Unwanted Stars Read Online Free Page B

wondered how I got so lucky to have her stick by me all these years. Am I a terrible best friend? I didn’t think so—and obviously Had didn’t either. But still, when it came down to it, she was a far better human being than I was. And my brother was lucky to have her. The fact that my best friend would be my sister-in-law later this year was incredible. Just the thought of her officially being a part of my family made me giddy. And that little boy being my nephew? I couldn’t imagine anything better.

    So, a few hours later, I walked into Michelle's office. She greeted me with a half-smile and my stomach did a flip. Shit.
    Please don't fire me. Please don't fire me. Please don't fire me.
    "Have a seat." Michelle pushed her heavy black hair behind her shoulder, sitting in her armchair. The clock on her desk was bulky—way too big for her desk, but it was beautiful. Wrought iron with an ivory face. The second hand's tick-tick-tick was all I could hear in the small room.
    "So," she said, narrowing her eyes at me, holding a pen in front of her face with both hands. She was trying to intimidate me. And it was working. "How would you say your first tour went?"
    "Uh..." I cleared my throat, which felt scratchy and dry. "I thought it went well. Tom let me help out as much as possible. The tour members were really nice…"
    "And you, how did you do?"
    "It was my first time out there, but I thought I did well." What the hell did she want me to say?
    " Listen, Auden...Jordan Tours has been around for almost twenty-five years. We're extremely selective when it comes to new hires."
    Shit. Here it comes.
    "Tom seemed hesitant to say how you did. And that's concerning. Tells me he has something to hide."
    I bit my lip. Shit, shit, shit.
    "But, he wouldn't give me any specific examples of misconduct. So, I'm going to give you another shot."
    The largest sigh of relief escaped my mouth. I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath.
    "I'm switching you to Anabelle. She's not as experienced as Tom, but she's a very talented guide, and if she has an issue with you, she'll let me know why."
    " Thank you...so much. I won't disappoint you again. I'll speak with Tom to see what I can do to improve. And I'll do whatever is necessary to show you that I can do this." (I can be a good liar when necessary. I wasn't going to talk to that shithead. I was free of him, thank god.)
    Michelle nodded, her eyes narrowed as she bit her bottom lip. Did she suspect something happened between Tom and I?
    She placed reading glasses on the bridge of her nose as she turned to her laptop.
    "Anabelle's next tour starts in two days. It's a long one. Three and a half weeks."
    "I can handle it," I said with a strong nod. Maybe I was trying a little too hard, but I didn't care. I was getting another chance and I was relieved. I just hoped Anabelle wasn't a bitch.

Anabelle is a total bitch.
    And I'm too pissed to elaborate.

If I didn't hate Anabelle so much, the girl would actually impress me. Well, kinda. She's a bad-ass who didn’t put up with anyone's shit, including mine. She's blonde, like me, but she wore her hair up, in a tight ponytail, red Coach glasses on the bridge of her nose, her tour polo shirt always tucked in perfectly, sunscreen always applied to her porcelain skin. Never a wrinkle in her polo, never a crease in her khakis. She's always on time, never inappropriate, never drinks with the tour members...she probably uses military corners when she made the bed each morning. Exhaustingly perfect.
    We'd been on this tour for four days and I felt like I'd been "on" the entire time. Why the hell did I have to sleep with Tom? He was a cake-walk compared to Anabelle. We drank, we laughed, we goofed around. He was a regular guy who just loved to travel. Anabelle was an entirely different story. She's a climber. When I look at her, I know that she could be my boss one day. The thought of that made me shudder.
    Let me give you an example of Sergeant Anabelle.