Whiskey and Orange Slices Read online

  A Candy Shop Series Novella

  International Bestselling Author

  Michelle Edwards

  Copyright © 2020 by Crazy Ink

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Book Layout © Crazy Ink

  Chapter One

  Bethany

  I leaned against the large tree across the street from the hospital cafe. I pulled the camera closer to my face and looked through the lens, zooming in on the woman sitting alone at a table.

  A moment later my father walked outside with two drinks in his hand, setting one down on the table in front of my mother.

  The camera clicked as he leaned in and kissed her gently.

  As I pulled the camera away from my face, I looked at them once more. Happy, together and no worries. It was time.

  I pulled my leather jacket tighter around my body as I turned and walked in the other direction.

  ***

  My bags waited by the front door of my now empty apartment. The first place I called mine.

  As I took in one last look around, I knew that leaving was the best option. I couldn’t stay where I was hurting my mother anymore.

  “Where to?” the cab driver asked as I got into the backseat.

  “Airport please.” I leaned back into my seat and snapped a few more photos as we drove through the city that I’ve called home for so long.

  I couldn’t bear to stand by and destroy my mother’s life any longer. I was determined to change other people’s lives instead.

  ***

  Welcome to LAX!

  I forced a smile and snapped a quick photo of the sign as I walked through the busy airport.

  I quickly grabbed my bags and was greeted by the warm LA sun. I was thankful that I had learned to flag down a cab or else I would look just like every other tourist here.

  As the cab driver explained landmarks, I snapped photos taking in as much information as I could.

  It was much busier than the city I grew up in, and definitely warmer. The heat soaked through my black leather jacket even from inside the cab.

  My new apartment was small, but mine. It came furnished which was a huge plus when I was picking a place to live. The far wall was covered in worn red brick that surprisingly matched everything in the room. A small kitchen was off to my left with the bedroom and bathroom to the right.

  “I can live with this.” I said aloud to myself as I dragged my bags into the bedroom.

  My phone rang again as I unzipped my suitcase. My father’s name flashed across the screen and a single tear rolled down my face as I silenced the ringer. I couldn’t bring myself to answer. I couldn’t tell him I moved away leaving him alone to handle my mother. I hoped he would understand and know that I left for her to get better.

  “Food, I need groceries.” I sighed to myself as I pushed a stack of tank tops into a drawer.

  I left everything where it was, slipped my phone into my back pocket and headed out into the city I now called home.

  Chapter Two

  Matthew

  I leaned over my desk, reading through the endless piles of papers that landed here earlier today.

  “Senator…” one of my senior staff members said knocking on the half open door.

  “When did I get so much paperwork? Why are we wasting so much on this...this, crap.”

  She looked stunned.

  “Um, I don’t know, but I can look into it for you.”

  I shook my head waving my hand at her, “No. It’s okay. What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to go over tomorrow’s schedule. You have several interviews set up in the morning and in the afternoon you have an appearance at an adoption fair.”

  I nodded, “Do I really have to interview so many people?”

  She sighed, “Yes, because Alexis and I can’t keep doing two different jobs.”

  I knew she was right, I was asking a lot of her lately.

  I looked down at my watch.

  6:42PM

  “Allison. Go home. It’s late.”

  “What about you?”

  “Me? I’m good. I’m going to be heading out of here myself in a minute.”

  She nodded, “Goodnight, Senator.” She spun on her heels and left the room.

  I stared after her and waited until I heard the elevator ding.

  My eyes turned red and I could feel the hunger rising inside of me. I pulled open my desk drawer and pulled out a few pieces of orange candy and popped them into my mouth. The orange taste melted in my mouth and immediately soothed my hunger.

  I packed up a few speeches for the next few days and headed out of the office. It was dark and quiet just as it should be this late at night. I always enjoyed the quiet of the office when everyone was gone. It reminded me how hard my staff works each day.

  I walked down to the parking garage and jumped into my car.

  “One stop and then you are home.” I sighed as I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the busy LA streets. Bumper to bumper for most of my drive to the grocery store.

  Even the grocery store was crowded with people who just got out of work and were grabbing last minute things for dinner. Something that I was doing myself. Eating out alone didn’t appeal to me tonight like it did most other nights.

  I rounded the corner and for the first time since I had become immortal, I felt like I lost my breath.

  A woman stood in the aisle. Her black leather jacket hugged her body perfectly as she stared at the cereal boxes in front of her.

  “When in doubt, go with the captain,” I said, walking up to her.

  She turned and I was taken aback by her.

  “But what if I wanted something healthy?”

  “Cereal is never meant to be boring. Have fun with it.” I smiled.

