. That alone made them priceless. They we
re all I had to show for what I’d given up.

  “It’s a summer line. Some of them are rough,” I explained.

  “They’re good. What do you intend to do with them?”

  “Launch them, someday, when I find a backer.”

  “And you hope that will be me?”

  “I wouldn’t turn you down if you offered, but I’d settle for the chance to learn everything I can from you.”

  “You and thousands of other hopefuls out there, but you don’t have to worry about the rest of them right now. Do you know why?”

  “Why?” I asked, sinking into the chair.

  “Because you’re here and they aren’t. I’ve already decided the job is yours.”

  “You have? Based on what?”

  She narrowed her eyes at me and gave me a quizzical smile. “Are you suggesting I should rethink hiring you?”

  “No, not at all. I was only wondering why you’d make your decision so quickly.”

  “I loved the dress you wore last night. You have the talent, so I believe I can teach you a thing or two, but you’ll have to make some compromises.”

  “Like what?”

  “For one, you’d have to be willing to move into the house.”

  “Live here?”

  “It’s the only way this would work. I keep crazy hours and I need my assistant on call twenty-four-seven. You’d go long periods of time without a day off and you might find yourself getting dragged out of bed in the middle of the night if I’m suddenly inspired. Do you have a problem with any of that?”

  “I’m fine with it. I don’t have much of a social life, so I could be available anytime you need me,” I said. Her expression told me she hadn’t thought for a second that I’d refuse the job. What objection could a girl like me have to moving into a house like this? Besides, it was true I had nothing else to do with my time besides be molded into a mogul by one of the fashion world’s greatest.

  “Then I’d say you can start the first of next month. That should give you time to get your affairs in order.”

  The first of June was only a couple weeks away. I had to give my employer a fair notice and my landlord as well. That left another matter in question.

  “Can I ask how much the job pays? I know an apprentice often works for free, but if I’m giving up my job and apartment-

  “Of course, you’ll be paid the appropriate sum for an assistant, Delia, and the room and board is included.”

  “Thank you, Nadine,” I said.

  “You’re very welcome. Call me when you have your personal business settled. I think that’s all for now.”

  For whatever reason, her dismissive tone annoyed me. She’d had her hands all over me less than twenty-four hours ago. Didn’t I deserve a little respect, or was that precisely the reason she thought I didn’t? Underneath my indignation an odd twinge of disappointment gnawed at me. She was behaving so impersonal towards me, so businesslike. It wasn’t as if I’d wanted her to bring up the tryst that never happened, but somehow her pretending we hadn’t gotten so close was just as bad. I’d been so positive that she was attracted to me. How could I have been so wrong? What’s more, why couldn’t I get past it when she clearly had? Here, I was being given the opportunity of a life time and all I could think about at that moment was how I still wanted her. I had a crush on my boss. I had it bad and if I wasn’t careful it was going to cause me problems I couldn’t afford.

  “I’ll call you soon,” I said, rising from my seat, but not leaving. I stood there so long it felt like loitering.

  “Was there something else, Delia?”

  “No, I guess I’ll be going?”

  “Do you need Eva to show you the way to the door?”

  “I can find it.”

  “All right, then. We’ll talk soon.”

  I forced my feet to move. Once in the hallway with the office door shut behind me, I took brisk strides to the front door. I was back in my car with the key in the ignition when I realized I’d left my bag. She could have it. No way was I going back in there. Of course, I would, eventually, because I was going to live in that mammoth house very soon. I was moving into Nadine Robertson’s house. I was going to see her every day, work at her side, and somehow ignore that being near her sent a shot of raw desire coursing through me. I hadn’t felt this way since I’d first met Cheyenne. I hadn’t known I could feel this way again. It was at once liberating and frightening as all hell.

  Chapter Five

  Nadine

  “You invited her to move into the house?” Eva fixed me with a stare full of suspicion, and I swear, maybe a touch of amusement.

  “Room and board is part of the package, yes. I need my assistant at my beck and call. You know how demanding my work can be,” I said, my defense mechanism kicking into overdrive.

  “I think it’s wonderful. You could use the company.”

  “Delia Goldstein is my employee, not my friend. We won’t be having any pillow fights, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “You don’t fool me. You like this one. I can see that. It’s about time.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You can’t burn both ends of the candle forever and not exhaust yourself. Maybe your new “employee” will find a way to get you to relax and have some fun.”

