Lucien (The Marchesi Family 1)

“Still doing the temp thing?” I turned to see my cousin Jimmy standing behind me. He was the son of my father’s other brother, who drank himself to death several years ago. From what Uncle Mac told me about Jimmy’s drinking and drug use, he was headed in the same direction. Mac was the best of the lot. I’d been lucky to end up in his care.

“Yep. I just spent a day working for another fucking asshole.”

“And you don’t even have a drink yet?”

I shook my head. I’d learned early that drinking your problems away was a terrible idea. “I just came by to see Mac.”

Jimmy managed to slither his way in between the stool I’d claimed and the large man sitting on the one next to me. The man glared, and Jimmy glared back.

“I’ve got a proposition for you,” Jimmy said.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Jimmy’s propositions usually involved us getting high together or me going in on a moneymaking scheme anyone with common sense would know wasn’t going to work. “What is it this time?”

“Jesus, don’t look at me like that. I’ve got a job for you. A nice one. In an office. Working for some rich guy.”

“If this job is so good, why don’t you take it for yourself?”

“I was supposed to, but I got a better offer.”

I frowned. “You got a better offer than a steady paying office job?”

“Yeah, from a friend of my dad. He’s in sales. If you know what I mean.” He winked, and I did roll my eyes then.

“So you’re working for a dealer now?”

“Jesus, don’t tell the whole bar.”

“Jimmy, you’re going to get yourself killed.”

“No, I’m going to get myself rich.”

How could he be so stupid? “What is this job you’re talking about, really?”

He fiddled with his phone, not meeting my eyes. “It’s just a job. I heard about it through a friend.”

“What kind of friend?”

“He owed me a favor, but that doesn’t matter. It’s exactly the kind of thing you’ve been looking for.”

I knew better than to get my hopes up, but I was fucking desperate. “Is this job legitimate? Tell me the truth.”

“It’s perfectly legitimate. It’s a real company.”

I knew better than to believe him, but I couldn’t let it go without finding out more. “What would I be doing exactly?”

“You’d be like a secretary”

“An office assistant?”

“Yeah,” he waved away my correction. “Whatever the fuck they call it now. Or maybe it was a receptionist. Something like that.”

Either position would be way better than my current prospects. “You want me to believe someone offered you this job, and you think they’ll just take me instead?”

“Maybe. Maybe not, but if you’re willing to do the work, you’ve at least got a chance.”

“When and where were you supposed to show up?” I couldn’t believe I was actually considering this.

“Tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. Here.” He reached into his jacket, extracted a business card, and handed it to me. “The address is on there.”

I pulled out my phone and looked up the company name, Distinguished Properties. They had a nice website, but that didn’t mean anything.

“What are you not telling me?” With Jimmy there were always more layers to everything he said.

“Nothing. You’re such a suspicious fuck these days.”

“I’m suspicious because I know you.”

“Look, sometimes I’ve misrepresented things in the past, but this is a real job. I’m serious.”

I wanted to believe that. I wanted it so much I was tempted to show up and see what happened. I probably would if I were braver, but I was a coward. I hadn’t even had the nerve to try and save my parents. When I had the choice of fight or flight, I chose flight every time. I’d learned it was best to keep my head down. I liked how small I was because it was easier for me to stay off people’s radars.

“If you really don’t like the idea…” It took me a few moments to realize Jimmy was speaking to me again. “…pretty gay boy like you. I could probably find you a sugar daddy, I know a couple of men who—”

“No, Jimmy. Absolutely not.” I shuddered at the thought of the kind of men he knew and what they’d expect of me.

“So you’ll take the job?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“I need to know Petey.”

I hated when he called me that. “Why? What does it matter to you if you don’t want the job?”

“I just feel bad. They’re expecting me to show up, and I’d hate for them to be left in the lurch, ya know?”

There was definitely something Jimmy wasn’t telling me. “Why don’t you just call and say no thank you. Let them know you found something else.”

“My other offer came up last minute, and I didn’t want to disappoint the friend who owed me the favor.”

“Jimmy, this is—”