Pinky and the Beast Read online

  Pinky and the Beast

  by

  Ana Alexander

  Copyright © 2019 by Ana Alexander

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Sophie

  „You are a strong, independent woman! You are brave. You are fierce. You are going to nail this interview! You will not get nervous. You will not start to babble and say stupid things.”

  The woman I`m sharing an elevator with looks at me like I`m crazy and tries to get as far away as the steel box supported by cables will allow. I just smile at her.

  „Sorry, I have an interview, and I`m a little nervous. I`m great at giving pep-talks, so I thought I`d give myself one.”

  The woman rolls her eyes and proceeds to ignore me. I am unfortunately used to people acting like that. I have a love of boho-chic clothes, and my hair is currently a lovely shade of cotton candy pink, so I must look like a hippie compared to her all-business attire.

  I`m interviewing for an assistant position today. I`ve worked as an assistant before, but it was for small start-up companies were the mood was relaxed, and my bosses were super laid back. My interview today is with Marshall Hoggins from Hoggins, Lance, and Jones, which is a law firm.

  When the agency told me about this job, I told them that I didn`t think I was the right fit for an attorney, but they assured me that Hoggins was conducting the interview for one of his clients. They wouldn`t tell me who the client was, which had only picked my curiosity, but it also made me very nervous.

  The elevator finally stops on the fifteenth floor, where my interview is supposed to take place.

  „Wish me luck,” I tell the woman who is now playing with her phone in an effort to ignore the pink-haired odd-ball she`s been sharing an elevator with. She looks up from her phone long enough to give me another eye roll.

  „You should be careful with that. I know a girl who`s eyes got stuck because she kept rolling them.”

  That gets me another glare, but at least there`s no eye roll. Life is full of small victories.

  I step off the elevator and find myself in an imposing-looking reception area. I walk to the front desk, where a friendly-looking blonde is busy typing on her computer.

  „Hi, my name is Sophie Grant. I have an interview with mister Hoggins .”

  She looks up from her computer, and even though her eyes go straight to my pink hair, her polite smile doesn't falter.

  „Hello, miss Grant. I`ll let mister Hoggins know you`re here, won`t you please take a seat .”

  I would much rather pace the reception area because I hate having to sit down when I`m nervous, but I don`t think that would look very professional, so I thank the friendly receptionist and take a seat on one of the comfy-looking chairs. Thankfully I don`t have to wait long before I`m being ushered in a large office.

  It`s one of those offices that looks very old-school elegant with lots of heavy-looking furniture and an expensive-looking carpet. Behind an enormous mahogany desk, I see whom I presume to be the man I`m here to interview with.

  Mister Hoggins is a short, chubby middle-aged man, and he looks like he`s on a steady diet of coffee and energy drinks.

  „Miss Grant, hello. Sit, sit. Can I get you some coffee, tea, water?” He looks hipper as hell, but strangely enough, that helps me relax.

  „Some water would be great, thank you.” I take a seat in one of the chairs that sit opposite his desk.

  „Of course. Maisie, please get miss Grant some water and a coffee for me. Now, I was very pleased when the agency told me they were sending you today. Yes, yes, very pleased, indeed. I`m going to be honest with you, Sophie. Can I call you Sophie?”

  „Of course. I prefer it, actually.”

  „Well, Sophie, I`m in a bit of a pickle. My client, I can`t give you his name quite yet, needs a very special type of assistant. He has a problem, and he needs some special type of help to overcome it.”

  Of course, it`s always something. I have the worst luck in the world when it comes to jobs, and it should come as no surprise that a position where the salary is double what I would typically earn would have a catch.

  „What exactly are we talking about mister Hoggins? I`m going to go ahead and assume whatever these special needs are we aren`t talking about anything illegal or, uh, immoral.”

  His chubby face getts alarmingly red, and he starts to shake his head.

  „What, no! Of course not, my dear, nothing like that. My client had a terrible accident two months ago and was in a considerable amount of pain, so he was forced to take pain medicine. Very strong pain medicine. The kind you can only get if a doctor prescribes it to you.”

  He looks at me meaningfully and seems pleased when I only nod, having understood where the story is going.

  „Fortunately, my client saw the pain medicine was harming him, so he sought out help.”

  I try to keep my face as neutral as possible.

  „That`s great. Most people don`t realize what`s happening before it`s too late. What pain medicine was he on?”

  „Fentanyl .”

  „Wow, that`s some heavy stuff. His injury must have been severe.”

  I know a lot about the subject because my mom is a doctor at one of the most sought-after drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Denver, which I`m guessing is the reason my agency picked me for this job.

  „Yes, it was a very painful injury, and even though he tried very hard to deal with it without drugs, he couldn`t. I know I`m not giving you very much information, but before I go into detail, I need to know if you would be interested in the position he`s offering. I also need to tell you that you would have to live with my client for at least six months until his employers are satisfied that he won`t relapse. You would have to be his sobriety companion in addition to the work you would be doing as his assistant. At the end of the six months, you would be free to move out of his home, and you will be paid an additional fifty thousand dollars as a bonus .”

