I could tell that I flustered him when I reminded him of our night together. He likes to act like he has control, but I know better. I’ve met other men like him. The kind who try to act like hotshots, but as soon as a beautiful woman walks in the door, they crumble to the floor. That’s exactly how Ian Wright is. But I’ll be professional. Even if he wasn’t my boss, I have no desire to have any kind of relationship with him.
My ears are immediately assaulted by the blaring tunes that rumble through The Shaker when I pull the heavy door open. Greta and I grew up coming here on the weekends with our friends, and not much has changed over the years since the last time I was here. Each table is adorned with black-and-white checkered tablecloths, and metal chairs with ratty, old, red cushions sit under each.
“Sorry I’m late.” I pull the chair out across from my best friend.
She looks up from her menu. “It’s cool. I ordered you the number three and a sweet tea.”
“You remember my order?” I look around the small, crowded space. “We haven’t been here together in at least five years.”
She shrugs. “How was your interview?”
I groan, not ready to talk about this yet.
“That bad?”
“You won’t believe who my boss is.” I lean over the table so she can hear me over the obnoxious nineties tune that just came on.
“Who?”
Our waitress brings our drinks, temporarily putting our conversation on hold.
“Remember the guy I went home with the night I got in town?” I unwrap my straw and pop it into my tea, taking a long swig.
“No way!” She gasps. “Mr. Sex-on-a-stick is your boss?”
I throw my head back in exasperation.
“Greta! This isn’t funny. He’s the biggest asshole I’ve ever met. He actually told me I couldn’t have the job when he recognized me from that night, but his current assistant made him give me another chance.”
“Are you going to bone him again?” She ignores my previous comment. I love her, but her taste in men is vastly different from mine.
I rub my hands over my face. Why am I friends with her?
“No,” I say simply. “I’ll work at Wright Enterprises five days a week, but once five in the evening rolls around, I will have nothing to do with him.”
“You need to start living a little.”
“I live plenty.”
“Right…” she mocks. “Before this guy, when was the last time you got laid?”
I think back, and I guess she has a point.
“Just because I don’t have a new flavor every week, like someone else,” I grin at her, “doesn’t mean I don’t have a life. I’m just busy trying to be a responsible adult.”
“I’m responsible.” She huffs. “I only bought one new outfit last week.”
“How have you survived?” I roll my eyes at her. “Seriously, G. I came back here to start fresh. I had one night of hot, steamy sex, but now it’s time I get back on track.”
“So you don’t want to go out with me tonight? I’m meeting some coworkers at Eddy’s. I’m sure we can find you someone to take your mind off your boss.”
“Uh, no. I don’t need anyone to take my mind off him. I hadn’t thought of him once since that night.”
I’m the biggest liar and she knows it.
When we’re finished eating, we head to Marshalls because I’m in desperate need of more clothes for work. I couldn’t bring all my things from Mom and Hank’s because I could only bring what would fit in my small suitcase on the train. Greta was appalled at my lack of attire when I got here. She’s such a snob.
“How ’bout this?” She pulls a black and gray one-piece pant suit off a rack. It screams money, way more money than I can be spending right now.
“G, put that back.” I snatch it out of her hand, but take a quick peek at the tag. It reads that it’s on sale for four hundred dollars. Back in Detroit, I wouldn’t have batted an eye before I splurged on something like that. But now, I have to put more thought into what I charge.
“Come on. Look at how it dips in the front. Your boobs will give that man a permanent hard-on.”
I turn at the sound of a woman behind us clearing her throat, and I give her a tight smile. Over the years, I’ve gotten used to apologizing for my best friend. She’s notorious for offending people.
I pick through the clearance racks and manage to find some items that I like. Two dress shirts to go under a suit jacket I picked up, that’ll pair nicely with some slacks I already have. I also get a couple bra and panty sets, because, well, a girl can’t have enough of those.
The cashier rings me up, and I still manage to cringe at the total. Luckily, right now, I don’t have rent to pay, but I don’t want to bum off my sister forever.
We stop at the smoothie bar outside the store. People bustling through the sidewalks, always in a rush. I don’t know what I’d do if I were ever forced to live in a small town. The madness of the city gives me a rush, and falling asleep to the sounds of chaos outside my window each night is something I could never live without. You definitely never feel lonely in a place like this. At least, not for lack of people.
We hug and promise to meet up again soon before I make my way back to Chloe’s. A day with my bestie was exactly what I needed to calm my nerves after the morning I had. I can’t believe I got the job. I know Mr. Wright… or Ian… didn’t really have a say, but I wasn’t expecting for everything to fall into place so quickly. Let’s just hope that he keeps me around before my first paycheck hits the bank. If this works out, I’ll be living very comfortably in the near future.
“Hey,” I say to my brother-in-law when I slide through the apartment door. Toys clutter their living room, and I can hardly manage to push through the mess. I love my niece, but I don’t think I could live like this every day. Sure, I’ve thought about one day having my own family, but having kids would damper things. I’d rather work a high-end job and not have to worry about a snot-nosed little human. Plus, I’ve never been serious enough about anyone to settle down with them. My sister and Dallas did things in the right order… or I guess the right order, according to the world. But it’s the twenty-first century. Who’s to say what’s right or wrong anymore?
“How was your interview?” Dallas asks as I plop down on a stuffed animal covered couch.
“Where’s Chloe? I might as well wait for her, so I don’t have to tell this story more times than needed.”
“What story?” my sister asks as she strolls down the hallway, Taylor hot on her heels.
“Remember the guy I went home with, the night I got here?” I ask, looking between the two of them. I should feel awkward having this discussion in front of my sister’s husband, but he’s used to me and Chloe.
“Not really,” Chloe says. “You refused to talk about that night. What happened?”
I sigh as I pick at the fuzz on Taylors stuffed rabbit.
“There’s not much to say, other than the fact that he sent me packing without a word. He was an a… jerk,” I catch myself so I don’t get scolded by my niece, “and I never heard from him again. I guess there was no way to hear from him when we never exchanged names.”