Filed to story: Breathe Story (Sadie White & Jax Stone)
“Yes.” Marcus had spoken for me all night.
“We don’t normally have young female employees. How did you get through Mary?”
“I am mature for my age.”
He only nodded and took a bite of some sort of chocolate cake with more chocolate oozing out of the inside. After he chewed and swallowed, he looked back at me. I turned to stare out the window at the waves crashing against the shore.
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.” I hoped my simple reply would end his interrogation.
“How did you know I lived here?”
His question caught me off guard and I met his gaze. “It is hard to miss the photos of you as I dust and mop.”
He frowned. “You applied for this job not knowing I lived here?”
I realized he assumed a fan squeezed through the cracks of his security and he wanted to know how I did it.
“My mother has been cleaning here for two months. However, her pregnancy has progressed and she sent me in her place. I proved my worth, and Ms. Mary kept me. My being here has nothing to do with you, sir, but has everything to do with the fact I want to eat and pay the rent.” I knew I sounded annoyed, but I was annoyed, and I couldn’t help it.
He nodded and stood up. “I am sorry. When I saw you, and you were young and well…attractive, I thought the only reason someone like you would be working here would be to get close to me. I deal with females quite a bit, and my assuming you were working here to get near me wasn’t fair. Please forgive me.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I felt this job slipping out of my hands, but I would not cry. “I understand,” I managed to get out.
A boyish smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded his head toward the door. “I guess I should have figured you were taken by the possessiveness of the other server tonight. I stared at you more than I should have, but I kept waiting for you to ask for my autograph or slip your number to me on a napkin.”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
He shrugged. “Those things are a way of life for me. I just expect it.”
I smiled back at him this time. He wasn’t as bad as I’d made him out to be.
He wasn’t about to fire me.
“I am here to do my job, sir, and nothing more.”
“Do me a favor and don’t call me ‘sir.’ I am just two years older than you.”
I took the plate, careful not to touch his hands, and stepped back. “Okay,” I replied, hoping I could leave.
“So, is he your boyfriend?”
He caught me off guard with his question, and I halted in my tracks.
“Who? Marcus?”
A crooked grin appeared on his face. He was hard not to stare at. “If Marcus is the guy who seemed quite determined to make sure you made no mistakes tonight, then yes.”
“No, he is…he is a friend.” It was strange saying those words. I’d never called anyone a friend in my life.