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As he starts walking closer I notice that, although he still favors the teenage boy in the picture, he has quite a few artistic features added to his person. He has two silver rings in one brow and a gauge in each ear. His black short-sleeved t-shirt doesn’t hide that his arms are covered in tattoos. I can see another tattoo peeking out from the neck of his shirt. He wears a black-and-silver woven necklace that lies close to his neck. On his left wrist is a wide leather wristband. He is, hands down, the most gorgeous man I have ever seen before.
“What's up, Mia?” he asks once he reaches us. It’s so hard not to stare at him. He still hasn’t looked my way. I don’t know why, but I really want him to.
“She asked about the job opening,” the woman named Mia says, and gestures to me with a chin lift. “Said Anna sent her over here.”
He finally looks at me, and I’m struck dumb. He has the most stunning eyes. One is a violet color. But it’s the other eye that stands out the most. It has two different colors. Both sides are violet, but one side has more of a cornflower blue tint to it. I have never seen anything like it. I know that it would be so easy to get lost in them.
He stands there, staring at me, and I become fidgety. The intensity in his eyes is making me nervous, but I can’t tear mine away. I reach up to make sure my hair is still covering my scar, and find that it is. After what seems like an endless amount of time, he says simply, “Not interested,” and turns to walk away.
My mouth drops open while I watch his retreating back. I’m floored. I cannot believe he judged me without even asking a single question. What kind of man does that? Oh, no, that’s so not working for me. I am so sick and tired of men treating me like shit. Enough is enough!
I take a deep breath, stand up, lean over the bar, and yell, “Wait!”
He stops and slowly turns back around to face me, hands on his hips. Again, his eyes arrest me.
“What?”
“Why?” is my reply.
“Why what?”
“Why did you say ‘not interested’ when you don't even know me? You asked me not one question regarding the job. How can you know I'm not qualified when you didn't even let me tell you my qualifications?”
He slowly makes his way back toward me. “Okay, then speak. Tell me...?”
“Bailey,” I supply.
“Tell me, Bailey, why should I hire you?”
Well, crap. Now that I have him in front of me and willing to listen, I have no idea what to say. This man intimidates me with his tattoos, piercings, badass attitude, and hot-as-sin good looks. I have never been the type to speak my mind before. As a child, I was meek and fearful of both my parents, so I kept my mouth shut as much as possible. As an adult, I became even quieter. Once I married Steven and he showed his true colors, I learned really quick to watch what I say. It’s ingrained in me to not voice my opinion and stand up for myself.
My newfound bravery of just a few minutes ago has gone AWOL. Vanished into thin air. Poof. I just stare at Jaxon, totally speechless. He stares back at me with his eyebrows raised, waiting for my response. Damn, I’m really screwing this up. Come on, Bailey, you can do this!
“Okay, look, Bailey, I don’t have all night. As you can see, we’re bu—”
I interrupt him by blurting, “I was a bartender for four years while I was in college. It was what helped pay for my tuition. The place I worked at was a high-end restaurant that catered to the rich. There was a bar there, so I know a little about that kind of work. However, I do realize that it is much different than your place, but I’m willing to learn. If you give me a chance, I promise to do the best that I can.” I take a deep breath and add in a small voice, “Please, I really need this job.”
Once more, he just stares at me with his irresistible eyes. He’s really starting to make me feel uncomfortable. Finally, after what seems like ten minutes but can only have been a minute or two, he asks, “Why do you need this job?”
“I’ve been on the road for a while and I’m running low on cash. I came across this town, and it looked like a nice place to settle. As it is to be my new home, I need to find a way to make money.”
“Why were you on the road? You don’t have a place to get back to?”
“My reasons are my own. Just know that I’ll be here for a while, and I’m a very hard worker.” There’s no way I’m telling him the reason I’m traveling. More often than not, people look at you with pity once they find out you’re a poor pathetic person who allowed a man to beat on and abuse you for years. Although I may not be staying in this town for long, I still don’t want people looking at me with pity. I’ve perfected the art of hiding my feelings throughout the years. I have no plans of changing now.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-four,” I tell him.
“Have you ever worked around rowdy drunks before?”
“No.”
“It gets pretty crazy around here at times. Some of these men can be dicks and likes to play with the women. I try to keep things calm, but there are times when I’m not around. Think you can handle that?”
His words make me nervous. I start to shake, and the top of my head tingles. I’m used to having men touch me, thanks to Steven’s extracurricular activities. However, those times were forced on me. I had no choice in the matter. Here though, I would have a choice. Could I be brave enough and tell them to keep their hands to themselves? The scared and battered woman inside me says no. The strong and courageous side of me that is trying to break through says yes. Do I really have a choice? If I turn down this job, I will be left broke, in more ways than one.
I take a deep breath, straighten my spine, and look him square in the eyes. “Yes.”
