Page 74 of Angel

Jenna and Angel exchanged another look, both of them wondering if they were going to become in-laws one day.

Of the remaining four Honeys, two quit—Lacy and Ginger—and the remaining two—Gracie and Monica—agreed to become servers at the bar with no “extra services” required. Gracie had asked if she could stay at the clubhouse in one of the open housekeeping positions, but Steel had declined her request.

The club held open interviews for housekeepers as well as two more servers for the bar. They had already worked out the budget to have four servers. With Lacy and Ginger quitting, they now had open positions.

The first day of open interviews did not go well. There was a rumor going around town that the open interviews were for the old Honey position and an unreasonable amount of single women had showed up to the bar. Ghost and Ranger had had to call in reinforcements after one girl flashed Ranger to try to get the job.

After that, they held the interviews at the clubhouse where the applicants were screened at the gate by Bulldog prior to entry.

Angel, Cage, Bree, and Aaron were in their Traverse on their way home from school and got caught in the traffic backed up at the gate. Cage got to out see if he could help Bulldog, donning his cut as he went.

Aaron leaned forward between the driver and passenger seats. “What’s going on?”

“Too many loose women with too much time on their hands,” Angel said—before she recalled who she was talking to. She turned and looked at both teens. “Do not repeat that.”

Bree snorted. “Add twenty bucks to the swear jar and you’ll have my silence.”

Angel glared at her. Though, she was also a bit proud. “Fine.”

Aaron looked over his shoulder at Bree. Her chair was strapped down behind the driver’s seat. “You do realize the swear jar isn’t a deterrent for them at all.”

Bree grinned widely. “I know.”

They finally got themselves through the gate. Angel paused to roll her window down to ask if Cage was staying or going with them. He told them he was staying and then leaned through to give her a kiss.

Angel pulled into an open spot by the clubhouse. She wanted to see the sort of people Bulldog was letting through. Since the Honey position was now closed, there was nothing saying that a man couldn’t apply for the job. Upon hearing that the other night, Ollie had swooned and said, “Oh, I do love a man in uniform.”

Aaron had scowled at him and then proclaimed to the room that he was getting his new football uniform in that week.

There were three women sitting with clipboards on the couch in the clubhouse. None of them were dressed provocatively, though only one was dressed professionally.

Harper, who had been close behind Angel in the lineup at the gate, came in behind them with Scotty, Ollie, and Spot, Scotty’s service dog. Spot’s harness was off, so he was acting like a two-year-old golden retriever would. One of Scotty’s favorite after-school activities was to play with the rescued Pitbull puppies. Angel hoped they could coax Cassie out of the house with the promise of puppy cuddles.

All of the alcohol was locked up in the cabinets. However, there were pitchers of lemonade, iced tea, and water sitting on the bar, along with a tray of cheese and crackers.

A young teenage boy sat on a bar stool. He had pitch black hair, cropped short to his head. Though his back was to her, Angel could see his sea-green eyes and light complexion in the mirror behind the bar. He was staring up above the cabinets of alcohol towards the beams in the ceiling and muttering to himself. His fingers were tapping along the wood of the bar as if he was playing an invisible piano.

Scotty went straight for the food. “Hi, Carter!” he pronounced loudly. Angel assumed he knew the teen from school.

The boy did not look at Scotty or acknowledge him by stopping what he was doing. It was a solid five seconds later that he said very clearly, “Hi, Scotty.”

“Why are you here?” Scotty asked him while chewing on a square of cheddar cheese.

Again, there was a delay in Carter’s answer. His fingers still fluttering along the wood. “My mom,” he said distinctly. His head tipped slightly to the right. “My mom is here to apply for a job.”

Scotty smiled widely at him. “My daddy’s here too.” Scotty looked around. “I think my daddy is here. Mommy, where’s Daddy?”

Angel glanced at Bree to see how she handled Scotty’s question and found Aaron had a hand on her shoulder in support. She had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep her approving smile off her lips.

Harper approached the bar. “He’s in Uncle Steel’s office interviewing people for the open jobs,” she answered Scotty. “Hi, Carter.”

Carter’s tapping increased, almost out of agitation. “Ms. Hannigan. Hannigan now McCoy.” He looked up even further at the ceiling. “Twenty-two. Twenty-two. Twenty-two.”

Angel looked at Harper to see if she understood why the boy was muttering ‘twenty-two’ to himself, but Harper didn’t seem bothered by the odd behavior.

Harper smiled sweetly at him. “Carter, we’re going to go play with some puppies if you want to join us.”

“Twenty-two, twenty-two… Puppies?”

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