Page 73 of Ruthless Legacy

I pivot on my heels to reply that I like the way I dress, but before I get the chance, the door is closed behind me. I stand there for a second and shake my head. Wilbur really has a knack for getting his message across. At times he displays a slither of warmth and then in a split second he can change and be almost cruel, but he does it politely. Clever, really. Can I trust him? No. There’s only one person I trust in this world, and that is Kit.

I head up to my room, still reeling from my conversation with Wilbur. I head over to my bedside table to take my contraceptive. Opening my top drawer, I frown when I can’t see my tablets. That’s odd. They are always in my top drawer. I open the next drawer down and there they are. I must have put them in the wrong drawer when I was half asleep the other night. I pop my tablet in my mouth just as my phone rings.

“Hey Vee,” I greet my best friend.

“Hey yourself. What are you up to today? I’m bored.”

I laugh. Verity is one of those types of people who can’t stay still, she always has to be on the go. She isn’t very good at sitting still and doing nothing.

“Actually, I’m going to head down to the Marina and see if I can find myself a job.”

“A job? What do you need one of those for?”

I laugh. “You’re as bad as Savage. I want to earn my own money.”

“Eliza. You know that Grandaddy Wilbur is super rich, right? Just spend his money. Call it time paid back for all the years he wasn’t in your life.”

I tsk her. “Such a rich girl attitude Vee, I’m disappointed. Well, as strange as it may be, I am going to get myself a job, so are you going to come and help me?”

She sighs down the phone at me. “Well, I’d rather go shopping but I guess I can help you, so long as we end the day at Sam’s champagne bar.”

“You do know we’re underage, right?” I chuckle. Anyone would think that round here, the legal drinking age didn’t exist with the way my fellow college peers drink.

Verity scoffs. “Oh, sweetheart, our families own half the bars and shops in the bay. You really don’t have to worry about looking eighteen. I am going to introduce you to rosé champagne today.”

I’ve tried most of the places in the bay without success, when Verity suggests we try a little café up near the nature trail. It’s popular with the kids at school and gets quite a bit of business at the weekend with tourists and day-trippers. We enter and the place is busy. It has an American diner feel with leather seat booths and a juke box over in the corner. I can’t say I’m keen on the uniform, its pale pink and short and fitted with a white piny, but it fits the feel of the place.

We head over to the counter and an Asian girl with glossy dark hair meets us at the counter. “Hey, what can I get you both?”

“Actually, I’m looking for a job. Do you have any vacancies?”

The friendly girl taps her cheek. “Actually, I think we might. Angie gave her notice in last week. Let me grab Jess for you. She’s the manager.”

A few seconds later, the server and who I presume is the owner comes from out the back. Jess looks to be in her early thirties with mid-brown hair that is held in place under a hairnet. She smiles warmly at both Verity and I.

“So, which one of you girls is looking for a job?”

“That would be me,” I reply, pointing at myself like an idiot.

She nods her head, and I can feel her giving me the once over. “Do you have any experience?”

“I do,” I say with a firm nod. “I’ve had a few weekend and evening jobs. I’ve worked in a small café before, and I’ve also done waitressing at an Italian restaurant.”

She seems happy with my response, and she holds her hand out, offering me some papers. “Fill this in and get it back to me as soon as you can. You need to do Saturdays and a couple of evenings a week.”

“That’s fine. I’m used to balancing school and work. Do you have a pen? I’ll fill it in now for you.”

She seems impressed by my eagerness and, nodding her head, she offers me a black biro.

We head for a quiet booth in the corner, and I concentrate on filling in the form whilst Verity sips on a Vanilla milkshake and scrolls on her phone. It takes me a while to fill it all in as I have to reference my phone for details of my previous employers for references, but eventually I get it done. We head back over to the counter and Holly, the server, shouts Jess for me.

“All done?” she asks me, wiping her hands on her apron and holding her hand out for the form.

“All done.”

She takes it from me and scans the document. “Well, Eliza, I’ll have a good read through this later this evening and if I think you’re what we’re looking for, I’ll invite you over for an interview and a test shift.”

“That would be great, thank you. I promise I’m a hard worker.”

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