Chapter One: Money Talks

My aqua blue flats skidded up the jet’s steps as a made my way up. Panting and grunting, I lugged my giant puke green suitcase up the steps. The flight attendant did nothing as he watched me suffer. Asshole.

“ Need some help with that Miss? “ the attendant asked at the exact moment that I finished thrusting my suitcase up.

I plastered on a Splenda sweet smile, “Nope, Thanks for the generous offer though!”

I let the sarcasm sink in for a minute, before I started to push my crap further inside the jet. Lanning had not been kidding when she said she had a job in mind for me. After claiming her ominous statement, a thick layer of silence had filled the conference room.

She paused for a moment, obviously enjoying the way she had the entire meeting wrapped around her manicured finger.

“Something like…Joshua Lachowski.”

The entire place cringed when she said his name and I didn’t miss the sly yet petrified stares that were sent across the room.

“Is that, or he, bad?” I could feel my nose scrunching up with confusion making my eyes ten times smaller.

Lanning chuckled and winked throwing my words back at me, “Oh! Well according to your resume you can handle him and much more.”

It finally hit me, Lanning saw me as a threat.

Me, the flimsy 20 year old nerd. Later I would find out that the Silicone Bitch didn’t even have a degree or a brain. At that moment I had been completely unaware.

“You see, I’m giving you an amazing opportunity! You’ll have the pleasure to manage and assist the world’s top male model. It will be just like being a secretary except with benefits. Just keep our little Joshua in line, have him looking perfect for his photo shoots, and get him where he has to be when he has to be there. The traveling and luxury are added benefits. I don’t have to mention the eighty grand a year now do I?” Her eyes narrowed into little slits and a smirk crept up her face when she finished. 

Eighty Grand a year? I thought of all the boxes of Ramen noodles I could buy, but most importantly how I wouldn't even have to see or buy another box of noodles ever again.Obviously, Money had the power to speak and so did I.

“Ok!” I piped up in awe.

Lenning’s evil laugh and the pitiful stairs I got from the rest of the group should have been warning enough. Could you blame me for being blinded by the money signs?

That afternoon , I did what any rational person would do. That is, I googled the shit out of Joshua Lachowski. Drugs, DUI’s, partying, disappearances, irresponsibility, and overall carelessness were evident in every article that popped up. I was really regretting accepting the job that night before I went to bed, but I was not going to lose eighty grand a year because of some reckless and conceited male model. Nope, I knew what I had to do, and that was keep Joshua Lachowski in line even if it killed me.

I remembered how I internally cringed when I read Lenning’s E-mail the week later. Flying to Paris to escort Lachowski would be my first job, and I was already pigging out on sweets.

Along with my attitude problem, I was also a nervous eater. The dumb habit started during my junior and senior year of high school. Every time I had to take a test such as the Accuplacer or some shit, I had the irresistible urge to eat.  I had 3 cakes and two tubs of ice cream the day I took my SAT.

An hour before I had to get on the jet I scarfed down a whole order of Chow Mein. I had the chopsticks to prove it in my back pocket.

Wiping the sweat and strands of hair from my face, I finally made it to the main section.

Guess who found herself smack center of a plane full of stylists, models, and makeup artists? This girl.

Geez, all of the women on the plane cast narrowed eyes towards my sweat pant covered legs all the way up to my NYU T-shirt. I surveyed them the same way, vaguely registering that each one of them had a skinny glass of champagne in their hands. Who the hell would wear six inch heels on a plane? Granted it was a jet, but you won't be walking on a runway while you're in your seat!

Huffing I surveyed the rest of the plane, putting on an air of contempt. If these stuck up people thought they could intimidate me with their designer clothes and perfect hair they had another thing coming.

A short stumpy guy with an overly gelled buzzcut made his way towards me. Sticking out a skinny right hand he introduced himself, "Darling! I'm Johnny! And you must be the new babysitter! Doll, I understand that you're new to all of this but...flats with sweats? Tsk Tsk"

Babysitter? Johnny giggled after talking and took another hearty sip of the alcohol in his hand. Lucky me, I had a very drunk and very gay man standing before me handing out fashion advise.  I rolled my eyes but was momentarily distracted by the flight attendants voice behind me.

