Blind Trust Read online

  Angelica had implied to Monroe that Lucy wasn’t doing her job. Now Lucy noted everything and made sure she could account for every task she did for the actress if there ever came a time when she needed to. Tonight, though Monroe might blow her off, she was going to report these notes and gifts because she was concerned. It didn’t seem normal, some stranger sending lingerie, and if Lucy were going to make an error, it would be to error on the side of caution.

  It being evening and the dinner hour, Monroe didn’t answer his phone. Likely, he was at a dinner club making deals. She left a message briefly telling him what was going on and asked him to call her.

  The next morning as Lucy was riding in the taxi with Angelica to her salon appointment, she mentioned she’d called Monroe. Angelica shrugged it off. “People send me things all the time. You know that. You shouldn’t bother Monroe with stupid stuff like this.”

  Lucy kept her thoughts to herself.

  At the Simply Divine Beauty Shop in L.A., Lucy and Angelica stood by the reception desk waiting for the attendant to get off the phone. She hung up and then said, “Miss Glory! So good to see you! What can I do for you today?”

  Lucy said, “Miss Glory is here for her nine thirty appointment.”

  “Oh no.” The woman shook her head. “You cancelled that appointment yesterday.”

  “No, that’s a mistake. I didn’t call to cancel it.” Lucy said, pulling out the email she had sent and the one she had received. “The appointment is for today at nine thirty. Hair color and nails.”

  “Well now, yes you did.” The woman took the salon appointment book and turned it around, placing it where they could both see it. “Yesterday at noon. See. You called and cancelled.”

  On the appointment calendar was clearly written: cancelled Friday, twelve ten, Lucy Wood.

  “We write everything down. You called. You just don’t remember.”

  “I did not call to cancel this appointment.”

  “Stupid girl.” Angelica faced Lucy, furious. “Stop lying. You screwed up again. Now fix it.” She marched over to the soft yellow leather couch in the reception area and sunk down onto it, waiting.

  Lucy watched her march off with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  How could this be happening again? It shouldn’t have, not when I’ve been so careful.

  She turned back to the receptionist. “I don’t understand how this happened. I didn’t call to cancel,” Lucy insisted. “Who took the call?

  The receptionist raised an eyebrow and said, “I did.”

  “Was it a man or a woman who called?”

  She gave her hard stare, and then said, “Look, this says Lucy Wood,” she tapped the page three times with her long, red fingernail, “right here. It was obviously a woman.”

  “I …I don’t understand.” The whole thing had Lucy confused and frustrated as her thoughts raced.

  Why would someone impersonate me and cancel the appointment? This made no sense.

  “I don’t understand how this happened. I didn’t call.” She pulled out her own appointment book and opened it. “I would have made a note if I’d called. And there’s no note. It wasn’t me who called.”

  The receptionist raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that said she clearly thought Lucy was a liar.

  This was not getting them anywhere and Angelica needed her hair and her nails done.

  “Can you still do her hair and nails?”

  “Absolutely not. There’s not enough time to do everything. She’ll be lucky if we can squeeze her in for a root touch up two hours from now. You know Sebastian has a waiting list.”

  “Oh no. I’d hoped you could.”

  “Do you want to try that or not?”

  “Yes, please see if we can make that happen.”

  “I’ll be right back.” The receptionist went to the back of the room and then returned with Sebastian, Angelica’s hairdresser.

  He walked over to where Angelica was seated. “Darling! I understand there has been a mix up. It’s so hard to get good help these days. Of course, any spot that opens up is immediately taken. You know how in demand my services are. If only I’d known you were not cancelling. But this is not your fault and I’m making an exception for you today. I will skip my lunch just to fit you in and we’ll take care of those roots. Will that help?”

  “Sebastian,” Angelica placed her hand on her heart with her usual flair of drama, “I appreciate you. My roots are a priority. Which you just know. And you are certainly right about the help.” She shot Lucy a glare. “This sort of thing never happened to me before.”

  Lucy turned beet red, wanted to protest again that she hadn’t called to cancel the appointment, but knew it would be futile. No one was listening to her or believing her.

  How could this have happened?

  At least they’d get Angelica in for a dye job. As far as it never happening before, maybe it hadn’t, but Lucy was the fifth assistant Miss Glory had hired. Or rather, her manager, Monroe, had hired. God only knows what had happened to the first four.

  “Darling, why don’t you take an early lunch at Pierre’s and have a glass of wine while you’re waiting. They have the most divine waiter there named Avellino. I’ve been dying to ask him out. You ask for him and he’ll take good care of you. Then when you come back, I’ll restore those glorious locks of yours.”

  “That sounds lovely. Thank you, Sebastian.”

  “My pleasure, darling.”

  Angelica turned her attention to Lucy again. “Call them right away and get me a table.”

  “Yes, Miss Glory.” Lucy got out her phone to look up the number of the popular L.A. restaurant. She’d be on her own for lunch, yet would still have to keep an eye on her boss. Silly as it was, they’d need two tables, one for each of them. She stepped outside to make the call so she could speak freely. “Yes. I need two tables for one, under the name Angelica Glory, both close enough to see each other.”

