Even if you win the rat race, you’re still a rat.
«Can’t anything be done?» I was indignant.
«I’m sorry, but no,» Jerome answered me.
«But he’s sexist, chauvinist, and I’m pretty sure he eats babies for breakfast,» I objected.
«Don’t exaggerate,» the man brushed it off.
В«He talked toВ me like IВ was aВ piece ofВ shit,В» IВ continued toВ insist on my point.
«Lindsay, I know who Armie is, believe me. But I really can’t help it,» Jerome continued sympathetically.
В«Why the hell did you slip him toВ me anyway?В»
В«You said on your form that you were non-conflicted.В»
«But that’s no reason to shove the most conflicted people into my mentor,» I protested.
«I’m sorry,» the man smiled weakly.
«It’s a hell of a setup,» I stomped my foot like a little girl. «And I have to work with him for seven months straight?!»
«You’ll see him a couple of times at most. Just send him your works to listen to, and that’s it.»
В«Which he will bring lower than the floor,В» IВ raised an eyebrow.
В«Take it as aВ challenge,В» Jerome tried toВ cheer meВ up.
В«The only challenge IВ had planned toВ do inВ this town was toВ call aВ pizza delivery guy toВ my house, because we live inВ the damn suburbs. Pizza, you see? Not aВ chauvinist boss.В»
В«Should IВ apologise again?В» Jerome kept smiling.
«If I burn his office to hell, promise you won’t sue me.»
В«IВ swear on my heart,В» Jerome put his hand over his heart.
As soon as IВ looked away, IВ got aВ message on my phone.
В«What the deuce is that?В» IВ wondered aloud.
«I added you to the conversation with the interns. You’re all new in town. So I thought you might want to get to know each other and unwind.»
«Okay, that’s not a bad idea,» I agreed, and cooled down a bit.
I got another notification. This time I was added to another conversation. Apparently, the new conversation didn’t include Jerome.
«Hi!» – Chris typed into the new conversation.
«Hello!» – Diana picked up.
«Oh, we have a new girl», – typed some Danielle.
«Shalom», – I typed back and walked out of Jerome’s office.
«I suggest we get together tonight and mess around», – Dan suggested.
Everyone inВ the conversation was inВ favour.
«Lindsay, are you in?» – Chris asked
To be honest, I didn’t want to be there. I found the company of my peers boring. That was almost always the case. I had my own social circle, of course, but mostly they were intelligent and advanced for their age. These guys didn’t seem that way. Plus, I had to figure out how to communicate with my mentor without breaking his neck the second time I met him.
«I’m sorry, but I won’t be here today», – I typed and slipped my phone into my jeans pocket.
As soon as I stepped out, a Lexus LC500 drove past me (yes, I have a fine taste in cars for a girl without a license). My sister’s Tea Prince was kind of driving it. I definitely don’t like him…
***
«I don’t envy you, sis,» Lizzie said, applying mascara to her long lashes
«I don’t have the strength to do anything,» I mumbled into my pillow.
В«And Richard is not as bad as you think. Yesterday he was pretty cute,В» The girl started defending theВ boy.
В«You only feel that way because he turned your head. He called me aВ weakling. Although IВ was just expressing my desire toВ assert my boundaries.В»
В«Maybe you misunderstood each other?В»
В«Maybe IВ should smash your rose-coloured love glasses?В» IВ retorted.
В«Malignant,В» she showed me tongue.
В«Infantess,В» IВ snapped.
«That word doesn’t even exist,» she was indignant.
В«Come on,В» IВ got out ofВ bed. В«You already know very well what it means.В»
Lizzie only rolled her eyes inВ response.
***
The whole evening I lay on the bed and did nothing. I wanted to go back to my home in Canada. There weren’t as many worries about stupid bosses and foolish acquaintances. I dialed my friend Camellia to tell her everything that had happened to me in those two days. She supported me better than Lizzie, even though she wasn’t my sister. Thank her for that.
«And remember, you can do it all. It’s always hard for newcomers at first,» she continued.
«What about the golden rule of beginner’s luck?» I smiled sadly.