"Ms. Hurwitz! Always a pleasure to have you flying with us," He gushed like a teenage girl before continuing. "Don't you dare hurt yourself, allow me to carry your things!"

My mouth dropped when I caught sight of the previously lazy attendant practically lugging 30 pounds of luggage in his hands.  Behind him stood a tall, skinny, and obviously beautiful blonde. He would, I thought.

"Why doesn't he just offer to carry her instead?" Imumbled bitterly under my breath.

Her hair was down in short old Hollywood curls and she wore an extremely tight and revealing leather wrap dress. With her heals clinking on the carpet floor, she rushed toward Johnny's side.

"Gola! Princess it's so good to see you!" Johnny shouted drunkenly above the silence before giving her a kiss on both cheeks.

Gola? What kind of name was that? The tall blonde fluttered her eyelashes dramatically before speaking.

"Is he here? Where is he? Did he ask about me?" She asked in an excited squeaky voice.

Johnny chucked before pointing towards the back of the plane. The chick practically ran towards the direction that he pointed to, in a second she was gone.

"Fetch pretty rich girl," Johnny muttered under his breath. Too bad he was so drunk and I caught myself hearing him.

"And who would she be fetching," I asked with narrowed eyes. This guy was not someone who could be trusted, and I was starting to realize that.

His eyes widened in shock at being heard for a moment, but he quickly recovered. Placing a taunting smile he replied, "Well, your job of course. Actually, let me do you a favor. She isn't fetching your job, she's probably currently doing your job in the bathroom cabin right now and that means that you're not doing your job."

Johnny giggled once and sauntered off into another seat to the front. At first, I thought that he had been drunk talking. You know, the way drunk people do when they've had one too many and don't know what the heck they're talking about anymore. I felt extremely naive until it hit me.  Joshua was doing it with the Gola chick in the bathroom right now!

Oh hell no! I turned to a snooty red head that was sitting towards my left.

"You know where the bathroom is?"

Huffing, she pointed towards the back and continued to flip her Vogue magazine lazily. Thanks a lot, I thought, walking hastily towards the bathroom.

I finally reached it, but came to an abrupt stop. Load moaning and breathing could be heard from the other side. Jesus! How gross would it be if I went inside while they were in mid-action?

I could not open that door!

"Come on Lilly, you can do this. For eighty grand you can do just about anything. Just bust that door open and get it over with. You can keep this pervert in line damn it!" I nervously whispered more encouragements to myself.

Steeling myself for the worst, I pulled the door open. I walked in with caution, barely noticing the pile of clothes right at the entrance. Tripping, I gripped the door handle to steady myself. So much for imposing a commanding figure.  That still didn't stop me from face planting a pair of boxers on the floor. For a bathroom, this place was freaking enormous.

"Oh my god," I yelled as I gloriously dropped to the ground.

Needless to say, I had never been more embarrassed and grossed out in my life. I roughly pulled the undergarments from under my face, but then realized how disgusting a bathroom floor could be.

"Wherever you are, put these on. Now." I commanded in a muffled voice. Having underwear in your mouth could really scatter your thoughts. I thrust the damn things in the air, side to side, because I had no idea where in the small compartment he could be.  This moment could definitely take the worst first impression award if it ever competed. The boxers were yanked from my hands after several moments. I could hear shuffling, where Joshua was hopefully putting them back on, and giggling most likely from the Gola chick.

I heard an annoyed sigh, which I took as my cue to stand up and open my eyes. Once back on my feet, I put my entire attention into Gola before speaking.

"Why don't you put the rest of your clothes on and go be your classy self somewhere else, while I have a tiny chit chat with your boyfriend?"

I noticed the confused look on her face and made sure to mimic her own voice while I said it, maybe then she could understand me better. After a few moments, without bothering to put her dress back on, the Gola chick left the room.

I couldn't put it off any longer. I turned towards what was now my Job and met him straight on. Too bad that my 'Bitch Mode' mechanism turned off at that very moment. How come the stupid words wouldn't come to my mouth?

"Ugh, if you wanted me so bad you could have just waited" Joshua huffed, slightly annoyed but amused.

Wanted who so bad? Waited for what? Jesus, this guy was making me nervous.

"You must be pretty confident though, that's a plus. I don't do girls like you, but I guess I could make an exception."

As if he was doing me a holy favor, he crushed his lips to mine.