A Scandalous Job

Chapter Seventeen

It was currently noon and I was waiting in line at Starbucks. It was supposed to be my lunch hour right now, and I'd planned on going to Panera for a bread bowl. Unfortunately, my boss had other ideas.

Mr. Burke senior, Chance's father, decided that it was imperative that he had a latte by 12:15 for his next meeting.  Mentally cursing the CEO, I stood my ground in the slowing move cue.

Ten minutes passed and soon I was nearing the front of the line. I reached in my small clutch for the credit car Mr. Burke had given me for the cost. I pulled it out, but me, being irrevocably clumsy, managed to drop the stupid thing.

"Crap," I muttered.

I went to pick it up, but suddenly I remembered what I was wearing. I cursed under my breath. Feeling brave this morning, I'd put on one of my shortest pencil skirts.

It wasn't anything trashy; it still came to mid thigh, but I knew that it would ride up with the slightest of bends. Grumbling, I tried to use my shoe to pick it up, but it was no use.

I was mentally calculating whether or not I could bend down at a none-flashing angle, when suddenly a tanned land reached down and picked it up.

Looking up, my eyes locked with familiar green ones. I gasped.

"Cooper? What are you doing here?"

Cooper smiled. "Getting my caffeine fix. You on lunch break?"

I shook my head. "Technically yes, but I'm actually here on behalf of Mr. Burke's Venti latte."

Cooper laughed. "That's right. I forgot you interned."

I nodded. Just then, the barista called, "Next!"

Moving quickly, I gave her my order. Behind me I heard Cooper order a Frappuccino. When he was done, he came to stand next to me while we waited for our drinks.

Just then, the sun filtered through the coffee shop's windows and illuminated my face. Cooper's eyes went wide.

"Holy shit! What happened to your face?"

I winced. Two days had past since the incident, but my cut was still noticeable despite all the makeup I'd used this morning.

And, even though I'd been sticking to collared blouses, the bruises on the higher part of my next were stil visible.

"Let's just say one of my business 'meeting's' went wrong," I muttered. 

Understanding dawned on Cooper's face. "Shit, what happened?"

I shrugged, watching the barista as she dolloped whipped cream on someone's order.

"We showed up at the hotel. Shit went down. The next morning I woke up with these." I gestured to my injury.

Cooper looked apologetic. "I'm sorry."

I cocked a brow. "Why are you apologizing? It's not like this was your fault."

He shrugged. "I know. I've just always felt sorry for Chance's assistants."

My heart stopped. "Assistants? You mean there's been more girl than me?"

Cooper looked like he was having an "oh shit" moment. Immediately I knew that he'd told me too much. 

I didn't care, though. My mind was still occupied with the fact that I wasn't the first of Chance's assistants. A flurry of emotion rose, but there was only one that I allowed in.

Curiosity.

"If I'm not the first, than what happened to the others?"

Cooper's Adam's apple bobbed, and a hint of pain flashed behind his eyes.