Violet ducks her chin. She’s afraid of me. Everyone is. To them, I may as well be a demon. I’m not sure I completely understand. I give them all sufficient breaks, make sure they get time off, and I pay top dollar above anyone else in this town. For that, I expect the work to be done right.
Does that make me a monster?
Violet doesn’t question me; she rushes back downstairs, and I’m sure takes over her station within seconds of me asking her to. She’s an honest worker with determined dreams of her own. That’s something I can admire, but the girl needs to toughen up.
I glance down at the laptop and watch the security cameras as Addie walks in. She’s worked all day at the diner, and she still strides with energy in a tight blue jean skirt and a button-down plaid that’s popped to nearly mid breast. When I chose the uniforms, I didn’t expect anyone to wear them the way she does. The dark red in the top strikes against her smooth pale skin with a beauty I didn’t know existed. I follow her on the screen, watching as she moves between each room and up the stairs toward the employee office. It’s only a room a way. I should walk past, say hello, and see if she’s told her father about her job, but before I get a chance to stand, she slams her locker closed and makes her way to my office door.
My heart crushes when she stands in the doorway. She’s so beautiful. God, I shouldn’t look at her the way I do. She’s young. She’s the daughter of the guy who owns the whole damn mountain. He detested my arrival. He detested me opening the club. He thinks my club will corrupt the youth. A slight chuckle escapes. Maybe he was right.
“What can I help you with?” My tone is darker than I’d planned.
“I didn’t like your ultimatum yesterday. I just thought you should know.” She spins to leave the room, but I stand to meet her in the hall.
I regret it, but it’s already been said. I can’t go back now. “It wasn’t an ultimatum. It was an order. Your father needs to know what you’re doing here.”
She folds her arms over her chest, squishing them upward as her face distorts. “And what does this have to do with my job?”
I could tell her that I don’t want bad blood with her family because I plan to sweep her away to my cabin later and have my way with her, but I doubt that would go over as well as, “I don’t want enemies. It’s not required of your job, but it would mean a great deal to me. Your father has a lot of pull here. If I piss him off, the business could pay.” It’s all a load of shit, but it sounds more professional, then the former thoughts I’ve been having.
She rolls her eyes. “My father is a cinnamon roll. A crunchy one, but still… he wouldn’t hurt anyone. Besides, the townspeople voted on this place. You’re here because they wanted you here, and you purchased the land. So, my father can’t do much about it.”
“He could start digging up dirt on me,” I groan. “And with a little dirt, these nice, small-town folk aren’t going to want anything to do with me.”
She narrows her gaze and shakes her head before folding her arms in front of her chest again. “What? No. We aren’t like that here.”
I’m surprised she hasn’t asked what dirt there is to be dug. Instead, she looks away and bites at her bottom lip. I know I should focus on the conversation, but there’s a hunger that brews inside me when she’s around. A heightened awareness that’s nearly impossible to control.
“You know what I think would help you make friends and gain patrons for your hoedown?”
I shake my head with reluctance, but her eyes light.
“You should talk to the townspeople,” she pauses, “nicely.You should talk to them like you would family, not your employees.”
“I’m nice. Why does no one think I’m nice?”
She laughs, then stops, staring back at me when I don’t laugh along. “Oh, you’re serious. Sorry, I thought you were… anyway… I think no one thinks you're nice because you never act…nice.”
“I just reassured Violet like twenty minutes ago.”
Her face widens. “You reassured her?She texted me that you were pissed.”
“What?” I shake my head, with a strained tone. I want to be better. I want Addie to see me as kind. “That’s the problem with people. They’re all so sensitive.”
I’m such a fucker.
“You should do something for the community.” Addie looks away, like she’s thinking, then glances back with excitement. “Oh! There’s this animal shelter downtown that’s—”
“No. No animals.”
Her forehead wrinkles. “Okay…what about the community center? They could use help with cleaning and—”
“No.”
“You know this is why people think you’re a dick, right? What’s wrong with the suggestions I gave?”
“Nothing. I just can’t see myself doing them. What else do you have?”
She bites the inside of her cheek and shrugs, sending a drum into my chest. There’s something about that motion… so innocent and sweet. A sharp need slices through me, but I try and ignore it.