1 Chapter 1: The Job

*Kennedy*

*Present*

I swung open the door to my 1993 light blue Toyota corolla. It wasn't the nicest looking car, but it had been with me since before I could drive. It had more miles on it than a rocket ship and purred like a kitten, a very fat angry kitten. The rust on the hinges of the door creaked loud as the door closed. My car looked even more drab against the backdrop of the ten thousand square foot mansion.

I inhaled through my nose, counted to five and released the tension in my shoulders. I could do this, even though I had been stuck in retail most of my working career, I was really good with computers. I might’ve been out of practice, but I tried to keep up with the ever-changing technologies as much as possible. I was at the door after several long strides, stopping to reflect on the one and only time in my life that I was lucky. I couldn’t believe that I landed this job.

Before I could knock the distressed wood door creeped open. It reminded me of a horror film, the ominous slow entrances to a house that was filled with cobwebs and ghosts and the eventual demise of the main character. Bracing myself for a transparent figure, I was instead met with glowing blue eyes. Eyes that reminded me of the blue waters of the coasts of Florida, they were paired with a predatory gaze. A wolf was the first thing I was able to think of, wild, untamable, and vicious. The stare almost caused me to cower, but I forced myself to stay upright and grounded. Moving passed his impenetrable glaze, I found long, impossibly thick lashes, framed with dark, expressive eyebrows. His face was broad and chiseled at the cheeks, with a day or two growth of hair around the jaw. He had the most perfectly shaped lips coming to a delicate apex, I absentmindedly bit my lower lip. His hair was slightly overgrown, and the strands curled and waved in every direction, but somehow looked put together. His shoulders were strong, and muscles ran across his chest pulling on the fabric of his white button-down shirt. I was afraid to look any further down in fear that I wouldn’t be able to look away. The storm that brewed in those beautiful eyes flared again. I sucked in air between my front teeth. I was absolutely screwed.

***

*A Week Ago*

Sweat formed at the base of my neck, causing the strap from the apron I was wearing to rub on the tiny hairs, and form a rash, the chafing was starting to itch, making me irritable. The heat today was almost unbearable, and the air conditioning from the inside did nothing to cool down the temperature when the door was repeatedly being opened. I plastered on my best fake smile and greeted the next person that walked in. She was clearly trying to escape the outside heatwave, releasing a heavy sigh from the initial blast of A/C.

“It’s hot out there,” she mumbled, fanning herself with her hand.

I smiled again and nodded in agreement, that was about the hundredth time I heard that exact phrase today. I let the woman roam around the store without interrupting her. I knew she wouldn’t be buying anything, she was just here to cool off. I retreated back behind the checkout counter and grabbed the label gun from the drawer. A shipment of Mardi gras masks had just arrived and I was the only one here to tag them. I never knew why a voodoo store had Mardi gras masks, but the tourists loved them, the store could barely keep them on the shelves.

I patiently went to work slapping the bright orange price stickers on the porcelain material with the label gun and listened to the conversations around me. There was a group in the back corner talking loudly and slurring their words, I assumed it had something to do with the large hurricane glasses that they were all clutching. Being right off of Bourbon Street, more often than not drunk people would stumble in. I loved New Orleans with every fiber of my being, it was my home and to me the best place in the world to live, not that I had traveled anywhere far. The vivaciousness of the city was intoxicating, but sometimes the monotony of the rowdy crowds got on my nerves, or maybe it was because I was already in a sour mood today. I had been working for sixteen straight days now, my inability to say no to extra money was exhausting, and I was annoyed that I hadn’t heard back from the job interview I went on almost three weeks ago.

My job at the local voodoo shop was easy and mindless, and the owner, Tia, was very kind. I had been working for her for years and I was able to pick my shifts, but I didn’t spend six years in higher education to be working in a retail shop. Not to mention that I was broke, which wasn’t a new state of living for me. I had always been without money, and surviving on basic necessities, but I was really hoping that all my work through college would pay off, but it hadn’t yet. I started thinking of ways to make extra money, when the phone in my apron vibrated. I looked at the caller ID, it was not a number I recognized, deciding to answer it, I crossed my fingers hoping it was someone about a job interview and not debt collectors.

“Hello?” I answered hesitantly.

“Hello,” a perky high voice, with a southern accent responded back to me, “Is this Kennedy James?”

“Yes, this is Kennedy, how can I help you?” I tried to mimic back the same tone, but my aggravation from the day was clear.

“This is Grace with Massi Tech, I am calling in regard to the interview you did for the Security Analyst position,” she said.

My heart rate sped up, I could feel the pounding in my chest, “Yes, Hi Grace,” immediately correcting my tone to something more lighthearted, “How can I help you?”

“I wanted to call to tell you that unfortunately that position has been filled.” Grace didn’t sound too remorseful though.

“Oh,” the pounding stopped, and my stomach felt like it fell to the floor. The disappointment hit me hard, Massi tech was the only interview I had gone on in months, I had no other prospects. Tuning out the woman that was still talking on the phone, I tried to calculate all my bills and the amount of hours I would need to work for Tia, there wasn’t enough time in the day to make that kind of money. I felt myself about to cry, I couldn’t keep going like this forever, at some point I was going to literally work myself to death.

“Miss James, how does that sound?” I caught the tail end of what the woman was saying.

“I am sorry, I must’ve lost you there, what did you say?” I asked, curious as to what else she had to say.

“The Massi’s were interested in you doing work for their subsidiary companies that run out of their house.” She repeated slowly.

My mouth dropped open in complete surprise, but mostly confusion. The Massi’s were well known. Besides being one of the biggest Tech companies in America, they were a huge part of New Orleans social life. Tony Massi, the senior of the Massi men had come from money, their family was from Italy, but I didn’t know what generations had migrated over to the States and to Louisiana. Tony had lost his wife years ago, before I was born, in a tragic car accident. All this of course was what I learned from the tabloids and local gossip.

Then there was Lucas Massi, scorching hot was the only way I could describe him. He had a commanding presence, at least that was what all the photos portrayed. All the photos also showed him posed next to a different beautiful woman every few months. There was always talk when he was out around town, men and women crowded the streets and participated in parades, playing their trumpets and drums wherever he went out, like he was royalty, which I guessed by New Orleans standards he was.

“Wait, so the Massi’s want me to work for them directly. Why?” I made an awkward laugh out loud. “I mean, I didn’t even interview with them, how do they know about me?”

“That is a question for Mr. Massi to answer. If you need a few days to think about it, I can give you through the weekend, but I am afraid I will need an answer no later than Monday.” Grace explained.

“No!” I shouted into the phone, “I don’t need to think about it, I will take the job.” I realized that I knew nothing about the job, and I didn’t care. There was no way I wasn’t going to work for one of the wealthiest people in this area. I was going to take it no matter what the job entailed.

“Great, I will email you the details and you will need to fill out the paperwork as soon as possible. When will you be able to start?” Her nails clicked off her keyboard and the sound was loud enough to come through the phone.

I had to finish out my shifts this week and through the weekend, I didn’t want to leave Tia without coverage, no matter how eager I was to start. “Does Monday work?”

“Monday works just fine. I’ll let Mr. Massi know that you said yes.”

“Grace?” I questioned, she hummed her response, “Which Mr. Massi are you referring to?” I asked, swallowing deeply.

“Lucas is who you’ll be reporting to,” she answered.

I hung up the phone, years’ worth of struggling was now coming to an end, the profound sentiment struck me hard. Now if only I didn’t ruin it by lusting after my new boss