Page 27 of The Rebel

Daisy: I might look a bit like a weirdo.

Only after hitting Send did I realize it was perhaps not the most professional way to describe myself to my boss. But his next text took my breath away.

Anthony: You’re gorgeous, Daisy. Whatever you wear will be fine.

Was this flirty Anthony, or did he just want to put me at ease?

Then he texted again.

Anthony: Don’t fret. There’s absolutely no dress code.

He definitely just wanted to put me at ease, since he didn’t write anything else.

I checked the phone’s GPS again. It was going to take me a while to get there because I planned to use public transportation. I quite liked all the options in New Orleans, especially the streetcar. The only downside was that it wasn’t terribly reliable. But I didn’t want to take an Uber even though I could probably expense it to the company. I was in the mood to explore a bit.

I boarded the streetcar a little while later. Sitting by the window, I could really see the city and all its luscious trees and magnificent homes. The history of New Orleans was vast, and I enjoyed learning about it all. The route took me on some new streets, and I was enjoying the view. I truly hoped that Samantha would come up with some local jobs because I wouldn’t mind staying here at all. For the first time in my life, I wanted to have roots somewhere.

When I arrived at the venue, it was madness, but I loved it. The atmosphere was infectious. I wondered where Anthony was, but I didn’t want to text him yet. It was only seven thirty, and I wanted to explore a bit on my own. I’d always loved my hometown festivals as a kid.

As I walked around, I felt more at ease noticing others wore similar outfits. Even though the festival wasn’t country themed, I certainly could’ve worn my cowboy hat.

I passed several stages, food trucks, and bars. Since things seemed to be going smoothly, I went straight to the main bar, hoping to find Gregory.

Once I stepped inside, I realized that wasn’t going to be easy. The place was chock-full, and I soon gave up searching for Gregory and went to the bar. Maybe I’d run into him later.

I took out my phone to see if Anthony had texted.

Anthony: I’ll be there in a few minutes.

He’d sent me that five minutes ago. I replied right away.

Daisy: I’m in the main bar at the counter.

Anthony: I’ll join you in a second.

My stomach somersaulted.Play it cool, Daisy. Very, very cool. Anthony is your boss. You’ve just successfully completed your first week without any more awkward moments. Just behave professionally.

Suddenly, my attire felt like a mistake. Crap. EvenIcouldn’t take myself seriously wearing this. But I didn’t have time to overthink anything because I heard his voice a few seconds later.

“There you are.”

I turned around to face him, tipping my head back. “Hey.”

He glanced up and down my body. I simmered on the spot.

“I see you got into the festive mood pretty fast.”

I laughed. “I felt like dressing up for a music festival. I mean, this would be more appropriate for North Dakota than New Orleans, but I just went with the moment. I walked around once, and everything seems to be going fine.”

He nodded. “I spoke to Gregory, and he said the same.”

“Oh.” My shoulders slumped.

“You disapprove?” His tone was full of amusement.

“I figured we’d do that together so I could take notes. I didn’t bring the iPad, but I can do it on my phone.”

“Daisy, it’s Friday evening.”