He leaned back in his chair, his golden-blond hair like a halo crowning his head while long fingertips gripped a glass of whiskey.
“Sit,” he greeted.
His grin was a bit too menacing.
His demeanor was a little too relaxed.
I braced myself for what would come, fully aware it’d lead me down a road to nowhere, yet I willingly took a seat.
His intense, ominous brown stare narrowed in, focused solely on me, while two other men stood on each side of him.
“To what do I owe the honor of your presence?” I sarcastically remarked, getting the ball rolling.
He smiled. “I wanted to see you.”
“Well, here I am.” I smiled back.
He sipped on his drink for a second before catching me off guard. “I wanted to talk to you about a permanent position with me.”
“Permanent?” I repeated, leaning back in my seat.
“Yeah,” he said. With a determined expression, he talked it up. “You’re a good kid, and I want to help you.”
“Help me?”
“You know, your old man and me go way back.”
“Is that before or after he fucked you over?”
He chuckled. “You know your father well.”
“I know enough.”
“Oh.” A look of realization spread across his face. “I see. So his debts still come knocking on your door?”
“Not recently.” Unable to resist, I asked, “Have you seen him around?”
“Why? Are you looking for him?”
“Not right now.”
He simply nodded, understanding what I was putting down. “Your old man is an interesting character, no doubt. You’re nothing like him. You’re not like your mother either. You sure you’re not adopted?”
I scoffed. “If only that were the case, it’d make things a lot easier on me.”
“Touché.” He sipped more of his drink. “What if I told you your mom was clean? Huh? Would that matter to you?”
I jerked back, once again caught off guard. “You mean you’ve seen her? She’s back?”
“I’ve heard things.”
I leaned forward, setting my elbows on my knees. “Like what?”
“Ah,” he baited. “I have your attention now? I’d like to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
“Famous last words.”
He snickered. “I knew I liked you for good reason. You’re quiet, you do as you’re told, and sell twice as much as the college kids I pay for dealing in half the amount of time to do it.”
