Zoey
“Hi, I’m Zoey Benson.” I reached down with a smile and placed my hand on hers.
“It’s nice to meet you, Zoey. I’m Nora Grayson. Would you mind if we conducted this interview in my bedroom? I need to lie down.”
“No, of course not. Let me help you,” I spoke as I wheeled her into her room.
After helping her out of her chair, I tucked her in and took a seat in the white leather chair that sat next to her bed. Carter Grayson stood in the doorway and watched my every move with a pissed off look on his face. It was the same look he had at Starbuck’s earlier in the day when he walked over to me and Holly.
“Carter, get in here,” Nora spoke. “Don’t be rude.”
He stepped inside the room and took a seat on the edge of Nora’s bed. I couldn’t believe that he was the man from Starbucks. He stared at me and I stared back. His eyes burned through mine as I stared at the aura of darkness that surrounded him.
“I have stage four brain cancer,” Nora spoke. “And my time is coming to an end, so I need someone who is available to live here full-time and work with me.”
I reached over and lightly took hold of her hand.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, but I’ve made peace with everything. I guess when your time is up, it’s up. Right?” She gently smiled.
“Nora, that’s enough!” Carter snapped. “How much experience could someone your age really have, Miss Benson?”
“I can assure you, Mr. Grayson, that I have more than enough experience in hospice care.”
“What? Two years’ worth?”
“Three. I can give you references if you don’t believe me,” I spoke.
Nora stared at us and didn’t say a word. It was strange to me that she just lay there, almost as if she was trying to read the both of us.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I’d like to hire you, Zoey,” she spoke. “Carter will go over all the details with you and then you can make your decision whether or not you’re interested in taking the job. But I hope you do.” She smiled. “Carter, I need to rest now. Take Zoey out and the two of you can talk.”
“Nora.”
“Carter, please.”
He took in a sharp breath as he got up from the bed and asked me to step out into the hallway.
“We’ll talk in my office,” he spoke rudely as I followed him. “Have a seat.”
“How long does she have?” I asked as I took a seat across from his desk.
“About two months. The tumor had progressed so rapidly that there was nothing the doctors could do. This isn’t her first battle with cancer either. When she was sixteen, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She underwent a round of chemo and went into remission. If you accept the job, you will be paid on a weekly basis. You will be required to move in and you will be responsible for her care 24/7. Still interested?” His brow arched.
“Yes.” I smiled. “I am very interested.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Miss Benson. I’m not happy about this, and if it were up to me, I wouldn’t hire you. Your lack of experience concerns me. But Nora has fired the last three nurses I’ve hired and she really seems to like you, so you can thank her. I’ll need you to start tomorrow. Will that be a problem?”
“I can start tonight,” I spoke. “I’ll just have to go home and pack some things. I can be back here later.”
“Where is home for you?” he asked as he narrowed his eye. “You mentioned over the phone you were in the city.”
“Greenwich, Connecticut.”
“I see. Tomorrow morning will be fine. You won’t need your car because Nora has her own driver on standby. You can pack your things tonight and I will send my driver, Juan, to pick you up around nine a.m. And by the way, your maturity level needs some heightening. I will not tolerate that kind of behavior you displayed in Starbuck’s in my home and around my sister. Do you understand?”
I sat there in shock at the way he spoke to me. Who the hell did he think he was? Unfortunately, he was going to be my boss and I had no choice but to put up with his mean and disrespectful attitude towards me. Plus, Nora needed me and I wasn’t going to let her down in her final stage of life. I would make sure she had the best possible care I could give her.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” he asked.
“It’s nothing. Are we finished here?” I asked as I stood up from my chair.
“Yes.”
I walked to the door and placed my hand on the knob. As I started to open it, I turned and looked at him.
“Laughter is good for the soul, Mr. Grayson. You should try it some time.”
I walked out of his office and peeked in on Nora before leaving.
“Hi.” She smiled as I stepped inside. “I hope my brother wasn’t too much of an asshole.”
“He was, but I’ve accepted the job anyway and I will be back in the morning. Is there anything I can do for you before I leave?” I placed my hand on her arm.
“I’m fine. Thank you. Thank you for taking the job.”
“You’re welcome. Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I pushed the elevator button and waited for the doors to open.
“I thought you already left,” Carter spoke.
“I wanted to make sure Nora didn’t need anything.”
“Your job starts tomorrow, Miss Benson,” he growled.
“Don’t worry about it, Mr. Grayson. I won’t charge you for checking in on your sister tonight.”
The doors opened and I stepped inside and pushed the button to the lobby. As I stood there, Carter Grayson stood on the other side, staring at me with his hands tucked into his pants pockets as the doors slowly closed.
****
Carter
Fuck if she wasn’t beautiful. I noticed it in Starbucks and I noticed it even more tonight. She stood five feet six inches tall with a lean body that you could tell she took very good care of. Her wavy blonde hair fell over her shoulders and her bright blue eyes reminded me of the ocean on a crystal clear day. They were full of light, like the way the sun reflects off the water. Her lips were perfectly shaped and the corners of her mouth had a slight curve, giving off the illusion that she was always smiling, even when she wasn’t. She had an attitude and I didn’t think she knew exactly to whom she was speaking. I’d give her one chance, and if she fucked up, she’d be out.
I went to check on Nora, and as soon as I lightly pushed open the door, her eyes opened.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. Do you need anything?”
“No. I’m fine. I like her, Carter.”
“Who?”
“Zoey. There’s something about her that makes me feel not so afraid. I felt it the moment I met her.”
“You just like her because she’s young.”
“No. You’re wrong. I can’t explain it. Did you feel it too?”
“No. I didn’t, and to be honest, I don’t like her. I think she has an attitude and a smart mouth, not to mention her extreme lack of experience.”
She let out a light laugh.
“Good, we need someone like that around here, and as for her experience, she has enough as far as I’m concerned.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and glared at her.
“Oh come on, Carter.”
“She’s all yours, Nora, but don’t expect me to be nice or go out of my way to accommodate her.”
“Would it kill you for once to be nice?”
“Tell me where being nice has gotten me?” I got up from the bed and walked towards the door. “If you need anything, let me know. I’ll be in my office.”