Page 16 of Where We Found Our Home
“THE card shark so be thankful for my generosity.”
“Oh, I’m incredibly grateful.” I smile.
“Good. So how do you feel about bartending?”
“I did it all throughout college, so I’m good with it.”
Without another word, Sasha makes a call. “Hey, Nina, what are you up to?”
I can make out a female voice on the other end of the line but can’t hear what she’s saying.
“Can I bring a friend over to talk about a job real quick? Yes, I’ll bring donuts. How gluttonous you trying to be today? Yeah, it’s a real question, smart-ass. A dozen it is. Be there soon. Bye.”
Sasha instructs me to follow her, and I try to piece together what the hell just happened.
Neon Nights is a bar not too far from Sasha’s coffee shop. It definitely has a college town feel to it. There are TVs lining the walls. Most of them are playing sports, but one of them is set to Bravo whereReal Housewives of Dallasis currently playing, and another is set to TNT showingThe Fast and the Furious. It’s the middle of the day right now, so it’s bright and quiet in here, but I can imagine the whole place being lined with bodies at the bar and the neighboring dance floor once night falls.
Nina Williams is what they call a fucking powerhouse. She’s the manager of Neon Nights and the one Sasha called before we walked over. She’s wearing a simple pair of jeans with a Poetic Justice T-shirt and Jordans, and she’s rocking the hell out of it. She commands a room, but she also puts everyone at ease. Two vendors, her bouncer, and two of her bartenders have come in since we’ve been here talking, and you can tell they trust and respect her implicitly.
“Okay, where were we? Oh yeah, so when you can start?” Nina asks.
Umm, what? Is she kidding me? “Don’t you wanna ask me more questions first? To see if I’d be a fit?”
“Oh honey, I decided to hire you the moment you walked in.”
My head jerks at that. “Really? Why?”
“You trying to talk me out of it?”
“Just trying to see if I’m signing up to work for a crazy woman is all.”
She barks a laugh. “Fair. Okay, well, one, Sasha vouched for you and I know she wouldn’t vouch for anyone who won’t stack up. Two, when you walked in, my bartender Lindsay was struggling to carry a few cases, and you immediately jumped in to help her. Three, you greeted everyone who came in here with a smile, but you also weren’t afraid to give Frank’s dumb ass shit when he flirted with you. And four, the first thing you said to me was a compliment about my shirt. I’ve seen all I needed to see. So I’ll ask again, when can you start?” She leans forward on her elbows, waiting on my response.
Well, okay then.
“Friday?”
“Perfect.” She grabs a maple bacon donut and goes to town. “You can come back any day before then to fill out your new-hire paperwork.”
“Well, shit, this is the best job interview I’ve ever had. Thank you.”
We spend a little more time shooting the shit before Sasha heads back to the shop and I grab an Uber home.
Walking into my building, I get the overwhelming sense that I’m being watched. My eyes scan every inch of the lobby, but I don’t see anyone. I jam the call button for the elevator. My eyes never stop darting around while I wait.
I once again take the elevator up to the seventh floor and walk down a flight. I wonder if anyone actually watches the cameras in the stairway. They probably think I’m crazy.
I scan my hallway one more time before rushing to my door and slamming it closed behind me and sagging against it in relief.
I just need more sleep. I didn’t get much with Lincoln slipping into my room every few hours. He hasn’t found me. I’m here, I’m alive, I’m okay.
I flick both the locks on my door, move my end table so it blocks the door a bit, grab the chef’s knife, and check all the rooms before settling on the couch to do the breathing exercises Dr. Goodwin taught me.
I want to sleep, but I know if I wait any longer to make this call, the girls will flame my ass.
I start the video chat and wait for Brittany, Simone, and Sarah to hop on.
All of their jaws are on the floor when I finish filling them in on the last twenty-four hours.
