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Chapter Twenty-Two
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An American Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Three
I left work feeling hopeful, but exhausted. I’d worked hard all day. I didn’t take any more pictures of documents for my stepmother. I was done with that. It felt rather liberating. I would record a few more of our conversations and I could go to the authorities with what I had.I was going to win. I wouldn’t end up like that congressman.I talked to Henry on the phone while I rode the train home. It wasn’t very private, but it was good to hear his voice. He was busy with work, but made sure to take time to call me. He was excited to see me on Tuesday.He was tired of hearing me eating out all the time, so he wanted to see if he could teach me how to cook something more than ramen noodles and chicken nuggets. As such, I was responsible for picking up groceries. He’d sent me a list of things I needed to buy for our meal. I had my grocery list ready for tomorrow’s shopping.I had no idea what panko breadcrumbs were, but I was going to find them and buy them.The sky was still light pink
An American Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Four
I didn’t take a shower.Instead, I pulled up my phone contact information, wrote them all down on a piece of paper along with any other information that I thought was important in my phone. Then I checked my recording app. It hadn’t taken a thing. All that remained was two recordings of static. If I had given this to the authorities, they would have laughed me out of the room.I had been used. Hacked. Tricked.I thought about just throwing my phone in the garbage. I thought about smashing it with a brick or throwing it in the bathtub or possibly the garbage disposal. Although, I just bought a new garbage disposal and I didn’t want to wreck it.Besides, if I did that, my stepmother would have more power over me. She would ask for my new number so she could contact me. She would be able to find access to me. I shivered at the thought.Better I keep this phone with nothing important on it. It was better to know my weak points and defend them than just make more. So, I put a piece of tape
An American Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Five
Henry was absolutely right. I did feel better with some food in my stomach. Things looked a little less bleak when I wasn’t hungry. I began to feel like there might be a chance I could figure something out. It wasn’t the end of the world.Henry kept the conversation light. He told me about his travels to different parts of the world. He made me laugh with funny stories about his military days and the trouble they would get into because there was nothing else to do on base. He kept me laughing and smiling as we ate, my thoughts far from my own troubles.When I was done with dinner, he said, “You start the water for your shower. I’ll take care of the dishes.”“You don’t have to do that,” I told him, already pulling the empty containers together.“Why do you think I said that we weren’t using plates?” he replied with a smile. “Easiest dishes ever, remember?”I chuckled and let him take the empty containers away from me. He quickly collected them and swept them into the trash bin before I
An American Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Six
Henry was gone when I woke the next morning, but he’d made coffee and left a heart on a piece of paper underneath an empty cup. It was a good way to wake up and bode well for the rest of the day.At work, I did everything in my power not to read a single document. I knew it was futile, but it was the only thing I could do that didn’t give Audrey power over me.I scanned and probably misfiled half the documents, but I didn’t want to know what was on them. If I knew, then I would have to tell my stepmother. If I honestly had no idea, then I couldn’t tell her.It was a flimsy excuse, but at the moment it was all I had.Guilt about everything clung to me, smothering like smoke.“Hey you,” Jaqui said, stepping into my office.I dropped the stack of papers I was holding in surprise, sending a flurry of paperwork to the floor. I was sure she was there to arrest me. Or fire me. She had to suspect something. It didn’t help how jumpy I was around her lately.“What’s up?” I asked, my voice shaki
An American Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Seven
Henry followed me to the kitchen, carrying our wine glasses and the empty chicken plate. I waited for him to set it down before pouncing on him with a kiss. I pressed him into the counter, using my body to trap him to me.He let out a quiet yelp of surprise before wrapping his arms around me and thoroughly kissing me back. This was better than dinner. This was better than anything I could think of.Well, almost.Very gently, I pulled his shirt up and off, humming my approval as my hands slid over his chest.Henry cocked one eyebrow up, but didn’t make a move to stop me. Instead, he slid his hands down my back and pulled my hips into him. My core pressed down on his erection, making him groan.“Aria,” he whispered, my name like music. I loved the hoarse need in his voice when he called to me like that.He grabbed my hips and spun me so I was the one against the counter. With a simple lift, he had me up and sitting on my kitchen counter, him between my legs and my breasts even with his
An American Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Dessert?” Henry asked.“What? That wasn’t sweet enough for you?” I teased.He caught me in his arms, pulling me into him for yet another kiss. I sighed with contentment. I could never have too many kisses.“I have something for you,” he said. I felt his arms tense just slightly and he smiled even though the muscle in his jaw tightened. He was nervous about something.“Okay.” I smiled. “Can I put my clothes on or do you want me naked for it?”He looked down at my bare skin pressing into his. “Clothes. I may not make it if you don’t.”I grinned, feeling sexy as sin. Even though he’d just had me, he wanted me again. There was no sexier feeling than to know that once wasn’t enough.I went to my closet and pulled on a long, soft t-shirt and some comfy running shorts. It wasn’t supposed to be sexy, but comfortable.“That’s what you’re wearing?” Henry asked, standing there my main room in nothing but his boxer shorts and a smile.“Is there something wrong with it?” I asked, looking down and
An American Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Jaqui? I have a question for you about tomorrow,” I said, stopping in Jaqui’s office before heading to the copy room to continue making folders. I felt light and free. Not only was I going to a fancy party on Saturday, but I didn’t have to scan documents today.“Sure.” Jaqui paused with her fingers still on the keys of her computer and looked up at me. “What’s up?”“Can I get out a little early tomorrow?” I asked.Jaqui frowned slightly. “As long as we’re done with the folders. Why?”I grinned. “I have to get a dress.”Jaqui’s eyes lit up. “A dress? What kind of dress?”“A fancy one. Henry somehow got us invitations to the Paradisian Masquerade Ball on Saturday,” I told her. I grinned at the way her jaw dropped.“No way! I’ve heard it’s next to impossible to get into that. The president’s even going!” She shook her head. “You seriously have to find out if Henry has a brother or a friend. How in the world did he get tickets?”I shrugged. “He says he knows a couple of guys through his
An American Cinderella Chapter Thirty
I paid for the dress and then went to my apartment and looked at the research for Anastasia. It was more work than my stepmother had let on. The research I’d done for her last week was just the beginning. I was basically doing my senator’s aide job without the benefits of going to the office or getting paid.Before I started that, I looked online for a lawyer. I made an online appointment from my burner phone with a fake name. The earliest I could get was Monday afternoon. It felt like too little too late, but I needed to know what I could do to protect myself, even if it felt like there was nothing.I worked until I couldn’t see straight, set an alarm, then got up at the crack of dawn and went to the office. I put enough coffee in my system to get a bus full of people going.I had to do this so that I could go to the ball with Henry. That was my motivation. It wasn’t the pretty dress or the idea of dancing all night. It was that I would get to be with Henry. This mattered to him, so
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