Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“What were you in for?”
Suddenly restless, I shifted my weight on my feet. “Is that something you gotta know?” I asked, speaking louder. “It’s not like you left space on there for me to write it down. You just asked if I’d ever been convicted of a felony. I answered that.”
“It’s something I need to know if I’m going to hire you,” Nate shot back.
My head jerked. “You’re still looking to hire me?”
Nate leaned back in his chair, letting the application drop to the desk, and cocked his head. “I got Miguel in the kitchen and only Miguel, and he’s leaving Friday,” he shared. “This job has been posted for two months, and you’re the first person to come in here asking about it. You got experience. You seem to know what you’re doing. Okay, so you have a record. We all make mistakes or got something in our lives we aren’t proud of. I’m not excusing whatever it is you did. But I’m also not trying to close this place down while I wait for somebody else to come in here asking to get hired. That can’t happen. So, unless you tell me something I really can’t look past in order to give you a chance, yes, I’m still looking to hire you. Job’s yours if you want it.”
I blinked at the man.
Honest, I didn’t know what the fuck to say to that. I was pretty sure I was hearing things.
I hadn’t been offered many chances in my life. Not from people I knew who should’ve given a shit about me. Not from strangers who could’ve. If I wanted something, or if I needed something, which was typically the case, I took it. If I couldn’t get something I needed, I found a way to get it. Either way, nobody did me any favors or gave me any handouts. It didn’t fucking happen.
There were people who deserved good. I learned early on, I was not one of those people.
Still, I wasn’t stupid. I knew I might not get a break like this again. Even though I was risking telling him something he might not be able to look past, I had to take that chance.
Bottom line: I might not deserve shit, but I needed this job.
At twenty-seven years old, I was going straight. I’d work hard for everything I got from here on out. I’d change my path.
I had to.
Not because I earned this or anything better than what I got dealt. This wasn’t for me. Nothing was for me. Not anymore.
I wasn’t worth dick. And I wouldn’t let myself forget it. That was my penance.
Nate brought his hand up to scratch at his chin. His brows lifted. He was waiting.
I pulled in a deep breath. Yeah…fuck it. Time to confess. I needed this fucking job.
I wasn’t sure what classified as excusable behavior or not. After I gave him the run-down of everything I’d done, figuring it’d be best to be up front about all of it and not leave anything out, I expected him to toss me out.
So when he took less than a minute to think his decision over and asked me, “When can you start?” I thought for sure I’d gotten hit one too many times in the head and was just now feeling the effects of those blows.
A weight I didn’t realize I was carrying slid off my chest.
Again, I just blinked at the guy, not knowing what to say.
“Shit,” he mumbled. “My girls are going to eat you alive. That silent treatment thing doesn’t really work with them. Trust me.”
I didn’t know what he meant by that. Didn’t really care either. I was still wondering if he realized he’d just offered me a job.
Me. Fucking me.
“Is tomorrow good? Or Friday? I was hoping you could train a day with Miguel…”
“Don’t need to train. I know what I’m doin’.”
He nodded in appreciation.
“I’ll be here tomorrow, though. I wanna get started,” I said, keeping to myself how desperate I was feeling. If I could’ve started today, I would’ve. But he wasn’t suggesting that.
“Sounds good. Be here at eight. We open at ten.” Nate stood and offered his hand to me. I stepped forward and shook it. “I’m not going to regret hiring you, am I?”
I shook my head. “I’m done with that life.”
“Good.”
“Plus, there ain’t nothing here I wanna steal.”
He stared at me.
Shit.
“You won’t regret it,” I uttered quickly, stepping back.
Jesus. I was one dumbass comment away from holding the record for world’s shortest length of employment. Just shut the fuck up and leave.
Nate lifted his chin once more as he smoothed out his tie. “All right, Sean. Thanks for coming in. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I stalked to the door and turned the knob, glancing back once more before I opened it. “Appreciate this. A lot,” I said, my throat suddenly feeling tight. “I wasn’t expecting…just, thanks. I mean that.”