The next day, Lucky got up, took a quick shower and dressed herself in a black tank-top, a jean miniskirt and gold flip-flops. She grabbed her oversized gold purse and walked out of Nick’s apartment. She soon reached the lobby and stepped into the warm June weather. She took in a deep breath as she pulled her sunglasses over her eyes. Looking up and down Park Avenue, Lucky pulled out her cell phone.
“Hi Peterson. I need my things to be shipped to …” She rattled off Nick’s address to the person she was talking to and quickly hung up the phone. “First things first,” she thought to her self as she walked across the street to a bagel shop. She waited patiently in line and finally ordered a plain bagel, toasted with cream cheese, and a coffee to go.
After receiving her food, she hailed a taxi and gave him directions to an office downtown. Once she arrived, she threw out her breakfast trash she walked inside Johnny Wright’s management company.
“Hello, my name is Lucky Sullivan and I am here to meet with Johnny Wright.” Lucky said politely to the receptionist.
“Do you have an appointment Ms. Sullivan?” The receptionist, whose name tag said “Julie”, asked.
“Yes I do. I’m a little early, but no harm in trying, right?” Lucky replied with a smile.
“Not at all. Have a seat and I’ll call Mr. Wright. I’ll let him know that you’re here.” Julie said and picked up the phone to call Johnny. “Ms. Sullivan, he will see you now. Just take the elevator up to the 9th floor and his office is the 6th door on the left.”
“Thank you Julie. Have a great day!” Lucky said. She followed the directions Julie gave her and soon arrived in Johnny’s office. It was beautifully decorated with album plaques and awards his various clients had received.
“Good morning Lucky. How are you today?” Johnny asked as he stood and shook her hand when she entered his office.
“To be honest, I’m a little annoyed. Nick is a total grouch and he’s treating me like I’m the scum of the Earth. I understand that he’s upset because his management team feels he needs another babysitter, but honestly, that’s not my fault and he shouldn’t be taking it out on me.” Lucky explained as she sat back in the oversized, plush chair.
“Nick has ALWAYS responded that way to his new staff. I’ve noticed however that it’s stronger towards the new females. I don’t know why, however it’s always happened. My suggestion is to keep on doing what you’re doing and give him his own treatment back.” Johnny suggested smugly.
“I think I can do that. I know that this meeting has been quick, but really I just wanted to meet with you so that I can find out what my limitations are for spending when purchasing my new apartment.” Lucky said bluntly.
“Well actually, you won’t need a budget because you’ll be staying with Nick.” Johnny replied. “I don’t see a reason that you two can’t cohabitate in that huge penthouse he has there. Do what you need to do to make it feel like home for you Lucky and just remember, he’s the one that suggested it. And if he asks how the search is going, tell him that you’re doing your best to find something in your price range, but it’s not going well. He’s just going to have to accept that fact.” Johnny said flatly and Lucky stared at him with wide eyes.
“Mr. Wright, you don’t happen to have any alternate plans for myself and Nick, do you?” Lucky asked with a grin accenting her lips.
“None at all.” He replied with the same expression.
“Johnny, please don’t go getting any fancy ideas. I’m not here to find a love connection with Nick. I just got out of a relationship and I’m really here to just work. Nothing more.” Lucky pleaded with Johnny and shifted her weight in the chair she was sitting.
“Ok, I’ll do my best to stay out of things. But I can’t be to blame if you do fall in love with the big, blonde ogre. For some reason the girls love him. Maybe it’s those eyes, huh?” Johnny suggested.
“He has nice eyes, I’ll give you that, except when he’s being mean. Then they turn a light shade of gray.” Lucky commented and caught herself before continuing. “Well Johnny, if you can call me with the names and numbers of Nick’s other staff, I’d really appreciate it. Also, if you have any kind of a schedule for him this week, I’d like to start with him as soon as possible.”
As Lucky got up from the chair, Johnny wrote himself a note regarding Lucky’s request. “Good luck, Lucky!” Lucky turned to Johnny and waved as she left his office, in order to complete her next mission: grocery shopping.
She walked outside and the sun hit her face. She closed her eyes and allowed her skin to soak up the rays. “What are you doing here?” She heard a voice ask her, interrupting her calm moment.
“Nick, get over it. I work for you and Johnny now. You’re going to run into me periodically.” Lucky said and continued down the street.
