"Be there or I'll be more than happy to pull the plug on your stupid-ass job at the coffee shop."
"You wouldn't do that." I shook my head as white-hot anger raced through me. The job at De Luca's was my first step in gaining my freedom from my oppressive family. Wealth could suffocate my brother and sister, but not me. Never me. I would be my own woman and make my own money if it killed me to do it.
"Yes, I would. Be at Mom and Dad's tonight by six. Period."
"Fuck you."
"We're siblings. That's just gross, and watch your mouth." He scoffed. "See you tonight and don't forget Denise's present. She likes diamonds."
He hung up before I could respond. "Bastard."
I tucked my phone into my bag and jogged across the street to the coffee shop. It was a haven, a home away from home, mine. It was mine. And it wasn't because someone in my family got me the job or opened the company so I could play barista. I did it all on my own.
Diamonds? Are you fucking kidding me?
The whore my brother had married didn't care a thing about him. She was after his money or, rather, my mother's money. Probably both.
Being the heiress to a large cosmetic conglomerate in Europe, my mother was the fourth richest person in the world. Her wealth thereby made us all wealthy, or so my siblings believed.
"Jenna. You're early." Sam turned from the pastry counter and wiped his hands on his white apron. "You okay?" His brow drew in tight.
"Yeah, just dealing with family." I gave him what I hoped was a cute smirk. As the manager of De Luca, he set our schedules and seemed to have them memorized.
"Oh man. That can be the pits at times. I got one brother I love to death, and another I wish I could feed to a meat grinder." He chuckled.
"Ouch. That's a little much, but in all honesty, I'm wishing both of mine would take a long walk off a short pier." I walked around the counter and stored my purse. "I'll clock in at my regular time. I just wanted to be here. That okay?"
"Of course it is, kiddo, but go ahead and clock in now." He squeezed my shoulder as he walked toward the back. "I'm going to work on a few special orders now that you're here. Hold down the fort for us?"
"You know it." I pulled my apron on and tightened it around my waist. I had the rest of the afternoon to enjoy being around complete strangers and a few co-workers that I loved. Then I would head off to a night of pretending to care for the people I should have loved most.
"Jenna Webb?" The woman in front of me wasn't familiar at all.
I glanced down at my name tag like a moron and back up at her. Just my first name was on the badge. "Yes. What can I get started for you today?"
"No, like,theJenna Webb?"
I smirked. "I'm sure there are more than one of us in a city this big, ma'am. Would you like to try our new toffee mocha latte? It's great for the holidays."
"No." She smiled, her cheeks turning pink. "I interviewed Daniella Webb the other day for the New York Times."
"Oh, the cosmetic heiress?" I pressed my hands to the counter in front of me. "She's a distant relative, but nothing more."
"Really? You look almost exactly like-"
"Her daughter, Kayla? Distant cousins." I picked up a cup and smiled. "What kind of coffee are you up for today?"
She waved and shook her head, dismissing something. I prayed it was the conversation. My sister was a fraternal twin. We looked enough alike to know we were family, but not identical. Thank God. The less resemblance, the better.
"I'll try the new mocha-whatever. Sorry about being invasive. Reporter." She shrugged and dug into her purse as I started to work on the coffee.
Dig all you like. You're not going to find anything. And if you did... I would deny it to my grave.
