Page 21 of Pleasure Island
Navy guy got up to pace more than once, returning the clipboard he’d been given before coming back over to where we’d been sitting.
“Not exactly big on being prompt, are they?” he asked.
I shrugged and turned another page of the magazine I wasn’t really reading. “Things happen.”
I figured I’d give it another fifteen minutes before I left.
Navy guy left after another five minutes.
I figured I wasn’t far behind him.
But then a door opened.
“Liam?”
Then again, maybe not.
Five minutes later, I was sitting in an office with a cup of coffee while the man in front of me skimmed over my resume, piss poor as it was.
Michelle had helped beef it up, focusing on the military experience. I didn’t know if it was going to make a difference. I still didn’t have experience in this field.
“Have you ever worked security before?”
I met the gaze of the man conducting my interview. He’d introduced himself as Steve. “Four years in the infantry had me working security quite a bit,” I replied. “Mine, the security of those in my unit.”
“But you’ve never done bodyguard work before.”
“No.” Couldn’t really lie about it.
He made a humming sound under his breath, then asked, “What do you do if it comes down to protecting your charge and taking the life of somebody threatening him or her? What do you do?”
“I’d hope that my training would help me find another way than to use deadly force,” I said slowly. “But if it comes down to a person I’m supposed to protect and somebody who poses a threat to that person, then I’d use deadly force.”
Steve nodded. “And if it comes down to you stepping between a bullet and your charge?” He cocked a brow. “My group has managed to avoid that, but on rare occasion, there is such a threat. How do you handle it?”
“I’ve stepped in front of bullets before,” I said. “It’s not my idea of fun, but if I’m supposed to be protecting somebody, and that’s what’s called for, that’s what I’ll do.”
Putting my resume down, Steve studied me for a long moment. “Would you be available this weekend to go through some basics and get your feet wet, so to speak?”
The question caught me off guard. Completely off guard. I’d assumed I’d leave here with a disinterested,we’ll be in touch,and I might or might not hear from them.
So, this question was totally out of the blue for me.
“I’d be available,” I said cautiously.
“Good.” He stood up and gestured for me to follow him. “I’ll be honest, you’re a little greener than most of my men, but we have to start somewhere. I’ve got a new client that I’ll need to put somebody on, and my team’s a little short. You’ll get oriented this weekend, and we’ll see how you do. If things work out well, you’ll start next week.”
“Next week?” I repeated.
He cocked his head. “Is that a problem?”
“No, sir.” I just thought I’d have some time to do a little more preparation than…oh, say…the weekend.
“You’ll hit the ground running this weekend.” He led me from the office and took me back to the receptionist’s desk. “She’ll go over all the paperwork. If you have questions, ask her. She probably knows the answers better than I do.” He gave me another hard look. “You have more suits like that?”
The suit belonged to my cousin. Hopefully, he’d have a few more he could lend me until I could go out and buy some. I might have to take Jake with me, because as far as buying suits went, I had even less experience there than I did at the job I was applying for. Or maybe I’d already been hired. Things were moving too fast for me to tell.
“I have suits,” I said as Steve continued to wait for an answer.
