Page 35 of The Rules Of Attraction
Having them on my résumé meant that a top firm, of great prestige, had trusted me and let me back in.
“What if you can’t find an associate job for months? Or even another PA job. This was sort of a done deal and what brought you to Chicago. And then there’s your finances…”
Her voice trailed off because she knew I hated talking about money.
The thing was, both of us knew that at the moment I didn’t have the luxury of picking and refusing jobs. Everything Eilesh said was right and truth be told if I turned this job down I would be digging a deeper hole for myself.
When the world found out that Ashfords was in league with Philiopolis Inc. the investment company that was guilty of stealing millions from their clients, and securities fraud I didn’t know that I would go down with them as well.
I’d worked for Ashfords for two years and saw myself staying for a while. Just until I’d had enough experience and backing to start my own firm.
I’d dreamed big of having my own firm one day, right there in LA too.
Things were going so well until that disaster.
It was in the height of that that I found out that my father was dying.
Then a spell of bad things all happened at once and my world changed.
“My finances are bad, but please, I don’t think I could work for a man I slept with. Eilesh I didn’t think I’d ever see him again.” Sure I would admit that I would have stayed with him today when he asked me to this morning, but I knew that at some point I’d have to leave and leave the fun I had with him too.
“Okay, honey. I’ll look and see what we have. Can I please ask you to keep an open mind though? I’m going to have to find Alex a replacement. I’d hate to have to give someone else the position when I know you’re desperate.”
I pulled in a deep, deep breath.
I was desperate.
All I needed to do was look around at the horrible apartment I was staying in to confirm my desperation.
“ I need a day.” I breathed, rubbing my forehead. “Maybe two. Could you give me that before you send someone else?” At least that showed I was considering it on some level.
Just as a backup. My plan was to glue my ass to my laptop and apply for as many jobs as I could find.
“Have it, and Summer I’m here if you need me. I’ll be back in two weeks but if you need me please call. We can have a nice girlie night when I’m home and a Brad Pitt fest.”
That made me smile. We loved Brad Pitt.
It would be nice to go to her place and have a long bath, then curl up on her sofa and indulge myself in a bunch of movies I loved.
I longed for those days.
I’d only seen Eilesh for dinner when I got here two weeks ago. Then she left that weekend for San Francisco.
“I’d like that.” I smiled.
“Good. Summer, can you please promise me that you’ll really use the next two days wisely? Sullivan’s would be a good move for you. I’m telling you this as your friend and as a recruiter.”
“I promise.” I could do that. I could think.
“Cool, luv yah.”
“Right back at you.”
We hung up and once again the silence of this dank, little apartment engulfed me.
I straightened out my legs on the bed and looked around the box room. The room I had when I was ten was bigger than this. And this here was my whole apartment.
A unit with a stove top for cooking was by the window. A microwave sat next to it on a slim, shaky counter. The sink was next and had a mere basin with a cupboard under it.