“That’s not what I meant!” Nick called after her, but she just put her hand up to silence him and continued walking.
Lucky found a cab quickly and gave the driver the address of a small market around the corner from the apartment she shared with Nick. She knew that they would deliver her groceries for her if there were too many. Once there, she paid the cabbie and walked around inside. She found that it had just about everything she needed: breakfast foods, milk, water, meat, cooking supplies, etc.
Lucky stocked up and gave the guy her building address after paying. She told him that she would meet him in the lobby and take care of her groceries from there. He nodded and began boxing up her purchases.
She walked the rest of the way back to the apartment and once upstairs, and saw again that the curtains were drawn over the windows. She marched over to them and pulled them back, allowing the sun to flow in freely. She smiled as she felt the warmth wash over her skin again. She heard the buzzer go off and she knew that her groceries had arrived. She returned downstairs to gather them and climbed the elevator back to unload the new food.
After she was upstairs, Lucky put the boxes on the kitchen counter and went to her room. She changed into a pair of cut-off jean shorts, a t-shirt and no shoes. She found her iPod in her bed-stand drawer and plugged the headphones into her ears. She hooked the headphones into her ears and started playing the new Carrie Underwood music she had. She found that having the music made her put the groceries away quicker and then she found that she had nothing to do.
She looked around the open space and saw a big screen TV, but then looked at the clock and couldn’t think of anything good on at 1:00 in the afternoon. So she went into her room and grabbed a romance novel, her day planner, and her cell phone. She checked her messages and heard Johnny giving her the names and numbers of Nick’s PR person, his accountant, and the rest of the management team. She wrote them down and listened further as Johnny rattled off Nick’s skeleton schedule for the rest of the week.
“What are you doing here?” Nick’s voice made Lucky jump from her concentration in his schedule.
“Not that question again! I’m working.” Lucky said and shrugged him off.
“Well, if it has to do with me, then I have a right to know. But what I meant was, what is everything else? I mean, there are bananas in a bowl on my counter. Are they real?” Nick asked as he moved around the side of his counter and poked at the banana peels. “And why are the curtains open? That’s what light bulbs and expensive fixtures are for.”
“Are you kidding me? I can’t believe you just said that. Are you going to question EVERYTHING I say or do? Because if so, I’ll go back to the Embassy Suites.” Lucky retorted and returned to her calendar.
“I’m not going to question everything, just the things that change how I’ve been living for the past 4 months. Anyways, what are you working on?” Nick asked, sounding intrigued.
“Well, actually … if you’re going to be nice to me for longer than 3 seconds, I’d love to talk to you about some plans. I called your accountant and he said that he hasn’t spoken with you in the past 6 months. Nick, you really need to keep him on the same page as you with your financials. So, I’ve scheduled you an appointment with him for Thursday.” Lucky said and looked at Nick.
“I forgot about my accountant.” Nick said sheepishly. “Well, not really forgot about him, but just didn’t realize how long it’s been since I had talked to him. Thank you.”
“Um, you’re welcome. It’s not really a big deal, it is my job after all.” Lucky said realizing that Nick sounded very surprised.
“What else do you have lined up this week?” Nick asked, leaning over the table where Lucky had put her calendar. “Oh, I have a radio interview on Wednesday, that’s tomorrow. And a photo shoot with the guys in LA? Wow. Will you be going with me on that?”
“Wow, for someone who didn’t want another babysitter, you sure have changed quickly.” Lucky chided. “Of course I’ll be there. Nick, I hate to break it to you, but this is more of a 24-hour job that you’d like it be.”
Nick looked at her with sudden interest and smiled. “I’m sorry about being such a jerk earlier. I really appreciate everything you’ve done so far. None of my PA’s have ever gone grocery shopping for me before.”
“Nick, I didn’t go grocery shopping for just you, I went for me too. I don’t want to starve.” Lucky replied and gathered her planner and cell phone. She returned them to her room and when she came back, she saw Nick looking at her romance novel.
“What is this crap?” Nick asked as he held up a copy of Carly Phillip’s The Bachelor.
“It’s a romance novel. Wait. Am I allowed to read those in your apartment?” Lucky asked sarcastically.
“Yeah, but don’t go getting any kind of funny ideas!” Nick said and stormed off to his room for the rest of the afternoon.
Blindsided by Erica
