Chapter 3
1634 Words
Chapter Three
Annie
My mood is soaring by the time I reach my new condo. Coddle loved my idea. I want to run and tap my heels together when I hop out of my taxi and see a moving truck pulling away from the building.
I practically run through the lobby and into the elevator. When I reach my floor, my condo door is open, my dad, Mae, and Jake inside unpacking boxes.
“Dad, thank you,” I say, dropping my purse and bag on the couch.
“What else did I have to do today?”
“And you guys were going to go out,” I say to Mae and Jake. I hurry to help my dad unload my cups into the cabinet.
“The quicker we get you moved in, the quicker Mae buys us drinks.” Jake winks. “Unless someone has to take your sister to the hospital.”
“What?” I screech, abandoning my dad, but I don’t have to go far.
Beth waddles down the hallway, holding her back. “Someone needs to call the toilet paper police. She had two boxes full of toilet paper.”
“Beth, sit down.” I move my coat and bag off the couch.
She waves me off. “I’m trying to induce the baby.” She looks at her swollen belly. “You have two more days before I ground you for the rest of your life.” She sits down and puts her feet up on my coffee table.
“What does Sam have to say about this?” I ask with a smile.
She waves me off again. “Ask him. Sam!”
“What?” A bunch of metal clanks down the hall. “Is it time?” He appears in the doorway, his forehead slick with sweat.
“No, because the baby is as stubborn as you.”
Sam rolls his eyes at me, and I smile. “You’re right, honey, I’m the stubborn one.”
“Spoken like a trained husband.” Mae joins Beth on the couch, her hand clutching a bag of chips, then places her ear on her belly. “Can I listen?”
“You guys are too much. I can get all this done on my own.” Although the stacks of boxes lining the walls are a tad overwhelming.
“Who’s going to put your bed together? Jake?” Beth grabs a chip from Mae’s bag.
“I’m going to ignore that dig. I could’ve done it.” Jake rips open a box with gusto.
Beth rolls her eyes. “Whoa, Hercules, don’t make more work for us than necessary.”
“Oh!” Mae’s head shoots up off Beth’s stomach. “Piss her off some more, Jake, he’s moving.” She places her head back down.
I leave those two on the couch, knowing Mae’s probably just doing her best to keep Beth seated. I unpack some pots and pans, tackling the kitchen first like my dad taught me.
“So?” Jake eyes me.
“What?” I hand a stack of pots to my dad and he puts them in a cabinet. I’ll move them after he leaves.
“When I left, you were sitting in a dark room with Lorenzo Mancini.”
“Who’s he?” Beth asks Mae.
Mae dramatically sighs. “Only the hottest asshole you’d ever want in your bed.”
“Asshole being the keyword.” Jake’s gaze falls on my dad’s back. “Sorry, Mr. Stewart.”
“Thanks, Jake, but I’ve heard the word before.”
“Why was my baby sister in a dark room with him?” Beth digs her hand in Mae’s bag of chips and pops one in her mouth. So much for her “I eat healthy for the baby” mantra.
“It was a presentation for a client and Mr. Jacobson was in the room too, as were a lot of other people,” I say, pulling more kitchen items from the box.
“Kinky. I had no idea.” Jake laughs.
“Tread carefully,” my dad says.
I stick my tongue out at Jake and point at him as if we’re ten and he got in trouble.
“I thought you worked for some Beard guy?” Beth asks.
“She does, but Mr. Mancini is famous for losing every assistant who works for him. Everyone knows to get the hell out of Dodge when it happens mid-day because the man can do nothing for himself.” Jake tears open another box.
“I’d like him to make me a cup of coffee one day. Preferably naked.” Mae looks up at the ceiling as though someone’s going to answer her wish.
“He’s so good-looking that it overrides his jerkiness?” Beth asks, reaching for a chip.
Mae hands her one then places her hands on my sister’s belly. “Do you like the salt?” she baby-talks to my sister’s belly.
“No. The fact that he can’t manage to make one copy by himself or even remember my name brings his attractiveness down, believe me.” Even I hear the lie in my tone.
“Huh. I think I need to come into the office.”
I point at my sister. “You stay far away.”
She laughs, and Mae sits up, crossing her ankles on the couch while pulling out her phone. “Here.”
“How do you even have a picture of him?” I find myself leaving my dad’s side to go check it out.
“It was an article some Manhattan business magazine did on him, and guess who his brother is?”
