The Employer

Chapter 15

Celeste Peters

"Celeste, are you sure you don't want any wine?" Heidi asks as she fills a glass from the boxed container on the counter. I stare at the deep red swirling into it.

I can practically feel my veins calling out for the IV substance and say, "Okay, I lied. I do want some, but I'll just have one glass."

I haven't had a lick of alcohol since I started this job. Surprisingly, cutting it cold turkey wasn't that hard. The day Marc said I could work here, I felt like I was re-born, given a second chance at life, and a renewed energy to not fuck it all up. But now with the moment outside with Marc in my rearview, I don't know if I can keep up the charade.

Heidi hands me the glass and I take a small sip. My body warms as the fruity liquid slides down my throat. I fucking needed this drink.

We're all in Kristina and Leigh's spacious living room. The warm lights from the short lamps around the space make it cozy. The wine is already promising to do its magic on me as I take a seat on one of the Live Laugh Love cushions on the ground next to Leigh. I'll be living, laughing, and loving in no time with this drink.

"Okay, sit Heidi! We need to know everything there is to know about Vivian!" Kristina is now in her pink fluffy robe, which only means telenovela night has officially begun. She flings one leg of striped pajama pants over the other after settling on the beige couch.

Heidi finishes pouring her glass and says, "Okay, okay! I'm coming." She takes a seat next to Kristina and my ears perk up. I take another sip from my glass, ready for all the motherfuckin' juice on this particular topic. "So, my friend's, cousin's, niece's teacher is one of her best friends. Apparently, her family owns that soda pop company, Fruitonix. And apparently she's psychotic!" Heidi emphasizes the last word with a hand in the air and then takes a graceful sip of her wine.

"Ay dios mio! Psychotic? What's this mean? Like she's loca?" Kristina asks.

"Yes! I heard that one time she faked a pregnancy so that the guy she was seeing would marry her. It didn't work out in the end, and my friend said the family kept it hush hush." Heidi seriously should get an award for the fucking amazing tea she collects. If she ever quit nannying, TMZ needs to be up next.

"Ahhh, loca!" Kristina's eyes grow wide and she clutches her robe. I can't help but smile at both her reaction and the fact that Marc will probably sniff out Vivian's crazy at some point. Kristina continues, "Okay, now it makes sense! Remember I told you, Celeste? That she was rude! "

"What did she say to you?" I ask before taking another sip.

"Okay, first, she told me to clean up the mess on the table." Kristina rolls her eyes. "I was like 'Perra, who are you? Why are you here? Are you trying to rob us?'"

We all start cracking up and Leigh gasps. "Mom!" She covers her face in her hands while laughing.

"And second, she was giving me an attitude about questioning her. But she said she's dating Mr. Nassar so of course I have to be nice to her."

"Won't Marc realize she's crazy? I feel like he'd notice it soon," I say, keeping my voice as cool and collected as possible.

Heidi shifts toward me and adjusts her gray knit cardigan. "Well, we know he's looking for a wife. And maybe he thinks she's wifey material? Apparently the fake pregnancy thing happened years ago. So who knows, maybe she's not crazy anymore."

"No, I think she's still crazy," Kristina adds.

My skin crawls and a burning sensation covers my chest. "He's actively looking for a wife?" Why would Marc want to be with someone like that?