  Fifty thousand dollars. That is a huge amount of money, and it makes me wonder even more who this guy is and how much he must be worth if his bosses are willing to pay that much money to make sure he stays clean.

  The idea of living with and becoming the shadow of a person I don`t know is a bit daunting, but it`s not like I have a lot going on in my life. I`ve been single for over a year, and besides my best friend Gwen and my brother Sam, I don`t have anyone who would miss me.

  My mom is always working, and my dad and his new wife have moved to Kansas, so we don`t see each other very often.

  What do I have to lose? I would certainly be an excellent addition to my CV.

  „Mister Hoggins, I`m going to be very honest with you. I assume my mother being a doctor in a rehabilitation clinic is a big part of why you`ve chosen me for this position, so I feel I need to tell you that even though I know more about addiction than the average person, I`m not trained in any way to deal with people suffering from it.”

  „I`m well aware, Sophie, don`t worry. My client is receiving professional care, but his employers are adamant that he receive extra help and, to be honest, extra supervision to not fail in this.”

  Well, I suppose I can do that. I`ll have to talk to my mom and ask her for advice on how to best go about this.

  „As long as y
ou understand that I have no training in this, then yes, I`m interested in the job.”

  „I`m going to need more than that I`m afraid. Before I tell you the identity of my client, I`ll need you to sign an NDA, a non-disclosure agreement. I`m sure you understand.”

  Wow, who the hell is this guy? Is it Trump? I hope it isn`t Trump because I wouldn`t live with that guy for five million dollars.

  „Alright ”

  He opens his desk drawer and gets out a document.

  „Here it is. It`s a pretty standard NDA, but please feel free to read it.”

  Of course, I`m going to read it. I`m not stupid. It takes a few minutes, but I manage to understand the bulk of it, and it all seems ok, so I sign it.

  „Well, now that`s out of the way, I can give you all the relevant information. My client is Max Kingston, and, as you may know, he`s a linebacker for the Denver Wolves .”

  A football player. I must say I hadn`t thought about that, but it makes perfect sense. I`m not a football fan, but my brother is, and he happens to be a Wolves fan, so I`ve heard of Max Kingston. He`s one of the team`s stars players, and I guess he must be worth a lot of money. Sam told me he got injured pretty bad a few weeks ago, but I wasn`t paying much attention, so I don`t know what kind of injury it was. I`m trying to remember what the guy looks like, but all I can remember is that he`s really tall, but that`s the case with most football players.

  „He`s recovering from his shoulder injury, and the team owners also want him to be one hundred percent recovered from his Fentanyl problem, so he spends most of his time at his house, but he`s soon scheduled to begin physiotherapy and then start practice. The team owners have made it very clear that they want someone with him at all time.”

  „That sounds a bit extreme to me. I mean, he did sound the alarm as soon as he felt something was off with the Fentanyl, so that must prove to them he`s serious about his career and health .”

  Hoggins shakes his head, and it strikes me that he looks a lot like a tired owl.

  „Sophie, do you know how much money Max makes? About three million dollars a year, and that`s without endorsement deals. He`s worth a lot of money, so it makes sense for the owners to go to extreme measures to protect their investment.”

  Wow, that is a lot of money. My salary doesn't seem so high right about now.

  „When do I get to meet him, does he get a say in whether I get the job or not? I suppose since he`ll be spending all his time with me, he`ll need to give his okay.” I would suck if we couldn`t stand each other.

  Mister Hoggins looks a bit uncomfortable and takes a huge sip of his coffee before answering me.

  „Max is a bit upset at the moment, as I`m sure you can understand. He isn`t playing, which is hard for any athlete, and then there`s this whole problem with the pain killers, so he`s a bit, ah, recalcitrant about having someone living with him and watching his every move. To be completely honest, he doesn't want this.”

  Great, he already hates me. I mean, I can see where the guy is coming from but still.

  „Maybe if I meet with him before we sign the contract, he`ll feel like he has some say in this and he`ll feel better about it. He's supposed to live with me shadowing his every move for a whole year, and it`s only fair he gets to meet me first.”

  „I`m afraid that`s not how it works. The team owners have entrusted me with picking a suitable candidate, and whether he likes you or not is not a deciding factor. You have experience as an assistant, and you know about drug addiction, you are available to move in with him for the duration of the six months. You are perfect.”

  „That`s very nice of you, but I still think it would be best if I meet with him before.”

  „There is no time. The team owners want this settled as soon as possible. It`s in Max`s best interest for you to start work immediately so he can start his physiotherapy and get back in shape soon. He`s always miserable when he isn`t playing .”

  „Alright, if you think so. When do you want me to start?”

  „Tomorow.”

  Say what now?!

  „Tomorow? That`s very soon.”

  „I know, and I realize I`m asking for quite a lot, but as I said, the sooner, the better. We will, of course, assist you with anything you might need but I`m going to have to insist you move in tomorrow. As I said, the owners want this resolved, and Max wants to start his recovery, and to achieve that, you need to start now.”

