Alpha Billionaire Series
Hot Mess Chapter 13

KAYLA

A few weeks later...

"Martha told me at the Auxiliary Guild Thanksgiving that you gave notice at the craft store. Isn't that something you should have told me?"

Mom cornered me in my room. I was going to tell her, in my own time. I just hadn't figured out when that was exactly.

"I was going to tell you."

She glared at me, and at the pile of clothes I had out on my bed.

"It looks like you have a few things to tell me."

I let out a sigh. Yeah, I had a lot to tell her. I guess I didn't have a choice, might as well tell her now. After all she already knew I gave notice, and this was my last week at the craft store.

"I think you need to start with why you thought it was a good idea to take the job and then quit practically immediately. It's not as if you have many options, not with your lack of experience and skills."

I blinked up at her. Did my own mother think so little of me that my only job options were store clerk? Whatever happened to starting at the bottom and working my way up? That was part of the message she had always told me. It's why I stayed with Stole Brothers all through college. I actually didn't like working for the small department store, but I had advanced to department assistant manager for housewares.

The message from Mom had never been to figure out what you love and replace a way to make it into a career or go after something that pays well. And that's what I desperately needed, more money.

It's why I was doing this. Nick Sadler had nothing to do with it. At least that's what I kept telling myself As much as I was embarrassed by everything that happened, I had liked him, liked him more than I knew I could. I didn't understand why he requested me for this job. How could he want to see me after what had happened? But according to Isaac, the man who had contacted me, Nick specifically requested me.

"I was waiting to tell you until everything was confirmed. I gave my notice because I wanted the store

"Until what is confirmed?" Mom pursed her lips, pinching her whole face in.

I took a big breath. I wasn't used to lying to Mom.

a full two weeks, even though I'm only seasonal."

"When I was in Los Angeles, I met..." I paused. I couldn't say I met a man. That would set Mom off on a different tangent. "...a woman, and-"

"Does your uncle know her?"

"I don't think so. I met her at a party that Jessie and Gabe took me to."

Mom crossed her arms and huffed. "Did your uncle know about this party?"

If I thought about it, Uncle Dave didn't seem to know or care what we had done. If I asked him if he was aware that we had gone to a costume party, I had to wonder if he would even remember. He really hadn't paid attention to us at all. "Do your cousins know her?"

"I don't know, Mom. I thought we were just talking, but she really liked me and offered me a job."

Mom narrowed her eyes. "What kind of job? And where?"

I swallowed. This was the hard part.

"The job is in Los Angeles. Hollywood. And the job is as her assistant. I'd be working with her and her clients. She already thinks that I'd be a good fit for some of her older clients." Mom just blinked and glowered at me.

"So you're moving to Los Angeles? Have you contacted your uncle? Will you be staying with him?"

My stomach clenched and I had that sinking feeling. Nothing about this conversation was going right. Nothing about this conversation was easy.

"No, I haven't told Uncle Dave. It re "A single woman, alone in Los Ange "Mom, nothing horrible is going to I told myself this was a good idea, t accept a ridiculous amount of mon The entire situation was ridiculous. "So you're just going to move acros I grimaced. "More like a career mov "Does she have a name? I've notice "Isaac." Crap, I blurted out the nam Mom's eyes narrowed a bit more.

"Donna Isaac," I added the first name I could think of. "She has plenty "What kind of clients? Doing what?" Mom shot question after question "I would be working as a personal assistant."

"Hers or her clients?"

Shit, what had I told her? I was so bad at lying and making stuff up. "SI then work for one of her clients."

I think that sounded feasible.

Mom began nodding her head in little sharp movements. She didn't lik "A career. Do you want a career? I thought you were good with having a "How am I supposed to replace a husband working at a store?" I asked.

h him. And I won't be staying with him. I'll be living in an apartment."

le. Something terrible will happen to you. You might as well advertise to be robbed, or worse."

advertisement for something bad. Plenty of women my age lives on their own, or with roommates. I will be fine." I will be fine. I kept telling myself over and over again.

ther choice. I was being blackmailed for a lot of money. I needed to protect my mother, myself, and Nick's reputation. And right now the best way to do that was to move across the country and y parties.

n't going to make what I needed at the local craft store. Even if I did make it to a managerial position within a year or so.

really see myself doing this work. And my new boss-"

ian who hired me.