We spent the next few days just getting to know each other, and I hated that it was coming to an end. I had started to feel like I was seeing the real him, and I couldn’t get enough. Unfortunately, Nathan had to go back to work, and it was time for me to start looking for a job. While I was eager to get started, the bed was awfully warm, and I was finding it hard to get up. I finally forced myself to kick the covers off and was about to head to the bathroom for a shower when I tripped, falling flat on my face with a resounding thud.
I was still lying there when I heard an unfamiliar voice shout through the door. “Ms. Carmichael… Is everything okay?”
“Um… yeah.” I quickly pulled myself up off the floor. “Everything’s fine.”
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yep. I’m good.” I walked over to the door, eased it open, and found a man wearing a dark navy-blue suit standing in the hallway. The first thing that I noticed about him was his size. He was a big guy, casting a shadow that nearly filled the room, with bulging muscles that seemed to go on for days. His tailored shirt fit him perfectly, and there was no doubt that he spent a lot of time in the gym. He was young, probably in his early thirties, and if it weren’t for the smile on his handsome face, I might’ve found him threatening. “Hey.”
“Hi, Ms. Carmichael.” He extended his hand out to me. “I’m Max.”
I smiled as I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Max.”
“There’s coffee in the kitchen.”
“Okay, thanks.” I was still a little out of sorts, half asleep and half dazed from my fall, so it took me a second to realize it wasn’t Nathan that had come to the door. Wondering where he might be, I asked, “Will Nathan be at breakfast?”
“He already headed out.” He motioned towards the kitchen. “But I’ll be out front if you need anything.”
When he turned to leave, I closed the door and went over to the dresser. I was in desperate need of a hot shower and a change of clothes. It was time for me to do some job hunting, and I needed to get an early start. Once I was dressed, I looked myself over in the mirror and gave my hair and makeup one last check. I’d always loved my blonde hair, but after the kidnapping and knowing it was one of the reasons they’d taken me, I’d decided to dye it dark. While I liked it, it still felt strange to see my new reflection. After one last look, I grabbed my phone and went over to the small desk in the corner of the room. I had several jobs that I wanted to check out. After I made a few calls, I found out that most of the jobs I was interested in were already filled, but I did manage to score an interview at one of the local hot spots. My stomach was turning somersaults as I headed down the hall towards the kitchen. When I walked in, Max was sitting at the table reading the newspaper and eating a bagel. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen counter. I grabbed my phone out of my purse and checked my messages and email. Once I was done, I got up and started for the door. “I’ll check ya later, Max. Thanks for the coffee.”
“Hold up.” Max stood up and rushed towards me. “I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
“That’s okay. I can just get a taxi.”
I continued towards the door, until I heard him say, “That’s not an option, Ms. Carmichael.”
Confused, I whipped around to face him. “What do you mean, that’s not an option?”
“If you have somewhere you’d like to go, I’ll take you.”
“I got that part, Max.” I stepped towards him. “What’s the problem with me taking a taxi?”
“It’s not exactly a problem…” he started.
“Good.” I turned and started walking towards the door. “I’ll be back later.”
“Ms. Carmichael.” His voice was stern and a little more forceful than I’d expected. “I can’t let you do that.”
“First, stop calling me Ms. Carmichael. It’s freaking me out. And second… I’m not going to ask this again… why can’t I take a taxi?”
He let out a deep breath and started for the door. “It’s my job. I’m here to make sure you have everything you need. So, why don’t you just tell me where you’d like to go, Tristen?”
“Something tells me there’s more to it, but fine. The first stop is just around the corner at the West End Bar and Grill.”
I followed him to the elevator, then out to his black BMW. He opened the back door, and I slipped inside. I should’ve been happy to have my own personal chauffeur, but I wasn’t, not even a little. Instead, I was aggravated and felt like I was being treated like a child. Obviously, Nathan didn’t think I could handle doing things on my own, so he sent a stupid babysitter to see after me. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t someone who enjoyed being supervised.