No one answers.
“Carmelo Mancini, the realtor guy.”
“The half-naked guy on the billboards that say, ‘You know you want it’?” Beth laughs while her finger scrolls down the screen.
I sit on the edge of the sofa. “I’m sure that was his brother’s idea.”
“He’s just as good-looking as his brother though. If I was in the market to buy a place, I’d definitely call him.”
I roll my eyes at Mae and stand up before drool actually falls from my mouth. The picture of Mr. Mancini in the article is definitely drool-worthy. He’s seated on a couch with a drink in his hand, staring out over the New York skyline like he owns the city.
“Very eatable,” Beth says and hands back the phone.
“You mean edible?” I ask, returning to my dad, who throws up his hands.
“I have a feeling Sam needs my help.”
We laugh as my dad shakes his head, walking down the hallway.
“So you like him?” Beth asks.
“No!” I screech.
“She does,” Jake deadpans. “Like, drool-down-her-chin and heart eyes every time he walks by. I give you props, today must have been so hard.”
“Shut up!” I throw wadded-up newspaper at him. “I would never date a man like Enzo Mancini. Not that he’d ever look for a girlfriend. I mean, he’s about as soulless as Ted Bundy.”
“Oh, comparing him to a serial killer. Could you by chance be in denial?” Mae taps her lips.
I narrow my eyes.
“She’s always liked unavailable men,” Beth says, sliding to the edge of the couch. I pray she’s going to have the baby so I can get out of this conversation.
“Beth…”
She laughs. Mae helps her to her feet when she sees my sister struggling. Seriously, I already secretly love my niece or nephew for putting my sister through this hell.
“You always love the ones who don’t want love. Remember Timmy Gross, senior year?”
“Other than his name, what was wrong with him?” Jake asks, handing me a stack of plates.
“He was the quarterback of the football team and asked Annie to senior prom, but then ended up skipping it altogether to head to a college party. She had to go stag.”
“Thanks for that trip down memory lane, sis. Any other horrible times you’d like to bring up to boost my self-esteem?” I break down a box, imagining it’s Timmy’s head.
“I keep telling you it’s their loss, but this guy, he sounds like the kind of guy who will break your heart.”
“Give me some credit. I’m twenty-seven now. I know a bad boy when I see one. Especially one who would never commit. Besides, you’ll be happy to know he doesn’t even know my name. So everyone can just stay out of my love life.”
Beth takes a sip of water, one hand on her belly as she stares at me. “Just reminding you. Remember Sam has that cousin who really liked you at the wedding.”
Mae cringes behind my sister’s back because I told her all about the guy with the bad breath and a diamond stud who wouldn’t leave me alone at my sister’s wedding.
“Thanks, but I don’t think he’s my type.”
Beth rolls her eyes. “I can see that. I mean, he’s a nice guy looking for a wife and excited to have a family. Definitely not Annie Stewart’s type.”
I’ve never been so happy to see my sister waddle away.
Mae rushes over and sits on a stack of boxes. “So tell us for real. How was he to work with?”
“Well, after the striptease and asking me to lick whipped cream off his abs…”
Mae’s eyes are practically lighting up.
“Snap out of it,” I scold. “It was horrible, and now Mr. Jacobson wants me to work on the Coddle ad with him because I opened my big mouth in the meeting.”
Jake stops and slides to the side of the box. “You get to work on the Coddle account?”
“Well, I mean, who knows. Mr. Mancini will probably squeeze me out.”
“Do not let him. This is your big opportunity.” Jake’s hands land on my shoulders. “You better let me ride your rainbow all the way to the top with you.”
I laugh. “I’m pretty sure I’m going nowhere.”
“It’s the biggest account Jacobson and Earl have ever had a shot at. I heard the diapers account is only the beginning. That if we nail the diaper campaign, they’ll shift everything over to us. A whole rebranding of all their product lines.” Jake’s way more excited than I am. “Pretty soon, you’ll be out of Inwood and moving to the Upper East Side.”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up. Honestly. Nothing is going to happen.”
Jake raises his eyebrows and returns to unpacking boxes. Mae squeezes my forearm and gives me a smile.
I take a moment to let it sink in… what it might mean if I actually get to contribute to the Coddle campaign. It would do amazing things for my career. But working alongside Enzo Mancini presents its own challenges. Challenges I’m determined to meet.
- Writer
