Training the Help [Hedon Falls 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Read Free

dumb!” she exclaimed. “I should have known right from the start! I’m such a fan, Mrs. Sullivan!” In her head Sophie was mortified at the stupid fan-girl gushing that she couldn’t seem to stop. Sitting in front of her was one of Canada’s most famous exports. Kendra Hughes. She had starred opposite some of the top actors in Hollywood, though she preferred to work out of her native country as much as possible.
    “Well, when it’s out of context, sometimes the recognition doesn’t come right away,” Kendra said. “I’d rather you didn’t worry about that. Right now we just want to know about you.”
    “Oh, sure,” said Sophie. “Ask away!”
    “Your resume lists five years’ housekeeping experience,” Mr. Sullivan began. “That would suggest you are capable in that department. How are your cooking skills?”
    Sophie took a moment to think, and then said, “I have always enjoyed cooking even though I don’t have any work experience. I like to try out new recipes and I can plan out menus. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of chance to cook for more than just myself and I would love the opportunity to refine those skills.”
    Mr. Sullivan nodded. “Of course, with my wife being who she is, we would require you to be extremely discreet,” he said. “We would rather not see private information appearing on TMZ or the like. Nor would we want paparazzi showing up at our home.”
    “I can’t imagine how hard it is to have people poking around into your personal lives,” Sophie said. “But you can be sure that I would hold your privacy in very high regard.”
    “Our home is quite large,” Kendra said. “And one or both of us are frequently away. Are you okay with staying there by yourself? We have a minimal staff and only the housekeeper lives on the property.”
    “I’m quite used to being on my own,” Sophie told her. “I think it would be nice to not have to worry about noisy neighbors or traffic.”
    They asked more questions, and Sophie answered them to the best of her ability, feeling that things were going well. For a movie star, Kendra was very easy to talk to. Mr. Sullivan had a quiet, commanding voice, and Sophie found herself hoping that they would like her enough to offer her the job.
    “Very well, Miss LaPlante,” Mr. Sullivan said finally as he stood. Sophie got to her feet as well. “I think those are all the questions we have right now. We’ll be in touch.” He held out his hand to shake hers.
    Sophie hesitated. She hadn’t thought about how they would contact her with her phone not in service.
    “Is something wrong?” Kendra asked her with concern.
    “Well,” Sophie began. “I was laid off when the hotel closed, and I’ve been unemployed for several months and having difficulty with my bills.” She took a deep breath and blinked as she felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes. “I’m ashamed to say that my phone service has been disconnected. There isn’t any way for you to contact me,” she whispered.
    Kendra stood and slid her arm around Sophie’s waist. “Oh, honey! That’s terrible!” she soothed. “I know what it’s like when there hasn’t been a job for a while and you’re down to the end of your rope.”
    Sophie stared down at the ground, her face burning with embarrassment. It was irrational, she knew. She hadn’t been irresponsible with her money. There just hadn’t been enough coming in.
    “Tell you what,” Kendra said. “Why don’t you wait out in the hotel lobby? We’ll make a decision today and come talk to you after we finish with the others.”
    Sophie nodded. “That is very generous, Mrs. Sullivan,” she said. “I would appreciate that.”
    “It isn’t a problem! And please, call me Kendra,” she said. “Now go on out there and we’ll be out to see you in a little while.”
    “Thank you, Kendra,” Sophie murmured and turned to walk quickly out the door. She fought hard to keep the tears from falling. The last thing she