Stuck On My Stepbrother Read Online Free Page A

years as the boss. The walls were full of certificates, each one in a plastic, faux-gold frame, most of them hanging slightly lopsided, the ink fading on them a little and the paper bleached, from facing the sun. There was a display cabinet of small, dusty-looking trophies at the back of the room, and Christina’s desk was cluttered with family portraits, novelty paperweights, piles of dog-eared paper, and coffee stains. It smelt like she’d been smoking in here all morning. I thought smoking was banned in the building…?
    She walked over to the window, looking out at the city. The sunlight showed up the dust in the room – I could see it floating around her body, like she was standing in mist. I surmized that I must be surrounded by the same cloud of dust. I tried not to think about the tiny particles of dead skin, paper fibers, animal hairs and plant pollen that we were breathing in together. Obviously, trying not to think about it made me think about it. It’s known as the White Bear Problem, or ironic process theory . Deliberate attempts to suppress certain thoughts make you much more likely to think about them. It’s what made dieting so tricky for some people, I guessed, and it explained why I always got so anxious and nervous in social situations. Don’t worry , I always told myself. And then I worried like crazy.
    Right now, I was pretty damn worried. Christina was uncharacteristically quiet, particularly after that hugging display that had taken place in the corridor just ten minutes ago. What had happened between then and now for her to turn so pale, to look so angry? Had she heard about my tears last night? What about Jen? Shouldn’t she be angry at Jen instead? I felt my legs begin to tremble, a reflex action that always occurred in me when I sensed a confrontation coming.
    Eventually, Christina turned around to face me. ‘You’ve been working here for three weeks, Rose,’ she began.
    Oh god, she’s not going to fire me, is she? She’s not allowed to fire me, is she? Can you be fired for crying? Did I make the company look bad? Has Jen lied again and got me into trouble? My mind was racing.
    ‘Have you enjoyed your little stay with us, Rose?’ she asked. Something about the way she’d asked that seemed threatening.
    ‘Yes, thank you,’ I said. ‘It’s been a great opportunity–’
    ‘Look, let’s cut to the chase,’ she said, pulling a cigarette out of her jacket pocket, and sticking it in her mouth. She lit the cigarette, took a long breath in, and blew smoke into the center of the room, towards me. I tried not to cough. ‘I heard about last night, Rose. Oh, I heard about it alright. News travels fast.’ She took a moment to laugh at her own joke. ‘News… travels fast,’ she muttered again, pleased with herself, then she frowned and stared at me. ‘Now I don’t know why, but Global Media seem to have taken an interest in the little altercation that took place onstage last night.’
    ‘Global Media? What do they have to do with us?’ My voice shook as I spoke. This wasn’t something to do with Adam… It couldn’t be. Could it?
    ‘Absolutely fuck all,’ snapped Christina. ‘And that’s the problem. They want to talk to you.’
    I blinked away the cigarette smoke in my tired eyes, trying with all my might not to start crying again. ‘Why?’ I asked. ‘Talk to me about what?’
    Christina looked at me with a steady gaze. Ignoring my question, she said: ‘They want to see you tomorrow morning, nine a.m.’
    Tomorrow?
    ‘Now I don’t know what kind of schmoozing you were getting up to last night, what you said to people after a few drinks… Perhaps you were upset with Jen after she made her little speech… But whatever it is you’ve said – or done – their ears are pricking right up , let me tell you.’
    ‘Christina, I didn’t say a word to anyone, I promise–’
    ‘You’re gonna go and meet them tomorrow, Rose. Just like they ask. But if they’re using you to