As Kyla’s three hours come to an end, I hang out in the doorway, watching her glancing around at the beginnings of the organization that she’s created, probably wondering if she’s done enough to get the job. She’s barely scratched the surface, but I can see that she knows what she’s doing and will have no problem tackling the worst.
Anyway, we can afford to make a mistake in hiring her. Business has been good. It’s worth taking a chance if it gives me some breathing space. I’m an optimist and a realist.
When I knock on the open door, she almost jumps out of her skin, and I have to swallow the smile that threatens, aiming to keep professional.
“How did you get on?” I ask.
“I’ve made a tiny dent in the surface paperwork. I’ve made date-ordered piles for paperwork for each of your other franchises. This pile is for bank statements, this one is for credit card bills. This pile is all your expenses, and this one is everything HR-related.” She continues, pointing out all the categories, and then she shows me something that makes my jaw drop. “And these are the invoices I believe are overdue. You really need to pay them before the suppliers cut off your credit or start legal proceedings.”
As I flick through the five overdue invoices, my eyebrows rise. “I didn’t even know these were here.”
“I’m not surprised. Look, I know there’s a lot more to be done, but I hope you can see that I know what I’m doing. I can really help you.”
“Send me through your résumé, and I’ll send you a contract tomorrow. What’s your notice period?”
“One week,” she says. A slight flash of color spreads across her cheeks. Is she excited about this new role? Can she see herself working in a place like this? She doesn’t really fit in appearance-wise, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’ve always loved girls with milky white unmarked skin, and anyway, no one knows what’s under a person’s clothes. She could have tattoos all over her butt, and no one would be able to tell.
“One week it is. Can I ask you something else?”
“Sure.” Rising from the chair, Kyla smooths her hands over her jeans, hoping to dislodge any visible dust.
“Will you come out for a drink with us now? I want the rest of the team to meet you.”
“Now?”
“Yeah.” I glance at my watch, finding that it’s only 8.30 pm. It’s hardly the Cinderella pumpkin hour, but maybe Kyla isn’t a party girl.
“Err…okay. I guess.”
“They’re a good crowd,” I say, my lips quirking slightly at her obvious uncertainty. “I promise I’ll keep them under control.”
“You make them sound like a pack of rabid dogs,” she laughs nervously.
When I clear my throat, she shifts on her feet. “There’s a bar around the corner. That’s where we usually hang out to blow off some steam. Why don’t you head over there while I get this place closed up? We’ll join you in a few minutes.”
“Sure, okay.”
I direct Kyla to the Red Devil, which is primarily a hang-out place for the college kids in town. We know the manager, which is why we go out there. It’s probably not the kind of place that Kyla would expect us to go to. It’s not really a place I can see Kyla fitting into either. But they serve an awesome cocktail, which most of the girls drink. It’s red and sticky and is what the bar is named after.
When I show Kyla to the door, she seems nervous. I guess it’s to be expected. I hope she’ll have more confidence once she starts, or the men in this place are going to eat her alive.
“She’s cute,” Noah says, emerging from his station and wiping his freshly washed hands on a towel.
“She is,” I agree. “Something fascinatingly awkward about her.”
“She was just nervous,” Noah says, but the smile in his eyes tells me he knows what I’m thinking.
Inappropriate thoughts.
Fantasies of ordering Kyla to her knees with her hands behind her back, telling her to open her mouth for me, and forcing it open when she hesitates. Kyla would be perfectly submissive for me, at least in my dreams. You never can tell in real life.
“Did you hire her?” he asks.
“If her résumé checks out, then yes. And we’re meeting her at the Red Devil to make sure you guys think she’ll fit.”
“Oh, she’ll fit alright. There’s not a man in this place who wouldn’t love a pretty girl to work here. Plus, you’ve been walking around like a bear with a sore head for weeks. We need the help.”
“Get the rest of these reprobates to hurry up so we can go and meet her. I don’t want to keep her waiting too long.”
The Red Devil isn’t as busy as usual, but I guess it’s still early. I spot Kyla easily, sitting in a booth that’s side-on to the door. She’s on the phone and not aware that we’ve arrived. “You guys wait here. I’ll go see what Kyla’s drinking. As I approach, I find Noah, and his triplet brothers, Niall and Nash behind me. In addition to their identical looks, they seem to have an identical inability to take instructions. I guess they’re more than a little curious about our newest employee.