“The anti-smoking ads. You know the ones. Wheezing voice-overs, lungs covered in tar. I bet yours are all shriveled up by now.”
“Can’t say I know what you’re talking about, but I bet you’re real fun at parties.”
“I am, actually. I’m delightful.”
“I can see that.”
“More delightful than you, anyway.”
He turned so that his entire body faced mine, one arm resting against the railing to support his weight. “I don’t need to be delightful,” he said.
“And why’s that?”
“I’m a chef,” he said, as if that explained anything. When I didn’t respond, he added, “Don’t need to be delightful when you’ve got food.”
I wanted to argue with him, but he had a point.
He sighed. “Listen, love—”
“Don’t call me love.”
He took the cigarette from his mouth and waved a hand. “Don’t know your name.”
“Nina Lejeune,” I said. I waited for him to tell me his, but he didn’t.
He bit his lip as he looked me over. “Nina Lejeune,” he repeated. “You sure we don’t know each other?”
“I’m pretty sure I’d remember meeting my least favorite person in the world.”
His eyes widened. “In the wholeworld? Already? Hell, that’s gotta be a record.” His gaze dropped to the cigarette between his fingers, then bounced up to meet mine again. “Well, Nina Lejeune, as lovely as it is having a stranger berate my life choices at nine in the morning, it’d be great if you could just... piss off. What are you doing here anyway?”
Right.Right!I was here to get a job. I didn’t need any distractions. Especially not of the infuriatingly attractive asshole variety.
“I’m here to see Captain Rodriguez about the junior stewardess position,” I said. I stood as straight as I could in an attempt to project the confidence I’d faked my way into feeling. The heels would’ve helped.
“Grand,” he said, but he looked as if he didn’t think it was grand at all. He unclipped a walkie-talkie from his pants and held it up to his mouth, his eyes on my face as he held down the talk button. “Cap. Cap. This is Ollie.”
Ollie, I thought, storing the name away just in case I happened to land this gig.
“Go ahead,” a voice replied.
“There’s a Nina Lejeune here to see you. Says she’s got an interview for the junior stew position.”
No, no, no. Could he have said anything worse? The captain wouldn’t know my name, seeing as I hadn’tactuallybeen called in for an interview.
Ollie must have noticed the panic on my face. “What? I say something else wrong?”
“It’s just that... well, I don’t actually have an interview.”
“What do you mean?”
I held up my résumé. “I just thought I’d print out my résumé and head down here. Apply in person.” Which had definitely been a mistake. What did I think I was doing just showing up and demanding a job?
“Ah, dock walking, are you?” Ollie said. “Or dock handstanding, in your case, I suppose.”
“I’m sorry, dock... what?”
“Dock walking. You know, walking up and down the dock looking for work.”
