Page 22 of Pleasure Island
“Good. You’ll need them. That’s standard work wear for the men and women who work for me. If you don’t have at least five suits, let Leslie know, and she’ll advance you some cash for your bonus. FYI, if you don’t last long enough to get the bonus, I’ll take it out of whatever money you make while you’re here.”
“I’ll last,” I replied calmly. I’d never quit yet, so that had to count for something. “But I’ve got funds to buy a few suits.”
He grunted under his breath. “Once you’re done here, if you’ve got time, I want you to speak with Chris Mendoza. He’s one of my top guys, and he finished up an assignment, so he’s here in the building. He’ll give you a crash course before we really put you to the test over the weekend.”
“Thank you.”
Steve slanted a look at me and shook his head. “You might be ready to quit before Mendoza is through with you. So, don’t thank me yet.”
* * *
It wasa good three hours before I left Steadman.
I had an identification card tucked into my wallet and the address of a club I needed to be at the following afternoon.
Mendoza had said he’d meet me there, then clapped me on my shoulder.
I could see why Mendoza was one of Steve’s best.
He’d put me through the wringer, and my body already ached despite the fact that we’d gone at each other fairly lightly.
He’d wanted to assess my hand to hand skills and had decided there was no time like the present.
He must have been pleased enough with what he saw because he grinned at me as I sat down and sucked water from a bottle after a hard thirty minutes on a mat with him.
And I’d been in a pair of dress shoes that were a half-size too small and a suit that probably cost more than I made in a month. He’d let me take the jacket off, but that was it.
Now the suit was wrinkled, and it looked like I might have been sleeping in it.
But what did any of that matter?
I had a job.
I just hoped I didn’t end up in over my head.
