Page 16 of Stroke of Fate

Once I break the surface, a familiar weightlessness takes over. My arms and legs propel me forward with ease, falling into a rhythmic motion. As my body takes over, I lose myself in the water.

Most days, it’s easy to fall into a quiet calm—zoning out, if you will—but today feels different. Every now and then, a flash of blonde hair or a pair of blue eyes pops into my mind.

I don’t want to get distracted by her, but it’s harder not to think about Bear than it is to let those images come and go with every stroke and kick.

She may be a stranger, but something about her has me hooked.

And no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to shake her from my thoughts.

6 | BEAR

Across the big oak desk, cluttered with papers, sits Preston. He’s the manager of Static and the person I’m currently trying to impress enough to give me a shot at this job.

He looks more like a bouncer than a manager, with his shaved head, bulging biceps, and thick forearms visible beneath his short-sleeved collared shirt.

Preston glances over my resume before turning his attention back to me. “So, looks like you’ve never been a server before.”

He doesn’t phrase it as a question, but I answer anyway. “No,” I say with an uneasy laugh. “I worked at a local ice cream parlor a few summers in high school,” I offer quickly, not wanting him to think I’m incapable of handling this job.

I knew skipping those practice questions for the interview would come back to bite me. My delivery could've made me sound confident even if I didn’t know the right answers. What’s the saying? Fake it till you make it, right?

After the disastrous interaction with the “hot stranger,” as I’ve dubbed him, I needed to focus on something else—something that was in my control. My emotions were all over the place after our interaction. I felt frazzled and wired like I wanted to hibernate and run a marathon, but my body didn’t know which to do first.

I did neither; instead, I busied myself by calling the number attached to the job board flyer. I landed an interview for the next day—a.k.a. today—and figured I’d have plenty of time to prepare.

This morning's weather was perfect, so I walked to campus instead of driving the short distance. I planned to grab my car before the interview, but as my terrible luck would have it, my last class ran over. Given that the restaurant is within walking distance from the university, I had to practically sprint the entire way here to avoid being late, skipping the detour to my apartment. While I made it in time, any chance for mental preparation flew out the window.

Now, just a few minutes in, I feel like I’ve bombed it.

I should just be honest and put us both out of our misery. “My lack of experience might seem like a disaster waiting to happen, but if you give me a chance, I’d like to prove us both wrong.”

He stares at me, arms crossed. Just when I’m starting to think honesty wasn’t the way to go, he laughs. I exhale, relaxing in my seat.

“I’ll give it to you straight. I’d prefer not to hire someone who needs a ton of training when I can find people who can be put straight to work.” I nod in understanding as he continues. “However, we’re about to get busy with everyone back from summer break. I could use an extra set of hands sooner rather than later. You think you’re up for the challenge?”

I'm not sure anyone knows if they’re ready for a challenge until they’re in the situation.But hey, if I’m being offered the job, I’m not turning it down.

Brushing aside any apprehension, I muster as much confidence as I can and say, “Yes, I am.”

“Great. I have a bit more paperwork to finish, but”—he glances briefly at his watch— “I’ll have you wait out front for Macy if you don’t mind. She should be here shortly. She’ll show you around, and you can shadow her until you’ve gotten the hang of things. She’s great with this sort of thing.”

After discussing a few more details and filling out a personal information form, Preston stands up and comes around the desk.

“This is where I say welcome to the team, Bear.” Placing my hand in his extended one, we shake on it. His grip is surprisingly gentle, given the size of his muscles.

Thanking him again, I head to the front, settling into one of the booths nearest the door. I was in such a rush when I power-walked through the doors earlier that I barely noticed my surroundings.

Now that I have a moment to breathe, I take in the exposed beams and bare brick walls that make up most of the interior. To one side, there’s a huge, fully stocked bar area. A set of double doors veer off to the other side, presumably leading to the kitchen. Two chalkboards showcasing specials line one side of the wall, and two flat-screen TVs are positioned on the other.

Spherical copper chandeliers dangle from the ceiling, casting a warm glow. Copper gears of various sizes fill a few empty spaces on the wall, some singular, others fitting together like a puzzle. Rows of booths, like the one I’m currently sitting at, line the walls while high-top tables occupy the center. I’m no interior designer, but if I had to describe this place in two words, it’d be industrial chic.

When my phone vibrates in my bag, stealing my attention, I dig it out, only to frown when I see whose name is on my lock screen. Annoyance bubbles up immediately.

I haven’t heard from Hunter in months. And now, after everything, he texts me like we’re on speaking terms. We’re not. And I’d prefer to keep it that way.

And yes, the irony of our names together being Bear Hunter was never lost on me. In the beginning, I thought it was a funny coincidence. Looking back, it was more of a bad omen.

I swipe on the notification purely out of curiosity.

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