Tinsel (Lark Cove #4)(51)

“Can I get you anything? I’d be happy to call your massage therapist or get you scheduled for a facial. You have one tomorrow, but I’m sure they’d be able to move you up.”

“No, but thank you. Tomorrow will be fine.”

Carrie had started off as just my chef, but her job had expanded over the last year. She actually did the tasks I paid my assistant to do, like coordinate with the housekeeper, give my schedule to my driver and arrange for my laundry to be done.

My paid assistant, Sandrine, had become quite lax in her duties over the last year. She was using me. And she was using Carrie, knowing that Carrie would cover for her shortcomings.

“I’ll just be off to the market.” Carrie turned for the kitchen, but before she got too far, I called her back.

“I appreciate all that you do for me.”

Her entire body froze, like she was expecting my next statement to be you’re fired.

I smiled widely, hoping to ease her fears, and tossed my magazine aside before gesturing to the chair across from my sofa. “Would you mind?”

Carrie hurried to the seat, sitting on its edge with her hands placed in her lap. She had better posture than I did after years of etiquette lessons.

“I’d like to offer you a job.”

She blinked. “A job?”

“I’m consolidating staff.” For a decision I’d made a second ago, my voice was surprisingly confident. “I’d like to hire you on full-time. Benefits. Four weeks paid vacation. And I’ll pay you three times what I do now, but you’d have to drop your other client.”

Carrie also cooked for another man in this building, a loathsome gentleman who didn’t hold the elevator and always smelled of stale cigar smoke. He paid her well, at least I assumed so, which was why she worked for him. Plus, there was the added convenience of us living in the same building. But I’d overheard her on the phone about six months ago complaining that he was a pig.

I’d had enough pigs in my life. Carrie shouldn’t have to deal with them either, especially since it was time to make a change.

She thought about it for a minute, but then the corner of her mouth turned up. “What is the job?”

I scooted forward on the couch, already excited about this possibility. “You’ll still have to cook, and I’d like you to keep coordinating with the cleaning and laundry staff. In addition, you’d coordinate my travel and any preparation for events. You’d make appointments for me when needed, that sort of thing. In short, you’ll assume all of the duties that Sandrine does now.”

Carrie rolled her eyes at my personal assistant’s name but caught it halfway through the loop. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I wanted to roll my eyes too. “So . . . think about it. Let me know.”

“I’ll put in my notice downstairs today.”

“Oh, uh . . . do you need to talk about it first with . . .” A husband? Boyfriend? I didn’t even know if she was in a relationship.

“My wife has been begging me to quit him for years.” She pointed to the floor, where her other client lived five floors down. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled with this change.”

“Wonderful.” I stood from the couch and held out my hand. “Then as your first official duty as my new assistant, please get in touch with my business manager and tell him to give you a raise.”

She smiled and took my hand. “Thank you, Ms. Kendrick.”

“Please, call me Sofia. And thank you.” A rush of joy surged as she left the living room. But I stopped her again. “Carrie?”

“Yes, Ms. Ken—Sofia?”

“It would be my pleasure to meet your wife one day. Please bring her by.”

“I’m sure she’d love to meet you too.”

“Oh.” I held up a finger before she could leave. “And can you add bread to the menu? I’d like some sourdough or a rye to go with the soup.”

In the morning, I’d tell my trainer he was going to have to find a balance between a workout and a diet where I could eat carbs.

Carrie smiled wider, nodded and disappeared from the room.

I sat back down on the couch, too giddy to go back to thumbing through the magazines that had piled up while I’d been in Montana.

I made a mental note to ask Carrie to cancel all but a handful. Then I picked up my phone and emailed my business manager, informing him of my change with Carrie and requesting he terminate Sandrine.

Once the email was sent, temptation got the better of me. I thumbed through my contacts and pulled up Dakota’s name just to see it on the screen.

I hadn’t talked to him since I’d left Montana.

I’d thought about him constantly though, wondering if he was working or maybe on a trip to visit Arthur.

Did he miss me at all?

I missed him, certain things especially. I missed the way it felt to lean against his chest and have those long arms wrapped around my back. I missed burying my face in his pillow and soaking up his scent. I missed his easy nature, how steady the world felt when he was around.

God, I wanted to call him. I wanted to hear his deep voice and feel it in my bones. I wanted to hear some longing in his voice.

Our good-bye hadn’t been enough. Those moments in his truck had been cut too short. This was supposed to have been a temporary thing. An easy New Year’s fling. Not ten days where I’d nearly given away my heart.