  That likely sounded ridiculous, but a table where she could keep an eye on her boss was what Lucy needed. Angelica with two hours to do nothing but drink wine and wait for an appointment could spell trouble if her drinking got out of hand in public. This wasn’t a good start to the day.

  In the taxi on the way to lunch, Angelica said, “I was embarrassed. And I do not like having to beg. Pay heed. This isn’t the first mistake you’ve made. One more incident like today and you’re fired.”

  “It won’t happen again.”

  With no idea how it happened this time, Lucy couldn’t be sure of that, but she did know she was competent at her job and gave it her best. This wasn’t a screw up she would have made. Unfortunately, these strange things that she could have sworn she didn’t do just kept happening.

  Why did this kind of thing keep happening? Why would somebody call the salon and pretend to be me? Are they trying to get me fired? And if so, who?

  She couldn’t imagine who. Her head was already starting to hurt. This was a bad start to what would be a very long day.

  By the end of the day, Lucy was exhausted and had just kicked off her shoes to rest on the couch after putting a small frozen lasagna in the oven when her phone rang.

  Monroe’s name flashed on the screen.

  “Hello, Monroe. Thank you for calling me back.”

  “Do you still have the notes?”

  “Yes. I keep and file everything she receives.”

  “Good. I want to see them.”

  “They’re at the office.”

  “Meet me there in an hour.”

  “Okay.”

  They hung up and Lucy put the phone down with a sigh, and then went in the kitchen to turn off the oven.

  There was just enough time for a quick shower and to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before she had to go out again to make it through L.A. traffic to be at the office in an hour. Eating a sandwich as she drove wasn’t how she’d wanted to end her day, though it did keep the pounds off not having time for regular meals. She r
eally needed a raise. And a day, or better yet, a week off.

  By the time she’d made it back to her apartment and had fallen into bed, she was glad she’d made the call to Monroe. He’d taken it seriously and, after seeing the notes side by side he’d made three calls. The first was to the head of a company who advised on security threats such as stalking, the second to a colleague whose client had been shot by a love-crazed fan, and the third to a bodyguard service based in Montana, which came recommended by the colleague. He was taking no chances with his famous client. Now, everything was arranged.

  Angelica and Lucy would be flying to Montana to lay low, and a bodyguard service had been hired to protect the actress.

  Lucy’s wish had partially been granted. Overtime pay and a vacation. A vacation, which included spending twenty-four-seven with Angelica. And they were leaving in three days.

  Luckily, Monroe was informing Angelica of all this. Lucy had tomorrow off to finalize anything she needed to before she went out of town and to prepare for the trip, while also clearing everything on Angelica’s calendar. Not really a day off, but it was better than none.

  The following day, she’d be helping Angelica pack. Angelica would have to get her nails done somewhere other than her favorite salon in L.A., if they couldn’t squeeze her in before they flew out. After the way the receptionist reacted to Lucy, she doubted she’d have luck when she called in the morning to ask them to squeeze Angelica in again. She couldn’t even tell them why Angelica was leaving.

  Monroe didn’t want the tabloids to pick up the story. The official spiel was Miss Glory was taking a much-needed vacation at a spa.

  Lucy couldn’t tell a soul what was really going on. She shivered. Someone was stalking Angelica.

  Note From the Author

  I hope and pray that one day domestic abuse will no longer take place anywhere. Until that day . . . Please know that if this has happened to you, you are not alone and you are loved. Reach out to someone, anyone, and let one of us help. – Debra Parmley, founder Shimmy Mob Memphis.

  United States International Domestic Abuse Hotline

  1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

  For more information about domestic abuse, resources and information about international Shimmy Mob go to

  www.ShimmyMob.com

  About Debra Parmley

  “Every day we are alive is a beautiful day.” – Debra Parmley

  Debra Parmley is a multi genre, hybrid romance author born in Columbus, Ohio and raised in Springfield, Ohio. She has lived just outside Memphis, Tennessee since 1997. Debra attended Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania and was the first student to win first place in two categories of the Delta Epsilon Sigma Beta Epsilon Chapter writing competition, in create prose and in informal expository. Her poetry was published in literary journals while attending college. She holds a BA in English Literature.

  Debra enjoys spreading love, one story at a time. Fascinated by fairy tales and folktales ever since she was young, she always ends her stories with a happy ever after. Damsels in distress stories favorites, and you’ll find this theme in many of her stories. An Air Force veteran’s wife, Debra enjoys writing military romance. Veterans hold a special place in her heart.

  Debra has set foot in over thirteen countries. Her books often include elements from her travels. Her three favorite things are dark chocolate, visiting the beach and ocean, and hearing from her readers. Each card, and letter is a treasured gift, like finding a perfect shell upon the beach.

  Visit debraparmley.com

  Original Brotherhood Protectors Series

  By Elle james

  Brotherhood Protectors Series

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  Brotherhood Protectors Vol 1

  About Elle James

  ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of books including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty works in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington, Cleis Press, and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories. Learn more about Elle James at www.ellejames.com

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