Billionaires' Indulgence 1 , Irresistible Attraction(4)
That said, it’s been a sobering past few months. Within ten days I found myself without a boyfriend, a home or a job. Luckily, my best friend Gwyn insisted I move in with her and her gorgeous fiancé Gaven. They’ve been together for a few years now and they are so in love, it’s sickening. They made the decision to start a life together and they bought a modest three-story home to accommodate a family when the time comes. I’m fortunate enough to be able to occupy the basement and live with them until I get back on my feet.
I was lucky to get a retail job at Celestial Beddings to tie me over for a bit. I’m grateful for the money, but a full day of running around in a store fetching ridiculously expensive sheets for wealthy New Yorkers leaves me drained. I’m so looking forward to having dinner, kicking back and allowing the blood to circulate back into my legs, but the commute home is a nightmare because of a signal problem on one of the trains preceding mine. This mess delays my journey by a whole hour. Unfortunately for me, there are no free seats when I get on the subway and I have to stand on my aching legs during this ordeal.
By the time I get off of the subway and walk the two blocks to Gwyn’s house, I’m exhausted. Luckily, when I open the door, my perky best friend greets me with a warm smile. “Hey, Ali.”
“Hey, I didn’t expect you to be home.”
“Something came up and I decided to change my plans for the evening. How was your day? Another rough one?”
“Gwyn, I can’t feel my feet,” I reply, collapsing on the barstool at the kitchen island and dropping my handbag on the hardwood floor. “When I used to be a graphic designer I’d be sitting all day, but now I count my blessings if I get to rest for thirty minutes.”
My first reaction after I got canned was to jump right back in and find another job as a graphic designer, but Gwyn talked me out of it. She felt with everything that had transpired in my life, I needed time to figure out what made my heart sing and I needed time to wash Clark out of my hair.
I never planned on working in a store, but one afternoon I was in Celestial Beddings for my monthly fix. I have a thing for high-end sheets and I can never resist this chic boutique. I’ve been here so many times the manager recognized me and after an animated chat, she suggested I apply for a clerk’s position. This new shift in my career has allowed me to take my mind off of things and I don’t feel like a burden to my best friend.
“You’ll get used to it. A lot of new people we hire at our Modern Crates stores have to adjust, but eventually your body will adapt and you won’t be in such pain.”
“If you say so,” I respond before resting my chin in the palm of my hand, inhaling the tantalizing aroma surrounding me. “Are you cooking up a storm again?”
“I’m not making anything fancy. It’s only the two of us tonight since Gaven is hanging out with his buddies and I thought you’d enjoy some spinach and ricotta stuffed shells. I’ve made enough so we can take the leftovers to work tomorrow.”
“That sounds delicious and for the record, it does sound fancy,” I say, licking my lips in anticipation. “So how was your day?”
“It’s been so busy. Believe it or not, I’m already buying for Christmas and since business has been booming, that means I have to search high and wide for the most original gift ideas for our elite clientele.”
“It still sounds like so much fun.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, but there’s always pressure to do better than last year.”
Gwyn Davidson and I have been best friends since we both moved to New York to study at the Fashion Institute four years ago. She’s one year older than me at twenty-four years old and has enough ambition to fill a stadium. When it comes to dream careers, she lucked out. She’s been a buyer at Modern Crates since she graduated. She works at one of New York’s most stylish lifestyle décor emporiums and she always manages to surprise me with the most original gifts. We share so much in common—we’re both from Chicago, we both have three older brothers, we both have long hair to our waist, we’re both home décor junkies and we both love to cook. I’ve had many friends throughout high school, but I’ve never been as close to another girl as I am with Gwyn. She’s model-thin and her straight long mane usually leaves me in awe. She has nearly jet-black hair, which contrasts dramatically with her light blue eyes. The second her fiancé, Gaven Henson, met her sparkling aquamarine gaze, he fell head over heels in love.