Penny didn't appear happy to be showing me in, though, which made me feel a bit uneasy.
"I assure you, I just want to do a good job, and this internship, as unconventional as it is, will help me get a job in this field, which is all I want." I didn't even have to force the smile.
All of it was true.
I had to get away from bartending and get into a paid job in my field. It would double or triple my income, which would set me up for my future.
As it was, taking this temporary job at Locke Global meant reducing my hours at The Pub, so Clayton's money would be put to good use.
"Well, good. Mr. Locke just needs a bit more of a helping hand right now." She winced again but didn't explain more.
It felt awkward, like she knew something I didn't but she wasn't at liberty to express it, and I felt too shy to ask about it.
Without waiting for me to respond, Penny opened the door and breezed into Asher's office.
Immediately, I smelled the stench of whiskey and a faint trace of cigar smoke.
I followed after her, noticing the blinds pulled on all the windows—those facing out over the city, and those separating his office from the hallway and offices beyond.
He sat at his desk with his eyes shut, and it looked like he was swaying.
"Mr. Locke, your new intern is here… The one we mentioned could help with some of the?—"
"Get out," Asher grunted, and I heard his words slur. Yep, drunk.
I was shocked by how gruff he was, especially when Penny waddled up to his desk and swept a pile of receipts into her hand.
"This is Veda Porter, handpicked for you by a few board members. They think she'll?—"
"I said. Get. Out." Asher's eyes popped open and he glared at Penny as I walked closer.
My work was definitely being cut out for me right before my eyes.
He was a tool, a major curmudgeon and an obvious alcoholic.
"It's okay," I whispered, touching her arm. "I've got this."
Years of bartending had taught me how to handle drunks.
Asher Locke was nothing more than a belligerent customer who needed to be put in his place with a firm hand and a warm heart, and I had enough experience to do just that.
Penny smiled apologetically and slunk out carrying her receipts. I stood there surveying the damage.
Asher had a mostly empty bottle of tequila on his desk and bloodshot eyes.
The puffy bags under them told me he'd been at this awhile and was tired.
And the way his tie was loosened and his shirt was open at the top meant he'd grown weary of conventional trappings.
If I met this guy in a bar, I’d have to ask his story, find out why he was so drunk and hurting himself with it.
But I wasn’t in a bar, and that wasn't my job here.
My job was to make this man eat me alive and record it so Clayton could get someone in this position who could run the company.
And it was obvious to me from first glance that Asher Locke had no business being CEO of anything.
"Sit down," he grumbled, and I obeyed him, crossing my legs conscientiously so as not to expose more of myself than necessary right away.
