Quickly taking off the lingerie before I lost control, I came out to find the girl with a hopeful expression on her face. “How were they?”
“Perfect,” I said. “So how much of a commission do you get for this stuff?”
“A flat amount for certain items the company highlights on a monthly basis,” she admitted shyly. “Sorry. But I’m not trying to push items on you, honest.”
“That’s okay, I was just curious,” I said, surprised. The girl was looking at me with deference, which I didn’t have happen to me often. Envy, jealousy, desire, sure. Deference? Not often.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m actually not supposed to talk about that part, but I guessed you’d understand, you having inside knowledge and all.”
I actually didn’t; that was the business side while I was just a model, but I nodded anyway. “What items are on your list for this month?”
She told me, and I grinned. “Tell you what, let’s get you a nice check for the night.”
In the end, it wasn’t all that much. By selectively shopping, I was able to get her an extra sixty dollars while only spending about three hundred myself. Almost all of it was practical too, like panties, bath lotions, and other everyday things. The girl, who I learned was named Jenny, was beaming as I handed over the credit card. “Thank you, Miss . . . Prescott?”
“Nova,” I corrected. “That’s a company card.”
“As long as your PINs good, I’m fine with it,” Jenny replied. “You just made my weekend. Mom’s going to be so happy about the paycheck, that’s for sure.”
“You’re living at home?” I asked as she swiped the card. Jenny nodded and handed it back.
“Yeah, I’m in college, taking classes at Oregon Health and Science,” she said. “I’m going to be a nurse.”
“Congratulations,” I said earnestly. “Good luck with it.”
“Thanks,” Jenny replied. “You too, have fun with your purchases.”
I grinned and nodded. “Oh, you know it.”
I left the store and turned right, walking toward the bookstore. As I did, I heard the chimes warning everyone that it was nearly nine at night, and that the mall would be closing soon. Surprised, not realizing I’d spent so much time inside Victoria’s Secret, I broke into a light jog the rest of the way and to the bookstore.
“I’m sorry, we’re closing,” an employee said as I went in. “Please, no more purchases.”
“I’m not, I’m meeting someone here,” I said. I looked around, and saw Kade in the back. I pointed. “Him.”
I understood, it must suck to try and check people out after the store is officially closed. It delayed getting home after a long day.
“What did you find?” Kade asked, putting a book on art and philosophy back on the shelf. He had a shopping basket of his own, which had what looked like eight or ten books inside. “Anything good?”
“Lots,” I answered. “I’ll be happy to show you when we get home, but here’s something I can show you now.” I pulled out a tube of orange scented body scrub and popped the top for him. “Do you like it?”
“It’s certainly you,” Kade replied. “Vibrant, youthful, and very clean. The rest?”
“You’ll see. So what about you? That’s a lot of books for a working lawyer.”
Kade grinned and shook his head. “Only one’s for me,” he said, showing me the cover, a mystery novel it looked like. “The rest are for you.”
I knelt down and looked in the basket, growling and groaning at the same time. “The New ACT Prep Book? The Dummy’s Guide to College Mathematics? Beginner’s French? What’s this for?”
Kade knelt down and took my hands in his. “You’re here to become a university student, right? But you said it yourself, you’ve been out of the academic game for a few years now, so you’re going to be rusty at least. If anything, you need to take the SAT or ACT test again, and re-learn how to be a student. So, that’s going to be your day job.”
I looked into his eyes, and knew that while he was using a gentle voice, there was a command in his words. “Yes, Kade,” I said softly, looking down. “Could you help me with them, though?”
“Me? Of course. My plan was, once you’re settled in, you can come with me to the office a couple of days a week. Get a professional environment around you, and you’ll respond that way. Also, Monica and Vince are great, and would probably be willing to help you as well. Just watch out for Vince, he’s got a thing for models. Although he already asked me to introduce him to Karla McDonald if I ever got a chance. I think it’s the accent.”