«Well, it’s not over yet, my friend. You’re going to beat everyone out there,» she replied cheerfully.
Amen…
We chatted for aВ few more minutes and then said goodbye.
As soon as IВ hung up the phone, messages started pouring inВ with pictures from that conversation with the interns.
IВ noticed Chris, Diana, some other guys and Richard inВ the photo. No, not really.
Do IВ see double?
Why were there two ofВ him?
No, I’m not kidding.
There were two Richards inВ the picture.
And then it came toВ me.
Not only Richard was in the studio today, but also his twin brother, apparently. But while one of them was indoors, the other was probably outside. And, of course, it was the bad version of the brothers that I was lucky enough to talk to, not the sister’s Tea Sweet Knight. It all makes sense now.
CHAPTERВ 4
The Snare
Sometimes it’s better to be alone – no one can hurt you.
…I spent the next two weeks doing the usual things: writing some kind of songs of my own (by the way, it didn’t work for me), walking around town with Lizzie, learning Spanish, and once I went to the mall downtown with Diana and Chris.
В«What do you think ofВ the girls?В» Camellia askedВ me.
«We-ell…» I stretched out, «I can’t say yet. I have ambivalent feelings. But there was a strange incident. We were in a sports store, and there was a consultant. The girls got him talking and chatted with the guy like they were old friends, and as soon as he turned away, they whispered amongst themselves that he was weird and stoned,» I remembered.
В«Duplicity?В» Cami asked.
В«IВ thought so, too,В» IВ agreed. В«Also, Chris has aВ weird style.В»
В«InВ what sense?В» Camellia became interested.
«Well, with her we went exclusively to expensive stores, but it felt like we weren’t picking out things for a young girl, but for a mommy who still had to make it to her son’s PTA meeting in the evening.»
Cami laughed.
В«Also,В» IВ lowered my voice, В«remember IВ told you that Lizzie met aВ guy here?В»
«So-o-o…»
«So, anyway, it seems like we live in the same neighbourhood,» I began. «He also works with Jerome. He’s constructing him some new building.»
В«Wow, does Lizzie know?В» Cami was surprised.
«Yes, but there’s something else Lizzie doesn’t know,» I continued even more quietly, afraid my sister, who had been in the bathroom, would hear.
В«What isВ it?В»
«He’s dating Chris,» I informed her.
В«Wow, what kind ofВ love triangle are you going through there, friend?В» Cami asked cheerfully.
В«IВ hope it will pass me by,В» IВ mumbled.
«Are you sure you don’t want to write a book about it?» my friend asked me playfully.
«No, I don’t! You know I’ve given it up.»
I used to write books. At first it was just a way of pampering and self-therapy: in books I was a god and the others were my toys, the ones who did whatever I said. Yes, I published my books in a local publisher in Quebec, but it was two years ago that I decided that I would not take up the «quill» and would devote myself to singing. It’s hard to become a popular writer. It’s much easier to become a singer.
В«But look at the stuff you have,В» continued the friend.
«I don’t know how much this story has to hurt me to write a book about it,» I stretched out. «I promised myself. And you know I always keep my promises,» I answered proudly.
«Well, see for yourself. Something tells me it’s not going to be that easy.»
«God forbid,» I rolled my eyes. «You know I’ve had enough drama with Eric in the past.»
«He’s a real abuser,» Сami agreed. «Though your rematch was more beautiful than any of his shenanigans.»
«He shouldn’t have played games with a girl who was better than him,» I recalled proudly, as I stomped on the feelings of a guy who had toyed with my feelings for five years, even though we’d never even dated. Now Eric says I’m a bitch when he mentions my name in public, but inside he still thinks I’m his best rival in the game of «hot-cold».
I’m sorry, Eric. I will always be your best trophy that you never got.
If my sister was brilliant in science and beautiful on the catwalk, I was brilliant in the world of human psychology. If you need someone to give you support at three in the morning or to come up with a plan to get back at your ex-boyfriend without that asshole knowing it, you’re welcome. Lindsay Stone at your service.
В«Who are you cooing with?В» Lizzie came into the room.
В«Camellia,В» IВ answered.