  She nodded, “Okay then.” She pulled a box off the shelf.

  “Thank you for your suggestion,” she said as she turned and walked down the aisle.

  I just stood there doing my best to control my eyes. Letting the red come out now in a public place like this could be deadly.

  I sucked in a breath, pulled a box off the shelf and continued shopping. I needed dinner for tonight.

  “Maybe you should mind your own business. You don’t know his story, and he’s certainly not begging you for money nor is he asking you for help. And you sure as hell don’t pay for his groceries so either stand there quietly or go get into another lane.” Her voice was easily recognizable as the woman I just flirted with on aisle five.

  She stood between an older gentleman and a woman who looked to be in her forties.

  I quickly jumped into another lane, paid for my stuff and waited until she was finished talking to the man.

  “That was impressive,” I said when she began to walk toward the exit.

  She spun around and looked at me.

  “You again.”

  I nodded, “Me again. I saw what you did. I’m impressed.”

  “And should I be happy about that?”

  I laughed, “You aren’t from around here are you?”

  She shook her head, “Just moved into my apartment today.”

  “That explains it. I’m Matthew Crawford. But everyone calls me Senator Crawford.”

  “Senator huh? Don’t you have people to shop for you?”r />
  “No. That’s called laziness and I don’t stand for it. Nor do I stand for people treating our elders like dirt just because they are a little slower than others.”

  “Well senator, you and I think alike in that aspect.”

  “Good, I’d like to offer you a job.”

  She laughed so loud people stopped and stared for a moment.

  “Oh, you are serious.”

  “I don’t joke about jobs on my staff.”

  “While I’m flattered, you know nothing about me and I don’t really know anything about politics.”

  He shrugged, “No one knows about politics, that’s what makes it fun.”

  “Okay, but you still don’t know me. I could be some freak off the streets.”

  “Are you some freak off the streets?” I questioned, already knowing that it clearly wasn’t the case here.

  “No, but you didn’t know that five seconds ago.”

  “Look, just come by my office tomorrow. I’ll show you around, tell you about the job, you can tell me all things…” I shook my head, I had no idea what her name was.

  “Sorry I didn’t catch your name.”

  “Bethany Holden.”

  “You can tell me about all things Bethany then.”

  “Okay.”

  I scribbled down the address. “Just tell them you are there for an interview with the senator. See you at nine tomorrow.”

  She nodded. “See you tomorrow, senator.”

  I watched as she walked out of the store, bags of groceries held tightly in her hands.

  This was definitely the top of my list for bad ideas.

  Chapter Three

  Bethany

  I woke the next morning to my phone alarm clock shouting loudly at me.

  “Ugh,” I groaned as I pulled myself out of bed. The sun peeked out from behind the dark curtains that were covering the large window.

  My outfit that I threw together with what I had laid neatly over the chair. I stood up and pushed the curtains back. The California sun filled the room and I couldn’t help but smile. My life was starting over and while I was sad that my parents weren’t here, I was excited to see what was ahead.

  ***

  I rushed down the busy LA streets. I had no idea that it could be this busy this early in the morning, but here people were.

  The building was just as tall as the buildings around it and I felt like a small fish.

  I pulled the large door open and walked through the lobby to the desk.

  “Can I help you?” the woman asked, barely even able to look up from her computer. She was typing so much I thought her keyboard was about to burst into flames.

  “I’m here for an interview with the senator.”

  She stopped and looked at me.

  “Okay. Here’s your badge. You are going to want to take the elevator to the eighth floor. From there you should be able to talk to their receptionist and they will help you.”

  I nodded, taking the badge from him.

  “You must be really good,” she commented as I turned to leave.

  “Excuse me?”

  “The senator had several interviews scheduled for today and they all were cancelled.”

  I clipped the badge to my bag.

  “Thank you.” Pursing my lips, I headed to the elevator, pressed the button and waited as a few more people gathered around.

  I stepped off on the eighth floor. People walked through the office without even looking up to see where they were going. Everyone was reading something or talking to someone.

  “Can I help you?” a young man who looked about my age asked, stopping me at the door.

  “Uh, yeah. I’m here for an interview.”

  “Oh. You’re her.” He shrugged.

  “I’m sorry?” I questioned.

  “The woman that the senator hired on the spot. Where did you study politics?”

  I shook my head, “I didn’t.”

  I was shocked that everyone seemed to think I was some political genius.

  “Oh. Right this way. The senator is just finishing up with a phone call, but you can go in as soon as he’s done.” the man said, stopping at an office with the door cracked open.

  I peeked inside and saw the man from last night twirling in his chair as he talked on his cell phone.