  „Well, if you want me to start tomorrow, I`ll have to start packing right away. I have to talk to my brother and my best friend and tell them I`m moving in with my new boss.” I`m freaking out a little, and I`m sure I sound just as hipper as mister Hoggins.

  „About that, I`m sure you understand you can`t tell anybody about Max`s problem and why you`ll be staying with him.”

  „Not even my brother? He`s a police detective. He won`t tell anyone. And my best friend is a kindergarten teacher and the most discreet person I know.”

  He just shakes his head.

  „I`m sorry, no one can know. It`s non-negotiable, I`m afraid.”

  I blow out a breath.

  „I hope you don`t mind if I say this sucks. Like really, really sucks.”

  „I know, but I`m sure you`ll manage just fine. I have the utmost faith in you.”

  Well, that makes one of us.

  ◆◆◆

  „I`m sorry, you`re what?”

  I try to finish packing my bags while telling Gwen, my best friend in the whole world, about my new job while purposely leaving out quite a bit of information.

  „I`m moving in with my new boss.” I try to say it like it`s the most normal thing in the world, but she`s not buying it.

  „I got that, but why are you moving in with your boss? You`ve never done that before.”

  „He`s a football player, and he got injured, so now he`s in recovery, and he needs someone to stay with him in case he needs help.”

  It`s the only story I could come up with even though I know it isn`t a very good one. I `m dreading having to tell my brother, the freaking detective, but I`m hoping his love for the Wolves will make him less suspicious than he would typically be.

  „You`re not a nurse, why would you need to live there? I don`t like this Soph, what if the guy`s a pervert or something?”

  „It`s fine, don`t worry. He doesn't like a lot of people in his space, and his injury doesn't require a nurse, so this is the solution his team`s owners came up with.”

  She doesn't seem too convinced, and when she gets her phone out, I know what`s coming. Google.

  „What`s his name?”

  I sigh, knowing full well what`s going to happen.

  „Max Kingston. He`s a linebacker for the Denver Wolves.”

  She types into her phone, and as soon as she sees his picture, her eyes go big.

  „Are you out of your mind?” She holds her phone to my face as if I don`t already know what the man looks like. The first thing I did after leaving Hoggins` office was google Max Kingston, and after seeing his picture, I knew this had the potential to be a total clusterfuck.

  You see, every woman has her kryptonite, and by that, I mean we all have a type of guy that we are unavoidably attracted to. For me, it`s the brooding ones. The ones who look a little bit mean and unapproachable. It`s fucked-up since I`m innately a cheerful, optimistic person.

  Max Kingston is, physically speaking, the personification of my kryptonite. Dark hair, indigo blue eyes, a sexy beard, and a mean look on his face. Also, he `s freaking huge. Good old Google said he `s 6 ft 4 and weighs two-hundred and forty pounds. Total.Kryptonite.

  „You can`t live in the same house as this guy. You`ll end up sexually assaulting him in a week. At most.”

  „Your confidence in me is humbling G.Like, you should totally write my references.”

  „Oh, please, you know I`m right. I`m telling you, Soph, I have a bad feeling about this.”

  „You know, I thought Sam was the one who was going to give me a hard time, not you.”

&n
bsp; Predictably, at the mention of my brother`s name Gwen goes into her Sam-spell. She`s been in love with him for the last three years, ever since I first introduced them, but unfortunately, my brother doesn't seem to be aware she`s of the female species. The truth is my brother is what one would call a serial dater, and the women that he persues are more of the bombshell variety whereas Gwen is a marry-her type, so she`s resigned herself to the role of friend. She`s cute, petite, and dresses how you`d expect a kindergarten teacher to dress. She also uses the word fudge instead of fuck and likes to bake cookies. My brother would best be described as a GQ model with a badge. I used to hate the fact that he`s prettier than me.

  „Is Sam coming over?” She sounds both hopeful and panicked, and I wish for the hundredth time that my brother would get his head out of his ass and see her. Like really see her.

  „No, he`s working tonight, but I`m going to have to call and tell him, and I`m not looking forward to that.”

  „Yeah, he`s not going to like it.”

  „What`s he gonna do, ground me? I`m a twenty-six-year-old woman. I`m the one at the sail. I`m the master of my sea.”

  „Did you just quote Believer by Imagine Dragons?”

  „Yes I did, I`m an intellectual like that. Don`t be jealous.”

  „I`ll try. Why are you taking so many clothes, how long are you going to live there? His injury can`t be that bad.”

  „My contract says I have to live with him for six months .”

  „What? What the fudge, there`s something else going on here. What kind of injury requires a live-in personal assistant for six months ?”

  I shrug and do my best innocent face.

  „You know how these athletes are, spoiled to the core. Do you know how much money he makes in a year? It`s an absurd amount.”

  „Stop trying to change the subject. Do you forget I spend my whole day with toddlers, I`m impervious to evasion techniques .”

  „Well, I don`t know what you want me to say. It`s the job that I was offered, and the pay is way too good for me to pass it up, so for the next six months, I`m going to be Max Kingston`s roommate. I`m sure his house is fabulous, and honestly, there are worse jobs than living with a hottie.”