Chapter 5 L’affaire Au Pair

Moana

I woke up at 4:30 the next morning — a bit earlier than I needed to, probably, but I wasn’t taking any chances with this job. I spent the next hour practically scrubbing myself raw in the shower, fixing my hair, ironing my clothes, and taking extra care to make sure that there wasn’t a single stray hair or speck of dust on me, because today was the first day of the job that would change my life, and I had to be perfect.

I then spent the final half hour of my preparations pacing and staring out the window, willing myself with all of the strength I had to not bite my nails, as I waited for the car that Selina had mentioned. Lo and behold, as soon as the clock struck 5:59, I saw a black car slowly pulling up out front, and I practically flew out of my apartment and down the stairs so that I was opening the car door by 6:00 sharp.

“Hmph,” Selina said, looking at her watch as I clambered into the back. “Six o’clock on the dot. A little out of breath, but at least you’re here.”

“Sorry,” I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear and buckling my seatbelt. “It’s a bad neighborhood, so I didn’t want to wait outside.”

Selina didn’t answer. The driver pulled the car away from the curb and started heading down the street.

“We’ll be stopping to sign your contract with the lawyer first,” Selina said, her voice flat as she looked out the window with a modicum of disgust on her wrinkled face. “Then, you’ll get a tour of the penthouse apartment where you’ll be spending most of your time. I suspect you won’t be needing to return to your old home to collect your things?”

I thought back to my apartment and its contents.

“Well, I have some clothes and things there–”

“Your employer will supply you with anything you need: clothes, toiletries, books, and anything else you might need or want. Unless you have sentimental belongings you need to go back for, I wouldn’t recommend wasting your time and energy on such a move.”

I owned, and it was always around my neck. Everything else in that apartment could burn,

“Very well,” Selina said.

of the car trip in complete silence. Although Selina was seated directly across from me in the back of the expensive town car, she didn’t turn away from the window to look at me even once. I didn’t let it get to me, though; growing up human in a world dominated by werewolves prepared me for this

that read “William Brown, Esq.” Selina got out

young woman led us in. The office smelled like a sickly combination of mahogany and burnt coffee, and it was eerily quiet. Neither Selina nor the woman said a word; the woman only shut the door behind us and gestured toward a half-open door at the end of a short hallway, and when we

He was asleep.

chair across from him, and when he still didn’t wake, she swiftly

“Wake up, William!”

man exclaimed with a start as he was unceremoniously awoken. I stifled a laugh as I stood in the doorway,

with shaking old hands as he opened a drawer and pulled

and filled my ears, driving me practically insane, as the elderly lawyer licked his fingers and flipped through the documents. Finally, after a painstakingly long time and a curt “ahem” from Selina, he produced the packet of paperwork for me and set it down in front of me with

basic contract and

that I was not allowed to become romantically involved

asked, pointing to them. William leaned over

“All very standard.”

“But I–”

the agreement,” Selina growled under her breath. “Unless you

signature down on the dotted line and sliding the contract back to William. “I would

out another “Hmph,” and stood, smoothing down her

who seemed

before, but equally as massive and beautiful. Selina and I walked through the marble lobby

less feral than the night before, wearing a prim baby blue dress with

Ella threw her arms around me in a tight hug and then took my hand, leading me away from Selina and around the massive apartment on a tour — which took over an hour since the place was so large, and I was thoroughly exhausted by the time it was over. Ella’s bedroom alone was bigger

after she introduced me to the twin maids, Lily and Amy, Ella led me

room!” she said, pushing open a large set of double doors with her tiny hands. I stifled a

mine?” I asked, unable to

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