My phone rings.
Toby.
Ordering me to come in for inventory. On my day off. Alone.
I tell him I can’t because I’m on my period and bleeding everywhere.
He hangs up so fast I laugh until my stomach hurts.
But the laugh doesn’t erase the stark, pissy truth. That my time at the coffee shop is almost over.
The next morning, I wake up, see the business card on my nightstand.
I stareat the glossy print for a good ten minutes, half convinced it’ll disintegrate in my hand.
Carl Leebers.
Assistant to the assistant to Freddie Nova.
The wiser thing to do right now is rip up the business card, toss it in the bin and spend a productive morning job-hunting.
Jump the Sleazy Toby express before I catch something I shouldn’t. Or toss a steaming milk pitcher at him that’ll see me in jail. Or worse.
But…Christ, the thought of it is depressing as hell.
So I suck in a breath, pick up my phone.
And I call Clipboard Carl.
It rings twice before a slick voice answers, “Carl Leebers speaking.”
I bite my lip. “So… you pay all baristas five hundred bucks just for looking at them, or am I special?”
There’s a pause. Then laughter. It’s a little too I-won-the-jackpot for my liking but I hang in there. For now.
“You must be Ruby. Yes, you’re very special.”
Umm…eww.My finger hovers over the ‘end call’ button.
“Listen, I don’t waste time or money unless I know what I’m after.”
“Oh good, because wasting time and money is exactly what I was planning on accusing you of.”
Carl chuckles again, unfazed. “We’re casting for Riot Saints’ new music video. We’ve been through more than five hundred girls. Not one of them worked.”
“And what makes you think I will? You don’t know the first, second or third thing about me.”
“I have a nose for these things.”
I roll my eyes so hard I nearly sprain something. “Of course you do. Well, hey, if you’ve got money to throw at people like Greg, prove you’re not just some sleazebag luring me into something sketchy. Like bubblewrap porn.”
“Fair.” He doesn’t hesitate. “Check your phone.”
A buzz makes me pull my cell phone from my ear.
My eyes widen at the Venmo notification. Two thousand dollars.
I blink. “You just… sent me two grand. Just like that.”
