I don’t really want to walk up to the rich and powerful people in Carson Cove and beg for a job at a social gathering, but maybe I can introduce myself…
We finished our margaritas before our appetizer arrived, and I decided to switch over to water instead of having another one. I had a few things that I needed to work on for school, and alcohol normally left me feeling tired after the buzz wore off—especially if I had more than one. Taylor asked my opinion on a few things for the wedding while we ate our appetizer and waited on our meal to arrive. We were at the restaurant much longer than I expected to be because they were busy, so it was a good thing the campus library was open until nine. I was going to need every single minute to make some progress on the big assignment I had to work on for my Product Management class.
“Back again?” Emily, the girl that normally worked the evening shift at the library, looked up from her computer as I walked in.
“Yep.” I nodded and looked around the library. “Another slow night?”
“I don’t even know why they bother to keep this place open.” Emily shrugged. “I spend more time processing requests for books from our digital library than anything else.”
“Hopefully it stays open until I graduate.” I gave her a smile and a nod before walking towards the table I normally sat at.
I need the peace and quiet. This is the only place I can get it.
I never expected to spend my college years living in a noisy apartment building—nor did I expect my mother to follow me to Carson Cove, but the circumstances required it. I got a scholarship from Carson Cove University, but it wasn’t enough to pay for everything. That required me to take out student loans to cover the rest and work full-time at Moretti’s restaurant just to keep my head above water. My mother was disabled and got a check from the government every month, so she was on a fixed income. Her landlord raised the rent considerably during my senior year of high school—so the pieces just kind of fell into place. The cheapest apartment in Carson Cove was better than what she could afford in the city, and I definitely needed her help—even if I was too proud to admit that when she first suggested it.
It’s always been the Monroe girls against the world—that part hasn’t changed.
* * *
One week later
My boss wasn’t happy when I asked for a Friday night off, but he reluctantly agreed when he found out I was attending the Benson-Abernathy engagement party. Ironically enough, Moretti’s was catering the event, so I might have ended up there anyway wearing my work uniform instead of the best dress I owned. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to do any networking if I was serving pasta—or refilling wine glasses. I was going to be invisible enough as it was because I didn’t really know anyone at the engagement party except Taylor and Bryant. It wasn’t like they were going to have time to introduce me to anyone—they were going to be busy enough entertaining all of the other guests.
I may not stay long, but at least I can put in an appearance to support my only real friend in Carson Cove.
I drove through Bryant’s neighborhood and had trouble keeping my eyes on the road. Every house was enormous and immaculate. I knew I was getting close to the location of the party when the spaces between the houses turned into vast acres of land with tennis courts, riding stables, and other displays of luxury. The houses got bigger too—some of them were practically obscene. I drove by millions of dollars in real estate before my GPS told me that Bryant’s house was the next one, I would see.
Wow… Taylor’s description did not do this place justice.
Benson Estate looked like something out of a fairy tale. The gates were open, and they had a valet to park the cars. I had no idea where they were being taken, but I didn’t see any parked nearby. I waited in line with a Maserati in front of me and a BMW logo in my rear-view mirror. I wondered if the valets had ever parked a fifteen-year-old Hyundai before—I had certainly never driven it anywhere that required me to hand my keys off to someone else before I walked inside. I could already tell I was going to be underdressed just based on the people I saw exiting the cars in front of me.
“Hi!” I put my car in parked and greeted the valet when he opened the door.
“Welcome to Benson Estate.” The valet gave me a slight nod and smiled.
“Please take good care of my car.” I laughed as I put my keys in his hand. “It’s vintage…”
I probably won’t get an opportunity to say that to anyone ever again.
“Of course.” He sat down in the driver’s seat and pulled the door closed.
I walked in and saw a guy named Dave that worked with me at Moretti’s standing by the door. He was dressed in a tuxedo and had a table set up with several wine choices. It appeared that his job was to make sure everyone got a drink as soon as they entered Benson Estate. I said hello and asked for a glass of red. He put it in my hand before he even recognized me. The party was going to be a little more awkward than I realized with so many people that I worked with taking care of the guests.
Oh my god, is that a Picasso? Seriously? Bryant has a Picasso just hanging in the foyer?
None of the other guests seemed to be amazed by the sight of a painting that was worth millions of dollars greeting them as they walked into Benson Estate. Before I realized that I would have better job opportunities if I graduated with a business degree, I was in the art program at Carson Cove University. I couldn’t draw or paint to save my life, but I loved photography.
I liked being behind the lens and turning beautiful images into works of art. I even made some money doing it in high school, and it seemed like something I could turn into a career, but I realized the road was going to be harder than I thought once I got to college. Simply put, I didn’t have time to chase my dreams—I needed something that offered stability and a steady income.
“Melanie! You made it!” Taylor waved and started walking in my direction as soon as she spotted me.
“Hey!” I smiled and leaned in for a hug.
“Come on, let me give you the grand tour.” She hooked her arm in mine and led me away from the crowd.
“Aren’t your guests going to miss you?” I looked over my shoulder in concern.
“They’ll be fine.” She waved off my concern. “Bryant will keep them entertained if they get bored.”