Page 24 of Veil

I lift a shoulder. Job hunting is harder than I thought. “How do you like working with your brother?” I ask, stretching out my legs and propping my feet on the edge of the coffee table.

“Honestly, it’s a lot, but he’s a good teacher.”

“I hope I’ll get to meet him one of these days.”

“Actually….” She brings the glass to her lips and takes a sip. “I mentioned to him that you were looking for a job.”

My eyes bug out. “Seriously?”

She gives a careless shrug. “It wouldn’t hurt to send in your résumé.”

Dropping my feet to the floor, I lean forward to set my glass on the table, then shift on the sofa to face her. “Heather, you’ve already done so much for me. I feel like a mooch.”

She frowns. “How?”

“I don’t know. Maybe mooch isn’t the right word.” I avert my gaze. “I don’t want to be one of those high maintenance friends that eventually you get sick of.”

She tosses a throw pillow at me. “Stop it, Makayla. You’ve never asked me for anything.”

I hug the pillow to my chest. “True, but somehow I feel like you’re always saving me. If you hadn’t come up to me that day after graduation, I’d probably be living in Sarasota with my parents, driving a beverage cart around the golf course.”

“It’s called being a good friend.”

I smile sadly. “Something I’ve never had before,” I remind her.

Last night, over Chinese takeout, I filled her in on my high school hardships. It’s not easy talking about the things I endured from my so-called friends.

Heather’s expression hardens. “I want the names of every bitch who did you dirty in high school.”

“Are you gonna go beat up my bullies?” I ask with a laugh.

“Maybe,” she lilts.

My phone vibrates on the coffee table with an unfamiliar number. Normally, I would let it go to voicemail, but since I just sent out a bunch of résumés, I tap the Answer icon and bring the phone to my ear.

“This is Makayla.”

“Makayla,” a familiar feminine voice purrs, and my stomach flips. “This is Desiree.”

“Hello, Desiree.” My eyes cut to Heather, and I mouth, “Oh my God.”

“I was calling to check on you,” she says. “Did you enjoy yourself the other night?”

“Um….” I clear my throat. “Yes, I did.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” She pauses. “I have a member who seems quite taken with you. You didn’t give him a name. He called you ‘Angel,’ and it took me a minute to figure it out.” She laughs.

“Oh.” I snort. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t break any rules. It’s part of the fantasy, right?”

I suck in a breath.He told her my fantasy?

“Anyway,” she continues, “he wants you for one month. Before you answer, he has one condition. You must wear a blindfold. Do you accept?”

I count to three in my head so I don’t sound too eager, then reply with a simple “Yes.”

“Wonderful. I have your email address, so I’ll send over the paperwork to start the application process and the contract. Once everything is complete, I’ll have your access card delivered. Any questions?”

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