  I turned and took a minute to look around the office again. The amount of employees seemed to have multiplied in the three minutes I had already been here. I wasn’t sure if I was amazed or worried at how busy everyone looked.

  “You showed up,” the familiar voice said from behind me.

  When I turned, the senator was standing in the doorway.

  “Of course I showed up. You told me to come for an interview. And by the sound of it, you’ve already hired me.”

  He laughed. “Yeah the staff was a little confused when I told them.”

  “You mean when you cancelled your several other interviews of people who were I’m sure more qualified than I am?”

  He motioned for me to come into his office, shutting the door behind me. He slipped past me behind his desk.

  “Take a seat.”

  I moved around the chair and sat in front of him.

  “I told you. We need more people like you on staff. If everyone had a person like you on their staff, politics would be much different.”

  “All I did was tell someone off in line behind me. That hardly qualifies me for a job. In fact, in most places, it’s frowned upon.”

  “We aren’t most places Ms. Holden.”

  I nodded, I was beginning to see that. He sounded determined to get me to agree to working with him.

  “What’s the job?” I asked as I reached down into my bag and grabbed my notebook and pen.

  “Communications Coordinator. My right hand.”

  I cocked my head to the side and stared at him.

  “I mean here in the office. I need someone to help keep me straight. Go to events with me and remind me to wrap it up when I’m getting low on time. Keep the press off of things that don’t help this campaign.”

  “And I know close to nothing about politics,” I replied.

  “That’s okay. You’ll learn. You don’t have to have a major in politics to work here.”

  I nodded, “And the hours would be?”

  “When I need you? Mostly Monday through Friday. Some late evenings - but we can try to keep those to a minimum. Some weekends if there are events that are being held on a Saturday. Generally Sundays I try to keep free so no one on my staff has to be stuck with me. If for some ungodly reason they are, I have no problems with them taking a day off during the week to recoup.”

  “The pay?”

  He cocked his head to the side, “You ask a lot of to-the-point questions.”

  “I’m a to-the-point kinda girl, senator.”

  “Pay is negotiable, you can give me a few numbers and we’ll go from there. I like you Ms. Holden. I really think this team can benefit a lot from you. I normally don’t hire people the way I did with you, just so you know.”

  “Noted. And I’ll get you some numbers by the end of the day today. As for the job, I’ll take it,” I said as a matter of factly.

  “Good. I was hoping you would say that. I had your office cleared out and ready for you. And once you set your stuff down, we have a staff meeting in fifteen minutes.” He smiled.

  I nodded, “Well just point me in the right direction then.”

  “Allison, can you show Ms. Holden her office please?” he questioned, waving down the woman who seemed to be rushing by his office faster than anyone else.

  Her shoulders sank a bit and she nodded.

  “Of course senator. Right this way.” She smiled.

  I walked down the hall to another office. It wasn’t the most glamorous, but it would definitely be more than I’ve ever had.

  “Thank you, Allison, right?” I asked as I set my bag down on the chair in front of the desk.

  “Yes. And just for the recor
d, the senator means a lot to us. So please don’t just take this job while you two are dating.”

  I nearly choked on the air I was breathing.

  “Excuse me?” I asked a little louder than I thought.

  “The senator and you.”

  “Are just an employee and boss.”

  “But he hired you on the spot. And he cancelled some great candidates. Plus Paul tells me that you didn’t even study politics. So we all just assumed.”

  “Well don’t assume. That’s how people get in trouble and how rumors start. No the senator and I are not dating. I simply met the man last night as he overheard me speaking my mind. That’s why he hired me. Because he needs more honest people to be on his team.”

  She nodded. “I apologize, I just thought…”

  “Well you thought wrong. Now you look like you know your way around here, can you give me some cliff notes so I don’t look like a complete idiot in that staff meeting?”

  “Of course. May I?” she questioned, pointing to the empty chair in front of my desk.

  I nodded, grabbed my bag and took a seat on the other side in the large chair. For the first time in my life I felt like I mattered at a job. I felt like I had finally made it to the point where I have the chance to prove myself to not only myself, but to those back home that thought I wouldn’t be anything more than a barista photographer.

  I sat and listened to Allison go over the job in more detail. She explained things she did for the senator while she was filling in. I wanted to ask what happened to the last assistant, but part of me didn’t want to know. What if she got fired? Or what if she quit because she couldn’t handle the stress? Just thinking about it started to make my heart race.

  I entered the staff meeting early, right behind Allison who showed me things that were part of her job specifically.

  Staffers began to fill the chairs quickly. I took a seat and pulled out a notebook, a fresh notebook that was barely written in. I knew that by the end of the week it would more than likely be filled front to back.