I hold up my hands as a sign of surrender and am about to vacate the office (and premises) immediately, but Simone doesn’t back down.
“Hugo, Hugo, Hugo, you’re looking a gift horse in the mouth. We both know Quinn quit yesterday.”
“I have a girl coming in at four for a final interview, and ifshe doesn’t work out, there’s another person ready to take her spot, too.”
“But c’mon, we both know those girls don’t hold a candle toIsabel,” Simone says with a flourish in my direction.
Honestly, I’m flattered. No man has complimented me the way Simone has in these last few minutes. If I don’t walk out of here with a job, at least I’ll have an inflated ego to soften the blow.
Hugo finally takes a moment to look me up and down, and I should care that I’m being objectified on amolecularlevel, but I can’t seem to conjure any outrage. I know where I am and what job I’m applying for. Hugo’s not going to care about my educational accolades and top-tier work experience so much as my hip-to-waist ratio and my bra size. I’m surprised he doesn’t ask me to turn around so he can see my backside.
“I have my resume with me,” I offer shyly. “I have my MBA from—”
He chuckles. “Don’t care. You know how to carry a drink and serve it with a smile on your face?”
I toss him a coy smirk on the spot as if to prove my capabilities. Without a doubt, Winnie is somewhere cheering on this ridiculous charade. She would love to see this.
I’ve always been studious and responsible by nature, but recently, those two traits have taken over my entire personality. In the last two years, I’ve unintentionally trimmed away every frivolous part of my life. I’ve stripped myself of the fluff and excess, thefun, because it’s been too hard to endure without Winnie. I’ve focused my time and energy on work, I see my parents, and I meet friends out for dinner every now and then (onlyafter they twist my arm about it), but outside of surfing, there’s nothing I do that makes my heart race or my hands tremble.
So while I don’t normally subject myself to physical judgment on this scale or follow the lead of a random stranger, every cell inside me is screaming that this is right. I wanted a wild summer, and this is proving to be the start of one.
Simone claps. “See, Hugo? Our customers are going to eat her up!”
His scowl hasn’t lessened, but his frown has. We might actually be winning him over. And by we, I mean Simone.
“How’s your Spanish?” he asks.
“My French is better,” I tease.
He doesn’t find me funny.
I take on a more earnest tone when I continue, “It shouldn’t be a problem, though, right? I’ll be dealing mainly with tourists?”
He shakes his head. “It depends on the night, and most of our back of house are locals. It’s important that you can speak at least a bit of Spanish.”
“Noted. I’ll definitely brush up on it,” I promise. “I really would love this job.”
“Sooo? What do you think?” Simone shimmies her shoulders. “I’ll help train her, and I’ll get her settled in the flat with me tonight.”
She sounds like a petulant child begging her parents for a puppy.I’ll feed her and walk her and clean up her pee!She presses her hands together in a plea for him to give in to our begging.
Hugo looks down at his paperwork—probably remembering everyotherproblem on his plate right now—before he sighs and shakes his head.
“Yeah. All right.” Simone’s squeal doesn’t faze him. “Both of you get cleaned up. Simone, get to trainingnow. And you—”
“Isabel,” I supply when it’s clear he’s forgotten my name.
“Right. Sit outside my office until I’m ready for you. We’ll get your paperwork squared away in a minute. Once we’re finished, go find Annika or Simone. They’ll get you a uniform.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” I say, my giddiness bleeding out of me.
“Thankher,” Hugo says, pointing his finger toward Simone.
Under her breath, she adds, “You might not want to thank me until you actually see the uniform…”
Chapter Five
Isabel
