Page 4 of The Assistant
“You don’t have to eat when I eat,” Dawson says with a shrug of his shoulder.
“And when else am I going to eat? You have me working twelve hours a day, and the other twelve on call. I have no free time.”
“Enough!” Henry’s voice booms through the space, making me flinch. I turn back to look at him and immediately regret my little outburst. Henry looks furious. His jaw is set in a tight line, and I’m pretty sure he is about to pop a vein on his forehead. “Fine,” he spits. “Pack your bags and leave then.”
And there it is.The one thing he knows he has hanging over me. Yes, I’m eighteen and could go out on my own, but that’s easier said than done. My mom had me homeschooled and kept me sheltered. I never made any friends. I don’t have any extended family either, at least nothing that I know of. I have nowhere to go. I could leave right now, but then what? I have no money and nothing to my name. I would be homeless, and that fucking scares me. Scares me enough to sober up and rethink my options here.
If I sign this, I’m basically his for a year. But he does actually have me working, which means I will have work experience, nomatter what. Plus, if Henry keeps his word, he will pay for my schooling after the year is over.
“What’s it going to be?” Henry asks, tapping his index finger onto the contract. “Sign and work for a year, or pack your clothes and go?”
My shoulders sag in defeat. I’m too scared to go out on my own, and he fucking knows it. He plucks a pen from a cup on his desk and hands it to me. I suck in a breath before letting it out slowly. I grab the pen from his hand and flip through the contract to the last page.
Angry tears threaten to run down my face, but I blink them away. There is no way I’m letting them see me cry. I grip the pen so tightly I worry it might break as I sign my name on the line. I drop the pen and straighten back up.
“There, that wasn’t that hard,” Henry taunts. “You can go now. I’m sure you want to pack some stuff for the move.”
“What move?” I ask, dumbfounded.
“Didn’t you read the whole contract?” Dawson chuckles.
“I stopped halfway through,” I admit stupidly.
“Of course you did. Yet, you signed it.” He shakes his head like he is disappointed in me. “This is not a good start.”
“She’ll do better moving forward. Won’t you, Harper?” Henry jabs, with a smug grin.
“Of course,” I say through gritted teeth.
“If you would have read the whole thing, you would know that you will move into my penthouse with me,” Dawson explains.“You don’t have a car or a driver’s license, and I’m not paying to have you driven back and forth every day.”
Of course not. He’s a billionaire but can’t spring me some money for an Uber.
“When do you want me to move?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.
“Tonight,” Dawson tells me like it’s no big deal at all. “We’re leaving in an hour. And you might want to review the section about the dress code before you pack your clothes.”
My hands are balled into fists by my side, my nails digging into my palm painfully as I plaster a smile on my face. “I’ll better go do that then.” I reach for the contract, but Dawson slaps his hand on it before I can grab it.
“I’ll hold on to the signed copy. This is on your computer under files.”
“Fine.” I pull back my hand and start to leave the room.
“Harper,” Henry calls after me when I’m almost at the door. I turn to look at him. “Don’t disappoint me.”
I give him the slightest nod, cause that’s all I can muster up under his intense glare. He looks away, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding in. Henry picks up a conversation with Dawson, and I take that as my dismissal.
I speed walk through the house and back to my room. Quickly opening the computer to look at the files. Luckily, there is not much in there, and I find the contract right away. I skim over most of it until I get to the dress code part.
Business attire should be worn during work hours unless otherwise instructed. Bright colors are prohibited.
Of course they are.
I get up and walk to my closet. I don’t have much that would fall under business attire, but I do have a few things my mother bought me that I’ve never worn. There is a pencil skirt and a few white blouses that I grab from the hanger. A pair of slacks and a wide leg romper, too. I only have one pair of nude heels and some black flats. Those will have to do.
Gathering everything, I lay it neatly on my bed before I get my suitcase out from the back of the walk-in closet. I throw the luggage on the bed and start folding and packing everything I want to take. When I’m done with the clothes, I add my sketchbooks and pencils before I zip up the bag.
I get a large tote from under my bed and start throwing the stuff Dawson had delivered into it. I’m about to go into my bathroom and gather my toiletries when someone knocks on my door. I go to open it to find the same maid who was here earlier here again.
