Holy.Fucking.Shit.
Glenn was the clan leader?!Well no wonder the man oozed charisma.
In something of a daze, Ross flipped over the business card and read the terms printed neatly on the back.
Flexible schedule.$75,000 salary a year, plus compensation for overtime.Full benefits with an insurance company and package of his choice.House and board provided for the length of employment.
Damn.He’d just had to go and make it tempting, hadn’t he?
Ross might have considered the terms over the top.A too-good-to-be-true.Except he’d worked here for eight months and had a rather good grasp on the idiosyncrasies, absurdities, and challenges that would come along with the job of wrangling a whole clan of supernats.
Yeah, the offer sounded just about right.Ross shoved the card into his wallet.Because he didn’t want to think about it.And he didn’t want anyone else to find it.It could hardly be found by someone else in his wallet, correct?
It was fine.He’d turn down Glenn properly next time.
Ross cleaned the spilled Icee from the floor, the mop making rhythmic squeaking sounds as he swiped it back and forth.It was the last of the cleanup for the drink section, although how he’d explain the damaged ICEE machine to the owner was another thing.Ross assumed she knew of the supernatural, but he’d never been able to get the woman to confirm it.His boss seemed perfectly willing to pretend ‘normalcy’ was actually a thing.Ross generally humored her and phrased things in such a way to go along with the white lie.
The job offer Glenn had extended to him five days ago still burned in the back of his mind.Ross wasn’t sure what to do about it.He knew what he was doing now wasn’t working.He’d never get through school at this rate.And honestly, working here felt confining.Some nights—like tonight—it felt like a battlefield.Ross knew he didn’t want to stay here.But was taking the job offer Glenn handed him the better option?
On the surface, it certainly looked that way.Ross would have a good income.He could move out of his brother’s apartment into his own place, and finally have the ability to tackle college again.But that was assuming working for Glenn gave him time to pursue an education.Would it?Seeing how much help/trouble supernats could be on a regular basis, would Ross have that kind of luxury?
The problem was, he didn’t know enough about how the clans operated to really have an answer to that question.
The bell above the door let out a chime, bringing Ross’s head around.
Annabella waltzed in with Glenn, for once coming in together.They took in the dented machine, sitting slanted on the counter like a shorter, sadder version of the Tower of Pisa, and their reactions were instantaneous.In a second, Glenn was at his side, his fingers light as he touched Ross’s chin and shoulder, looking him over with concern.
“You’re well?”
The suddenness of Glenn’s concern flustered Ross for a split second.Since when did Glenn—or Annabella for that matter—feel such attachment to him?“I’m fine.It was a stupid fight.”
Glenn stopped touching him but didn’t step back, looking over the scene with a visible tic near his eye.“Oh?”
“Feliks and one of his girlfriends.Ex-girlfriend, I guess.She finally caught up with him here and more or less threw him into the machine.”Ross gave it a stare and huffed out an annoyed breath.“Feliks agreed to pay for the damages, but it’s still going to be a bear to explain this to the owner.”
“How did you stop a fight between two werewolves?!”Annabella demanded incredulously.
“Bucket of water.”
Glenn threw his head back and laughed loudly.“You didn’t!”
“What, it works on two fighting dogs.”Ross gave him a small smile.
Warmly, Glenn said in a soft tone, “I’m glad it did.But you should have called one of us.We would have taken care of it for you.”
“Glenn, I don’t know a single phone number to anyone in the clan.”Except Glenn’s, but that was a dangerous road.“And no offense, but I was handling stupidity like this for a while before you ever walked in here.I can handle it.What are you two here for?”
“To talk to you, actually.”Annabella was still staring at the junked machine with her bright red lips pressed into a flat, irritated line.She looked particularly snazzy tonight in a form-flattering black dress and bright red high heels that put her at super model height.“We just came back from an all-clan meeting.”
“It didn’t go well.”Glenn finally eased back a foot, giving Ross a little breathing room.Ross appreciated it, as frankly, his body reacted in interesting ways when Glenn stood close.“We attempted to come up with an agreement for inter-city interactions.This habit of the young ones attacking each other with little discernment is worrying for us.”
“You’ve seen how werewolves and vampires are at odds.”Annabella waited for Ross’s nod before continuing sourly, “Well, it’s not just them.They’re just the worst example of the bunch.And it’s all silly, really, the reasons for the fights.We actually used this gas station as an example of how peaceful we can interact if we put some effort into it.”
Ross let out a humorless snort.“And then you walk in to find this.”
“Yes,” Glenn sighed, shoulders slumping.“Rather disheartening.Although it does speak well of you that this was the only damaged part of the store.Two werewolves in a fight normally demolish a room without any trouble.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.I keep a bucket of water near the counter for that reason.It’s come in handy more than once, and water’s much easier to clean up.”They both looked frazzled.Ross didn’t know why he thought that, with them dressed so sleek, and every hair in perfect place, but it was the impression that struck him regardless.“Want a beer?”