Once he pulled up to the front of the building, I quickly opened the door and hopped out. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“No rush. I’ll be here waiting, unless you’d like me to come inside with you.”
The pitch of my voice shot up several octaves as I screeched, “No.” I put my purse on my shoulder and stepped up onto the curb. “That won’t be necessary.”
I shut the car door and headed inside. I walked over to the hostess counter and was greeted by a blonde in her mid-thirties wearing a black halter top and short, black miniskirt. She leaned forward as she rested her elbows on the counter and smiled. “Hey, doll. What can I do for you?”
“Hi, I’m Tristen Carmichael.” I’d done my research on the West End Bar and Grill, and it was one of the new hot spots in the area. In one night’s time, they served between two to three hundred people, and their lunch crowd was equally as busy. I needed good tips, which meant I needed as many customers as I could get. I hoped that West End would help get me a good start. “Is Mr. Marino here?”
Her smile quickly disappeared as her eyes roamed over me. Once she was done sizing me up, a disapproving snarl crossed her face letting me know she didn’t approve of my black V-neck shirt and jeans combination. “You here for the waitress job?”
“I was told the opening was for a bartender position.”
“That’s if you make the cut. You’ll waitress first. If that works out, then you’ll move up to ‘tender.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder as she looked behind her. “Hey, Tony! She’s here.”
“Send her on back!” a man shouted from behind the bar. It was still early, so the lunch crowd hadn’t shown up. In a half hour, the place would be buzzing with people and doing an interview at the bar would be damn near impossible.
She looked back over to me like she’d smelled something bad and said, “He’s over at the bar.”
“Yeah, I caught that.” I walked past the counter and over to the bar, and I was surprised to find a young Joey from Friends standing there waiting for me. Well, it wasn’t the actual Joey, but he looked just like him. “Hi, Mr. Marino. I’m Tristen Carmichael. We spoke earlier about the bartender position.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I remember.” He smiled and offered me his hand, shaking it firmly. “Have a seat.”
I reached in my bag and pulled out my résumé. “I emailed you a copy, but I thought I’d bring an extra one just in case.”
He took it from my hand and glanced over it. “So, you’re interested in the bartender position?”
“I am.”
“Well, it doesn’t look like you’ve got much experience with it.”
“No, but I’m a fast learner.” I could tell he wasn’t buying it, so I took a deep breath and pushed a little harder. “It may not show it on paper, but I do have a lot of experience, Mr. Marino. I’ve worked hard and learned a lot over the past couple of years. I’m dependable, trustworthy, and I’m always on time. I know how to deal with a rough crowd, and the not-so-rough crowd. Whatever you’ve got, I can handle it. I just need the chance to prove it.”
He smiled, and I knew I’d won him over. “I tell you what… we’ll start you off as an assistant. You’ll help out around the bar and that will give you a chance to pick up on a few things. Tips will be shared sixty- forty, and we’ll work out your hours from week to week.”
“That sounds great.”
“Good. I’ll let the boss know we’ve got ourselves a new bartender.”
I stood up and smiled. “So, when do I start?”
“Be here at ten tomorrow morning. I’ll get you a uniform from the back.”
“I’ll be here. Thanks, Mr. Marino.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He laughed as he motioned to the girl up front. “You’ll have to work with our girl, Brooklyn.”
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll manage just fine.” I started walking towards the front door and as I passed the hostess counter, I looked over my shoulder at Brooklyn. “See you tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes and gave me an unenthusiastic wave goodbye. I was just about to walk out the front door when I spotted Max’s black BMW sitting out front. I stopped in my tracks and quickly turned around. “Hey, is there a back door I could use?”
Brooklyn looked at me like I was crazy as she pointed towards the service entrance. “You can go through the kitchen.”
“Thanks!”
I don’t know what I was thinking. I certainly wasn’t thinking of Max or his job as I hurried through the kitchen, swerving past the cooks with their pots and pans or the bus boys with the dish buckets. I only had one thing on my mind. Me. I had things I wanted to take care of, and I didn’t want Hawkeye watching my every move. So, I did the only thing I could—I ditched him.