“Correction—you guysagreed. I don’t remember signing up to do a damn thing, and I have way too much going on, anyway.”
“Bullshit, Conley!” Don laughs, launching a second pebble at my head. “We get it, you’re busy—so what? I’m super busy, too. But this is important. If we figure this shit out, we could carry on making money from the app, passive income–style. This is your chance to actually shape the future. Iknowit’s not easy, but the more you drag your feet, the bigger the risk of this whole thing getting fucked up.”
Fuck my life. The guy has a point.
Nobody’s easing up on this one, and I know I’ve been backed into a corner. But…
“A girl, though? For real? I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” I frown. “This isn’t, like, exactly a woman-friendly gig. Imagine she picks up some total asshat. It’s too risky. What happens at closing time, when she has to go pick up some drunk guy and he tries to make a move?”
“I hate myself for saying this, but he’s right,” Lois murmurs.
Carrie pretends to be shell-shocked. “Did Lewis just make a totally valid and reasonable point?”
“We could make it so she only ever picks up girls. Like a female-only night service,” Adam counters.
Lane claps his hands. “Problem solved! Now get your ass over there and go say hi. There she is now.”
“Where?” Lois and Carrie ask together.
I follow his gaze. The ride rolling past us now is unreal, and I have to admit, that car is one hell of a flex. From where I’m standing, the owner keeps it in pristine shape, too—red paint gleaming in the sunshine, engine a soft, powerful purr.
I hate my friends.
Lane waves at her before turning back to me. “Come on, buddy. Take a deep breath in, and go impress the girl.”
I flip him the finger, my eyes still locked on the Firebird as the engine falls quiet. It takes a solid two minutes before its owner slips out of the driver’s seat.
“Nice ass.” I nod approvingly.
Lois eyeballs me. “Glad to see you haven’t changed, Lewis.”
“How does she even drive in heels that high?” Carrie stands on her tiptoes, trying it out for size.
I tilt my head. “Aseriouslynice ass.”
“No screwing the recruits, Lewis.”
“Oh, come on, Donny. Think of it as return on investment.”
“When it comes to business, no fucking around.” Don frowns. “On second thought, maybe we should assign her to Adam.”
“Too late. For some reason, I’m suddenly feeling a hell of a lot more excited.”
That’s a lie—but it pisses him off, so it’s worth it.
I jump to my feet, pretending to adjust a nonexistent tie, and salute the gang before striding off across the parking lot. This is no big deal. All I have to do is go over and say hey, then offer her the job, making sure I focus exclusively on the downsides. Throw in one or two seedy jokes, and the job’s as good as done. I’ve got this.
2AMY
I’m a mess, I’m a loser, I’m a hater, I’m a user…”
I flick the stereo down as I cruise onto campus. I always have the music blasting when I drive, not because I’m trying to act all rebel or anything, and not because I have hearing problems, either. The truth is that heavy bass soothes me. That might seem counterintuitive, but that’s just the way it is.
Campus is crawling with people at this time of day, and I’m aiming for low-key. I’ve been a student at SHU for three months now, and things are going pretty well. No fights, no problems, no nothing. The dean was crystal clear when he green-lighted my transfer—my grades are solid, but considering my baggage, the smallest slipup and it’s game over for me. Getting kicked out of college would literally mean my life is over. Or kind of literally, anyway. He’s got his eye on me, and my sister does, too—though I notice she’s missed her morning check-in.
My phone blares out, and I pull over, suppressing a sigh.
Guess I spoke too soon.
