Blake Pierce - Almost Dead

With a shock, Cassie realized that she was thinking ahead, as if in her mind she’d already decided to take the job.

The children were looking up at her expectantly. They hadn’t moved from their positions. It was as if they were awaiting her permission to leave, and she was impressed all over again by their self-control.

“Thank you so much for talking to me,” she said. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you. Do you need to carry on with your homework now?”

“Go, children,” Ms. Rossi said, and they disappeared into their bedrooms.

As they walked back down the passage, Cassie couldn’t help but praise them.

“They’re amazing. I’ve never known young children who are so obedient and well disciplined. And with such a love for studying as well, you must be very proud of them.”

Ms. Rossi sounded pleased as she replied.

“They are a work in progress, as I believe every child is,” she said. “They have a business to inherit one day so I am striving to instill the correct values in them.”

They descended the tall staircase and returned to the study.

“So, now that you have met the family, we will talk about the position,” she said. “You are the first to arrive—after Abigail’s mess-up with the jobs, there were not many other candidates we were able to contact. You seem competent, and the children appear to interact well with you. If you would like the assignment I can offer it to you. You will be required to spend time with them after school, and on Sundays. School hours are from eight until one-thirty unless they have afternoon activities.”

Cassie took a deep breath. She felt complimented that Ms. Rossi thought she was a high enough caliber of person to look after her two exceptional daughters. She hadn’t even asked for phone numbers to check any of Cassie’s references.

“I believe every opportunity opens a door,” Ms. Rossi continued. “If you are capable in this role, there may be future possibilities ahead. We regularly have intern positions opening up, so if you would like to stay in Italy longer after this assignment ends, and work in the fashion world, it can most probably be arranged.”

Cassie’s heart leaped. This was more than just a temporary assignment. It might even be a future career direction, and a way to improve her chances of finding and reconnecting with Jacqui.

She imagined herself and her sister, both with successful jobs in the fashion industry, renting a gorgeous apartment in a scenic and upmarket neighborhood. In the evenings, they could chat about their day’s work and take turns cooking, before heading into town to dance and party.

The more Cassie thought about it, the more thrilled she was that this assignment had come her way. Given that it was so much more than a simple au pair job, there was no way she could turn it down. She needed to put her heart and soul into it, and make sure she did it perfectly, because it represented a life-changing opportunity.

“An internship sounds exciting and it’s something I would love to do in the future. I’ll be delighted to accept the au pair role now. Thank you for offering it to me,” she said.

Ms. Rossi gave a small smile.

“In that case, you are hired. Do you have your belongings with you?”

“They’re in my car.”

“One of the maids will help you take everything to your room. Tonight, the children and I are visiting my mother, so we will dine at her home. It’s our cook’s night off, but we have a food delivery service available. There are menus in the kitchen drawer. Order whatever you like and call from our landline. They deliver within half an hour, and will add it to our account.”

“Thank you,” Cassie said.

“One important rule I must share with you.”

She leaned forward and Cassie found herself doing the same.

“Please don’t let anybody into the house unless you have confirmed who they are. We live in a wealthy neighborhood but unfortunately, crime is everywhere. We have been targeted by robbers and burglars before. With two young children, kidnapping and trafficking is always a threat, so I need you to be aware. Unless you are expecting a delivery, do not let strangers inside. Do you understand?”

Cassie nodded, feeling nervous at the thought of the children being targeted. Thanks to her recent experience in central Milan, she knew that this sort of crime was a real risk.

“I understand. I’ll be very aware,” she said.

“Good. I will see you tomorrow,” Ms. Rossi confirmed.

She picked up an intercom handset, pressed a button, and spoke briefly and rapidly in Italian before replacing it.

“The maid is on her way,” she told Cassie.

At that moment, Ms. Rossi’s cell phone rang.

“ Ciao ,” she answered, sounding impatient.

Sensing that it would be rude to listen in to the conversation, Cassie got up hurriedly and headed to the door to wait for the maid outside.

As she left the room, she heard Ms. Rossi say, sternly, “Abigail?”

Cassie remembered this was the woman who had mistakenly told her that the au pair job was filled.

There was a pause and then Cassie heard her speak again, her voice loud and filled with anger.

“You messed up, Abigail. That is not acceptable, and nor is your apology. You will not come to work tomorrow. You are fired!”

Cassie edged away from the office door, hoping that Ms. Rossi hadn’t realized she’d overheard. She felt deeply shocked. The young employee had been fired over a misunderstanding about a job ad?

That couldn’t be the whole story. There must have been other things she’d done wrong. At any rate, Cassie hoped so. She realized with a chill that perhaps this was what it took to build an empire and that was why so few people succeeded in doing it. Mistakes and excuses were not acceptable. That meant that she would have to be on her toes at all times, and try her hardest not to mess up.

Imagine if she did something wrong and Ms. Rossi spat those vicious words at her, telling her to pack her bags and get out. She’d sounded furious, like a completely different person. Cassie couldn’t help feeling sorry for the luckless Abigail, but reminded herself that it was not her place to judge the situation, and she knew nothing about the background between them.

Cassie was glad to see the maid arriving, and to be able to move away from the angry one-sided conversation that she could still hear from inside the office. The uniformed woman was Italian speaking but they were able to communicate via hand gestures.

They walked out to the parking lot, and the woman then showed Cassie where she should park, in a covered bay behind the house. She gave her a front door key with a remote control that operated the gate, and then helped her carry her bags upstairs.

Cassie automatically turned right, heading toward the children’s rooms, but the maid called her back.

“No!” she said, and Cassie was glad that this word was the same in Italian.

The maid pointed down the corridor, to the opposite end of the horseshoe.

Cassie changed direction, confused. She’d assumed that her room would be near the children’s so that she could attend to them if they needed her at night. At the opposite end of this enormous house, she wouldn’t be able to hear them if they cried. Ms. Rossi’s room, in the center of the horseshoe, was actually closer.

Still, she had already seen how independent the girls were for their age, and perhaps that meant they didn’t need any help at night—or if they did, that they were confident enough to make their way through the house and call her.

Her large bedroom with an en suite bathroom was located all the way at the other end of the horseshoe. Looking out the window, Cassie saw that the rooms overlooked a garden and courtyard, with an ornamental fountain in its center.