  “I have one night stands for that.”

  “Very funny,” she said.

  “I don’t need an assistant to help me relax. I’m, in fact, going upstairs to take a nap right now. I slept like shit last night. I won’t be able to concentrate on work until I get some rest.”

  “I’ll wake you for lunch. You skipped breakfast again,” she noted with obvious disapproval.

  “Yes, please wake me. Oh, and sometime between now and the first of next month pick a guest room, any one will do, and make sure it’s ready for Delia.”

  “We haven’t had a guest stay the night in so long the furniture is probably under ten inches of dust. On second thought, have we ever had a guest stay the night? Have we ever had a guest, period?”

  “Well, you’re in charge of the cleaning staff. Get them on it,” I snapped, not acknowledging the joke.

  “I will right away,” she answered with no chagrin in her voice. She’d run my house for the last decade. My mood swings did little to scare her. She’d seen me at my grumpiest and knew when I was blowing smoke.

  I made my way upstairs, my head pounding, partly from a hangover and partly from the realization that I’d just taken in a boarder. Eva had been correct. We’d never had a single guest stay the night since the day we moved into this fortress. For the first time in years, this house wouldn’t be a haven from the outside world. That girl, whether she knew it or not, had crashed through a barrier very few ever managed to break. And why? Because she had a pretty face I couldn’t help but see every time I closed my eyes. What the hell had I done? There were lots of pretty faces. I didn’t go inviting them all to live with me, even under the pretense of a working relationship.

  Why had I insisted on having a long winding staircase to set off an air of grandeur in this house? It went on and on, and with every step my headache got a little worse. That’s what I got for putting on airs.

  It felt like forever taking those stairs, but I did make it. Inside my master bedroom, I headed straight for the adjoining bathroom and stripped down. I grabbed a bottle of migraine medicine and shook two blue pills into the palm of my hand. I didn’t bother with water. I swallowed them dry and turned on the steam shower, thinking it, along with the medication would clear my head and allow me to get some decent rest. As I stood in the stall and let the warm mist create a thick fog that surrounded me, I considered Eva’s words. She thought the girl would bring some life into this place. She thought I could use the company.

  In all these years, she still didn’t get it. I didn’t just wish to be alone. I needed my solitude. When was the last time someone had screwed me over? Yes, that would be the last time I’d been stupid enough to let anyo
ne into my life. People, both family and friends alike, had been fucking me every chance they got since before the money came. Then it had come and they’d fucked me twice as hard. Solution? Don’t let them in, not even my money grubbing family. I hadn’t talked to my sister in years. That was fine with me. She tended to treat me like a blank check.

  It was doubtful that Delia was any different. She wanted something from me, like all the rest. Last night, she’d tried to use her body to get it, but she hadn’t brought her A game. The smallest slice of my pie was more than the average person ever dreamed of, so I was accustomed to women coming on to me in hopes of getting the slightest glimpse of my world. Delia Goldstein didn’t stand a chance. It was no coincidence we’d run into each other last night. Had she thought she could fool me? I was no sucker. That’s what I told myself as I dried off and slipped into my robe. I’d have believed it, too, if it weren’t for the fact that she’d be unpacking her things in a room just down the hall soon. At least she’d passed the background check I’d run on her when Jack Mason had recommended her, personally submitting her application and resume himself. He’d even taken the extra step and hand delivered it. If things went wrong, I at least had someone to blame, but she came up clean.

  Delia had never had so much as a driving violation according to the report. From what I’d seen thus far, she wasn’t an excessive drinker. I figured it was safe to say she wasn’t into serious drugs, either. Her complexion was too healthy and flawless. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad having her around. Damn, thinking about her for sixty seconds had me going soft. One way or the other, the girl was going to be a problem.

  I tried to put her out of my mind as I took off my robe and climbed into my bed. It felt like the loneliest place in the world. It was a super king sized, four poster bed with a mattress that was a perfect blend of soft and firm. No woman had ever been invited into it. That’s precisely why I kept the hotel suite on standby. That’s what made Delia so dangerous. If she ever got into this bed, I might be tempted to keep her here, and that just couldn’t happen.