Page 15 of Awakened
Heaven.
Sticking my nose in the mug, I inhaled the rich aroma of my one true love and took a sip. When I finally looked at Sarah, she was leaning on the counter, smiling at me and waiting for what I assumed was a conversation.
Well, she had another thing coming. She may have been an angel and bought me the best damn Danish I’d ever tasted, but I was not one for early morning chats. Brandon had suffered my wrath enough for me to earn the nickname “the bear.”
After it became evident I wasn’t going to talk, Sarah asked, “You ready for your interview?”
“I guess.” I took a huge bite out of the delicious pastry.
“Great. Do you have any other plans today?” Sarah asked withmuch less enthusiasm, clearly disappointed that I was a zombie. But hey, man, it was seven a.m.
“I might meet up with some wolves for a happy hour tonight.”
Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Oh, when did you make these plans?”
I should have waited until I was more alive to start down this path.
Ugh. Must use words.
“Last night, I ran into some wolves at the park. They actually kind of freaked me out, but I figure I probably need more friends since I’ll be staying here and going rogue. Couldn’t hurt, right?”
Sarah grinned, way too pleased. “Not at all. Maybe I’ll tag along. I haven’t branched out enough since I moved here.” She glanced down at her watch. “Shoot. I gotta run. See you at 5:30?”
“You got it, boss.” I gave her a halfhearted wave and held my breath until I heard the front door slam shut.
Alone at last!
I had two hours to get ready and over to Rubin Black. After wolfing down another Danish and two cups of coffee, I headed up to shower.
Getting ready always takes far less time than I think it will. I smoothed my curls into a sleek bun. I read somewhere that keeping your hair off your face in an interview makes you look more professional. The monster zit on my cheek took all my concealer skills to cover. Once the beast was tamed, I added foundation to even out my skin, a touch of powder, a little winged eyeliner, mascara, and a bit of blush to finish the look.
Pleased with how it turned out, it was time to put on my most capable outfit. A light blue button-down with my black pantsuit would certainly project the professional adult I pretended to be. Slipping on my rarely used black pumps, I was ready to roll with more than enough time to kill.
I got to Clayton early, so I sat in the lobby for about fifteen minutes until the woman from HR came down to fetch me.
“Celeste Spencer?”
“That’s me,” I said as I stood.
She took my hand in a firm handshake. “I’m Karen Albers. We spoke on the phone.”
“Yes. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for seeing me.”
Karen grinned. “With your qualifications, we would be silly not to.”
Our heels clacking against marble echoed through the sunny, polished lobby as we walked toward a bank of elevators. The building was the exact opposite of the office back in Kirksville. Something told me they didn’t have beer on Fridays.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when two men dressed in khakis and button-downs joined us.
“Good morning, Karen,” the handsome man with salt and pepper hair said before turning his warm brown eyes to me. “And you must be Ms. Spencer. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Aaron Hastings.”
I took his hand and shook it firmly. He flashed a blinding white smile that left me wondering what toothpaste he used.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hastings.” I turned to the taller, broader, younger man and instantly sensed wolf. He tilted his head and gave me a crooked grin, his five o’clock shadow doing little to hide the deep dimples in his cheeks. My heart fluttered just looking at his handsome face.
Maybe St. Louis won’t be so bad after all.
I offered the hottie my hand, “Celeste Spencer. And you are?”
