Page 32 of Love Resurrected
“Are they what?”
“Are those things you listed really draws to the job? I mean, it sounds dangerous.”
“Itisdangerous. But shit, so is waking up every morning. Plus, if it scares someone off, they aren’t meant for this job.”
“So, would it be fair to say the job is exciting?”
“Sure. Absolutely.”
We go through a few more adjectives of her choice, geared toward making the job sound as enticing as possible. All it does it reinforce my love for this job. I don’t even understand how recruitment could be down. How people don’t want to do this for a living confuses me. Yes, it’s dangerous. But so is crossing a busy street. Boarding a plane. Navigating the California freeway system. Plus, we’re trained extensively on how to react in situations ordinarily considered life-threatening.
I hear the rumbling of the trucks as they back into the station. “Be right back,” I tell her, and I head out to the truck bay to help the guys restock supplies and whatever else might be necessary after this last run.
11
Tenley
Brad heads through a doorway to another part of the building, I assume to help the guys in the trucks I heard pull in. The wall between the reception area and where the trucks park is mostly glass. He swaggers when he walks, like his shoulders are rolling in tandem with each step. He greets Ethan and another guy.
“Hey, who’s the hot redhead?” the other guy asks, pointing at me. I feel myself flush accordingly.
“Pain in my ass,” Brad grumbles in response.
He looks over Brad’s shoulder and winks at me. “Want me to take her off your hands?”
“She’s working,” Brad barks his response, then says something else I can’t hear.
“Sorry, man. Just trying to help lessen the pain in your ass.”
Ethan pulls Brad off to the side, and they carry on a conversation, heads bent toward one another, Brad turns to look at me with a scowl on his face every few moments.
He’s so temperamental.
The other guy walks into the room. “I’d introduce myself, gorgeous, but Mathews has forbidden me to speak to you. So . . .” He comes over to the table where I am and motions to my pen and notebook, asking if he can use them. I hand him both and wait as he writes something down. He winks as he hands it back to me and saunters from the room.
“He was an attractive man,” Nessa says. “What does his note say?”
I look down and read the words aloud to Nessa.
I’m Neil and I would love to stare at your beautiful face across a candlelit table in a fancy restaurant over dinner sometime when you aren’t off-limits.
We both giggle at the note. It’s cute. And charming. Though I’m not sure why I’d be off-limits. I look around to see if I can find him, but don’t see anyone else outside of Brad and Ethan. So, I grab my phone to send him a text.
ME: Hi. It’s the face you’d like to stare at over dinner. My name is Tenley. Here’s my number. I’m definitely NOT off limits.
Neil comes back in the room a moment later. “Well, that’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” He smiles big. “Is tonight too soon? I’m off at six.”
“Tonight is not too soon,” I say.
“Too soon for what?” Brad asks, returning to his seat.
“Dinner,” Neil says. “The lady says she’s available.”
Brad grunts something unintelligible.
Neil looks from Brad to me. “Want to meet at seven? I’ll text you the address.”
“Sounds good,” I say with a smile.
