At that, Louise lifts both brows. All right. Perhaps wonderful wasn’t the best word, but I wanted Louise to know the lack of money won’t deter me from this job. Right now, nothing will.
“Good. You start tomorrow at eight in the morning, and not a minute after. Do not wear bold colors. They are unacceptable. Dresses must be blue or black. The same applies to skirts. Shirt waists must be white. Are we clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She gives me a nod, furiously writing on her clipboard, and without a good bye, Louise brusquely walks away. Promptly, she begins tapping girls on their shoulders. That seems to be all it takes before they move the lines a bit faster and sit up a bit straighter.
I swallow at the indisputable power Louise has over the ladies and quickly look at the floor. I can’t think about what’s in store for me. I want to celebrate my accomplishment.
So I turn to the person next to me and give him a bright smile. I couldn’t stop this smile even if I wanted to.
Asa stares at me for several seconds with the most peculiar expression on his face. The corner of his mouth curves up, but his brows have a small furrow between them. It’s as though someone told him a riddle in a different language and he’s translating it in his head.
He’s looked at me this way many, many times before. It’s as though he doesn’t know how to understand happiness. The times before, my heart seized with excitement. But now, it clenches in warning.
Don’t do it, Nathalie. You cannot fix Asa. He’s unattainable.
“I did it,” I whisper gleefully, mindful of all the ladies in the room.
Asa continues to stare at me, his eyes searching mine, before he finally nods. Those puppy dog eyes pull down at the corners as he smiles ever so slightly. He dips his head. “You did. Congratulations. You are officially a Hello Girl.”
He holds his hand out between us. I look at it as an olive branch. Maybe, just maybe, Asa and I can exist together without the past tensions lingering between us. Maybe we can start anew.
My hand slips into his, and the second his skin touches mine, heat shoots up my arm and throughout my body. In those few seconds Asa’s palm is against mine, I see my first dance with him, first kiss, walking through darken corridors to meet with him. I hear gasps and moans against the rasp of our skin. I try to disengage, but Asa tightens his grip. The pad of his thumb brushing against the top of my knuckles. Loudly, I suck in a sharp breath and meet Asa’s gaze. Solemnly he stares at me, and I know memories haunt him just as much as me.
Then, abruptly, he drops my hand. I almost lose my balance and have to stop my body from sagging forward. Straightening my shoulders, I place a friendly smile on my face and link my hands behind my back. “Thank you, I look forward to workin’ here.”
Asa merely nods. It doesn’t slip my attention that at his side, he continues to flex the hand that held mine.
I had hoped that we could be friendly, but after that handshake, I’m not certain it’s possible.
We part ways, and I all too happily hurry toward the front doors. The entire time I can feel Asa staring at me. But I did it! I got the job. I try my best to conceal my smile. However, once I’m outdoors, I look at the sky and grin widely.
I look at the sidewalk and see Étienne and Serene, eagerly waiting.
“Well?”
I nod. “I got the job.”
Serene jumps up and down, clapping her hands. I hurry down the steps to happily mimic her actions. While we celebrate, Étienne stands there, shaking his head. We finish our squealing and Serene looks at him. “This is good, Étienne.”
“Yes, yes,” he tries to appear indifferent, but I see the approval in his gaze. “Celebrate your victory today, Nat. You’re in for quite a change.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Nathalie
The next morning, I’m dressed and sitting in the dining room with a full plate of food in front of me. The only thing I’ve touched is the coffee.
My stomach is in knots, and just when I calm myself, there’s a ruckus from the kitchen that jolts me. My heart races, nearly lodging in my throat.
I don’t know how long I sit there, but soon, I hear footsteps and then Livingston strides into the dining room. He’s busy adjusting the lapels of his jacket that, at first, he doesn’t notice me. Once he lifts his head, his eyes widen and his back almost slams into the wall. “God, Nathalie! How long have you been there?”
I lift a shoulder. “An hour.”
He regains his dignity by clearing his throat and striding across the room with a confidence that only few can possess. Livingston may be engaged to my best friend, but his brazen, charming attitude has remained. He simply devotes all his charisma to Rainey.
Livingston takes the seat across from me. “You must be excited for your new job.”
“And nervous.”
He gives me a once over as a servant comes in with a full plate of breakfast in one hand. In the other is a cup and saucer filled with coffee. It’s my mamie’s Meissen china set. I haven’t seen that in years. Probably since I was a child. My heart gives a lurch at seeing the intricate pattern of flowers wrapped around the cup and saucer.
“It’s the first day. Of course, you’re nervous.”
I watch Livingston eat, and realize it is rather early for him to be up. “Where are you goin’?”
“Where I’ve been goin’ for the past month.” He takes a moment to chew his food and points the tip of his fork at me. “To the estate I’m buildin’ for Rainey and me.”
“Wow.”
“I want the home to be finished soon after we’re married, but I don’t know if that’s possible. The builder said we still need…”
I watch my brother in a daze as he lists everything that needs to be done. He doesn’t seem to belabor all the items he needs to finish, rather Livingston seems excited.
I take a sip of my coffee and regard him closely. “You should do this.”
Livingston appears taken aback by my comment. “Pardon?”
“You should build homes for a livin’.” I lean in, eyes alight. “You seem to really enjoy what you’re doin’ right now.”
Livingston doesn’t rebuff my comment, but he also doesn’t agree either. He takes a long sip of coffee before he leans back in his chair. “I’ve given it some thought.”
“Have you?”
“Of course. I would like to design homes, and my company name would be LAL Corporation.”
Immediately, I grin. “LAL Corporation. Seems reasonable and not at all close to Étienne’s company.”
Livingston winks. “How else can I drive him mad? I have begun to get my life together. I have to get creative these days.”
“Well, if I someday ever need to build a home, I will come to you.”
“And I will be happy to do the job.”
“Speakin’ of job… I need you to take me to mine and pick me up.” I try to sound assertive, but it comes out almost as a question.
Livingston groans. “I didn’t know I was goin’ to be your chauffeur.”
“I can walk,” I offer, although as I say those words, I can feel the blisters forming on the backs of my feet.