Chapter 5
Piper
Sighing, I leaned myface on my hand, pouring over the classified at a picnic table by the beach.
The paper had a total of five jobs for hire. Not that I should expect more in this town. I was lucky to have found the dog walking job as it was. The ones that were in the paper weren't much better.
Wanted: caregiver for an eighty-five-year-old man.
No, thank you. It was terrible enough cleaning up after dogs and vampires. I so did not want to wipe any butts.
Waitress for a burger joint down the street. Nope. Their burgers tasted like shit, and the staff was just as shitty.
I paused at the next listing. Now, this, this I could stomach. Not like I haven't done it before. Though, I suppose it would be a step back since I'd just gotten out of a job like this when I got hired by the Durands.
Okay. So, I got fired. But that was neither here nor there. Besides, I'm a different person now.
I could totally deal with some asshole lawyer shouting orders, answering meaningless phone calls, and making appointments. Of course, I'd have to wear something professional for a lawyer's office. I couldn't exactly wear what I cleaned the manor in. I smirked. Well, what I usually wore to clean around the house anyway. Though, I didn't think this Bigg’s Law Office would require me to play hostess to a thousand-year-old vampire.
A shadow fell over my form. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"If you are going to make an escape, at least leave a note. Or text. That's what cellular devices are for."
I didn't bother looking up at Darren as I circled the receptionist's job in the paper. I'd make up a resume and email it to them tonight. Or better yet, I'll take it to them in person. I've been told I can be charming...when I want to be. I certainly had to have a certain amount of charm to attract five vampires to me.
I chuckled to myself.
"Something funny?"
Lifting my head up, I smiled at Darren. "Yes. It is. What do you want?"
Darren sighed, his brow pinched in that way it did when he was annoyed with me but was too polite to say so. "You've been avoiding me."
"No, I haven't." I glanced back down at the paper focusing on folding it into a perfect square around the job I'd circled. "I've been busy."
"Looking for a job?" Darren unbuttoned his suit jack and sat on the bench next to me. "You know you put us at an unnecessary risk every time you go off on your own like this."
I turned my head to the side. "And I'm supposed to just live in fear? Stay in the hotel room until Antoine says that it's safe again?" I shoved the newspaper into the side of my bra through my tank top. "Not going to happen."
"I'm not saying sequester yourself in the hotel room. I'm saying you need to be more careful." He adjusted his white gloves so precisely that I had the urge to push him down in the sand just to see him all ruffled and distraught.
"I am being careful."
Darren snorted. "So, leaving the hotel room without telling me where you were going, without decent clothing, that's being careful? I wish I could say I was surprised you even took your cell phone but your generation..." he clucked his tongue impatiently, "...can't seem to be away from it for more than a moment. It'd be attached to your hand permanently if you could."
I did roll my eyes this time, standing. "Careful, your age is showing." I flicked his nose, gaining me a glower from Darren.
"Not as much as yours." He stood and adjusted his jacket, rebuttoning the middle button. A curious act I was sure was habit rather than need. "Are you done running?"
I cocked my head. "I'm not running. I'm standing right here."
"Don't be tart." He narrowed his dark eyes on me.
I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'll be whatever I want to be. You're not my boss."
"Thank god for that," he muttered under his breath, probably forgetting I could hear him.
I turned on my heels and practically skipped along the sidewalk by the beach. I hummed to myself envisioning what kind of clothing I'd need to wear to my new job. I frowned. I didn't have much money from the dog walking job. While I loathed spending the money, Antoine was no doubt still paying me - I hadn't checked my account in ages - I needed a better wardrobe than short shorts and tank tops.