Annihilate Me by Christina Ross Page B

conversation.”
    “What
are you worth, Jennifer?   Don’t
lowball yourself.   Tell me what
you’re worth.”
    I
thought about it for a moment.   I
knew what other consultants made in the city.   It often was an outrageous sum, well
into seven figures.   But I was only
twenty-five, so I needed to scale it way back without underselling myself or
what I’d already achieved for Wenn.
    “At
this point in my career and with what I’ve already done for you?   Five hundred thousand a year, with
bonuses for milestones achieved.”
    “Five
hundred thousand?”
    “That’s
right.”
    “I
thought you were going to go for more.”
    “I’m
here to work for a fair wage.   Consulting the CEO of a major corporation for five hundred thousand a
year is a fair wage in this city, especially considering my age and my
experience.   I’m not here to use our
relationship for an inflated salary.   It’s not ethical.”
    “So,
you see?   This is one of the reasons
I want to be with you.   One of the
many reasons.   Others would have
gone for much more.   Others also
wouldn’t have given me the jewelry and the clothes back.”
    “I’m
not like the others.”
    “I
know you’re not.   Will you take the
job?”
    “I
need to talk to Lisa about it.   I
share everything with her.   She’s my consultant.   And if I take it, I’ll need to give two
weeks’ notice at the restaurant.   I
will not leave Stephen in a bind.   He and the rest of the staff have been good to me.”
    “That
sounds more than fair.   When do you
think I’ll have a definitive answer?”
    “Once
I talk to Lisa.   At best, by the end
of today.   If not today, then
sometime tomorrow.   I think I might
sleep on it.”
    “That
works for me.”
    “Thank
you.”
    And
with that, he leaned me back on the sofa, and cupped my face in his hands, his
eyes glinting with desire.   He then
went in for the kill for the next thirty minutes so that I was so spent, I
barely could move when he gave me a final kiss and dashed into his bedroom to
change into his suit.
    After
he’d changed, he came out of his bedroom and walked over to me.   “I want you to have something,” he said.
    I
was delusional.   I looked at what he
was holding out in his hand.   It
looked like a credit card.   “What’s
that?”
    “A
key to the apartment.”
    “Isn’t
it a little too soon?”
    “Look,
Jennifer.   Even if you don’t take
the job and we have to find out other ways to make this work, if you find
yourself in this neighborhood and are in need of a place to unwind, even if I’m
not here, I want you to know that you can do so here.   It’s not a big deal.   I’ve already told security.   They know who you are by name.   You just need to say hello to them, walk
past them, and use the place as if it’s yours.   Because it is yours.   All of it.   If you find that you need anything, just
call the front desk and you’ll have it in a flash.   There’s nothing you can’t have, so just
ask for it.   OK?”
    “Alex—”
    “Jennifer,
either way, we’ll work this out.”
    “All
right.”   I sat up and admired
him.   “I love you in a suit.”
    “You’ve
said that before.   Why?”
    “Because
you look handsome.   Even when you’re
tie is crooked, as it is now.”
    I
stood up and straightened it.   I was
so close to him, I could smell that damned cologne of his, which was faint but
beyond sexy.   It was never
overpowering on him.   Instead, he
did it right and used it correctly.   Cologne or perfume should only ever be an intimate experience.   It should be part of one’s essence,
something someone else can smell only if they are very close to you.   I kissed him full on the lips and
thanked him for breakfast.
    “I’m
only a phone call away,” he said.   “Talk to Lisa.   See what she
thinks.   If she’s this close to you,
I’d like to meet her soon.   We three
can have dinner together.   Right
here.   I’ll