Page 4

Hailey

"Last question, Miss Smith. If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?" Nick smiles at me from across the table.

I keep my smile plastered on my face despite the tornado of doubt whirling through my brain. A tree? What kind of tree am I? Who the hell asks this kind of question?

Max, the annoyingly attractive germaphobe, drops his head into his hand. He rubs his temple as if he has a migraine.

"A spruce." Is all I answer. I'm sure he wants me to explain why, but anything else I say won't seem as confident. When's the last time I had the chance to go for a hike and look at the trees? Three years ago?

"Great!" Nick exclaims with a shrug.

I lean back in my seat, relieved that he didn't force me to elaborate .

Max looks up and briefly smiles in a way that I haven't seen before.

There's been a hardness to him for the few minutes I've known him: like he's pissed off or in pain.

But his smile transforms his entire face.

His warm, brown eyes shine in a way that makes me feel beautiful.

That's obviously not true. I'm a mess today.

I realize that I'm smiling back at him and completely ignoring the fact that Nick is saying something to me.

"Hailey?" Nick asks.

"Sorry, what?"

"We're offering you the position. Are you able to start tonight?"

"Yes!" I answer before I can even consider if I'll be ready or not. I look down at my stolen hostess uniform, hoping it is nice enough.

"The shift starts at seven. In the penthouse." Max says. He points upwards, revealing what appears to be a fresh wound on his hand. I squint my eyes to see better. Did someone... bite him?

I snap myself out of it, refusing to look like a space cadet again. "Seven works for me. I'll probably just stick around here if that's okay with you guys."

"Sure," Nick shrugs. "Just don't gamble away all of your money. We've had that problem before with other employees. They make a decent amount in tips just to lose it all the next day."

"I don't think that will be a problem for me. I've never gambled or been to a casino before." I also have no money, but they don't need to know that.

Max raises his eyebrows at that. I pick at my fingernail. Is it really weird that I haven't been to one of these before? I feel so out of place and I'm never sure what information I should reveal about myself.

"Some logistics." Nick clears his throat, looking me up and down. "We don't require a specific uniform, but the girls usually dress up."

"More than this?"

"Typically, a dress you'd wear to a club or cocktail party."

I bite my lip, wondering how I'm going to find a dress in the next few hours.

I escaped in a dress that I think fits their criteria.

The problem is it's covered in dirt from having a car drive over a puddle near me when I was trying to find a hotel the first night in this city.

It's dry-clean only, so I just left it dirty in a plastic bag in my luggage.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Max asks. His eyes briefly fall to my chest then lock back in on my face. "I know it's short notice."

I fight the impulse to say no, not wanting to appear like a burden to these two. "Yeah, I haven't had the opportunity to take my dress to the dry cleaners yet."

"No problem. We can let Savannah, the girl you're going to be working with tonight, know that you need to borrow something. She won't mind. I'll text you her address and phone number and you can pick something up before seven."

I'm getting a nasty déjà vu feeling like I'm back at the restaurant again, realizing that I don't have the documentation I need to start that job. At least these guys don't care about that, but it seems like I need a car and a cell phone just to start a shift.

"I, uh, don't have a phone or a car." I drop my eyes, feeling ashamed about my situation. I don't want them to ask questions about my past for a number of reasons.

Nick and Max look at each other and seem to have a silent conversation between them. I kick my duffel bag further under my seat as Max peers over the table, glaring at it.

"What's your story?" Nick leans back in his chair, tapping a pen on the table. "You running from something?"

My heart hammers in my chest. I can't risk them knowing. What if they tell someone I'm here? No one from the cult has found me yet, not even Kaiser, but it's just a matter of time.

"Yes, but I'd prefer not to talk about it."

Max and Nick have another telepathic conversation.

"That's fine," Max snaps before Nick can get a word in.

Nick shoots Max a quick glare before returning his professional smile back to me. "Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

I shake my head, refusing to let tears fall from my eyes. Worried I'm reeking of desperation.

"We can let you stay in one of the hotel rooms for the night. It's not a problem," Max says.

A weight falls off my chest when I realize I no longer have to find a good bench to sleep on tonight.

"No vacancy." Nick says. "Unfortunately, we're booked up the whole week. Automotive industry convention. Other hotels in the area have the same problem, too. "

Never mind, I guess I am going to have to sleep on a bench tonight.

A heavy silence falls over the room. I feel Max staring at me intensely, but I can't meet his eyes. I'm worried the weird, butterfly-feeling I have when I look at them combined with my current situation will send me into a panic attack.

"Can Savannah..." Max turns and asks Nick, who nods his head absently.

"Let me give her a call." Nick stands up and walks around the table, then hesitates by the door. "You don't have to tell me everything. But the person you're running from, will that put Savannah in danger if you stay with her?"

"No." I worry I answered too quickly when he raises his eyebrows at me. Truthfully, I don't even know if I'm lying or not right now. I don't think she'd be in danger; I'm sure they'd just try to bring me back to my father. But if she got in the way...

"I'll call her." He repeats himself and goes into the hallway, leaving me alone with Max.

He looks intently to his left, at a bright blue poster that reads "A positive mind finds opportunity in everything."

That's not the only motivational poster in the room, which I believe is Nick's office.

In fact, the walls are covered in these things.

An odd choice, seeing that I'm being interviewed for a bartending position for some type of illegal gambling night.

Not that I care too much about the illegal aspect of it.

Once I confirmed there was no semblance of prostitution involved, that was enough for me .

He taps his fingers on the table, and I notice his scar again. Although, I don't know if it's old enough to be a scar. It looks fresh: jagged, red lines shine in the office lights.

"Did someone bite you?" I ask and immediately regret it. The uncomfortable silence was killing me, but I should have commented on literally anything else.

He balls up his fist, then slides his hand under the table. "Yes."

His dark eyes meet mine. There's just something about this man that is so intimidating in a way that.

.. doesn't exactly make me want to run away.

He runs his hands through his thick, brown hair.

I catch myself mirroring him, reminding myself my hair is still wet.

That I look so gross. No wonder he's constantly looking away from me. He probably regrets hiring me already.

I yelp when the door opens behind me.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Nick says. "She's cool with you staying there for a bit. Max and I had some business we had to deal with around her apartment, anyway. We can give you a ride, then Savannah can drive you back here for your shift."

I bolt up from my seat, extending my right hand. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much of a lifesaver this position is for me."

"Don't worry about it." He smiles.

Nick leads me out of his office. I try to meet Max's eyes beforehand, but all he offers is a distant, pained smile. Wow. I must have made a horrible impression on him.

Good thing this job will only be a temporary period of my life. As soon as I have enough money and my life together, I'm heading somewhere warm. Preferably out of the country. Somewhere that VOE can't find me.