Page 3 of The Love You Hate
I go through the speech I gave Presley except I leave out the sarcasm. He seems nice enough and I’m glad I don’t hate him because allies are something I need. “Let me know if you need help.”
Presley scoffs so loud the noise actually confuses me. “Here? You want to work here? In the bakery?” It’s a perfect cover and fucking ideal. I’ll have to endure her jokes, but people share things with coworkers they don’t share with friends. “Why?”
Ryan looks confused, no doubt wondering how his aunt’s bakery became an employment hotspot for transients. “Who should I talk to about employment?” I direct the question to Ryan because anyone with a brain would have been able to figure out Presley isn’t in charge here.
“You can’t work here,” Presley throws a rock-hard loaf of bread in the trash can behind her with dramatic flair. The echo fills the room. There’s the spoiled rich princess coming out to play. “He calls strangers crazy and he has… bad, bedside manner.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “I’m not a doctor, Presley.”
“What are you then?” she volleys back.
“I’m a baker. Obviously.”
She sneers. “Oh, you are not.”
When you join The Charge Men, they put you through rigorous training on the field with weapons and hand to hand combat, but also in a multitude of other areas. With a bit of refreshing, I could work in a kitchen. It will be easier than the time I had to pretend I was a car mechanic. How hard can it be to merely be better than Presley? “I am.” Presley looks mollified.
Ryan seems to like how irritated she is because one look at his face tells me the wheels of retribution are turning. She hasn’t spoken one fucking joke since I’ve been in the building.
“You’re hired,” Ryan says, turning to look at me. “I’ll let my aunt know. It will give me more time to rock climb. It’s perfect timing.” I’m his fucking savior. Ryan rattles off the documents I need to bring so he can make copies and is telling me about my duties, and how I’ll be able to work as much or as little as I want.
My smile brightens as Presley stomps her foot like a toddler. Then she lets out a shrill, annoying scream that just might be worse than her jokes.
