Page 7 of Savage Hate
Lola furrows her brows. “I don’t understand. Don’t you know her from high school?”
Jude chuckles lightly, and I release my clenched fists. “Yes, we knew her,” I reply, my tone menacing. “She was a total cunt.”
Lola flinches as she begins to sort through paperwork. “Well, you better work it out amongst yourselves unless you want to keep turning business away.” She looks at all of us again. “I think you should hire her. She’s the first person to inquire in over a month.” She pins me with a death stare, and I know in an instant that we’re about to lose this battle. No one goes up against Lola Gonzalez and wins. “Or, you could learn how to use this damn scheduler,” she finishes, a bite to her voice as she nods to the computer. “I’m sick of coming in here once a week and having to clean up your goddamn messes.”
Jude’s lips twitch, and he walks over to his station, hanging his leather jacket on the coat rack. He’s been mostly quiet about our new upstairs neighbor. Then again, he’s not one to show his true feelings to anyone–even us.
“I’d rather this place go under than hire Lennon Rose as our new receptionist,” Silas says bitterly. “Find someone else.” And then he walks off to his station, stewing in his anger.
Lola looks up at me from her seat, her lips puckered in displeasure. “Find me someone else and I’ll happily hire them,” she counters. “But honestly, if you don’t, this place may very well go under, and everything you’ve worked for will go down the shitter.”
Jude lets out a laugh from where he sits, sanitizing the area for his first client.
“It could’ve been anyone else,” I counter. “Literally,anyonebut Lennon Rose.”
Lola frowns and looks over at Silas. “She seems very nice. Maybe you should all grow up and get over whatever grudge you have against her. It’s been, what? Eight years? Nine?”
“Ten,” I correct.
She swings her head to face me. “Okay, ten. Even more of a reason to let it go.” She gives us all the finger as she walks to the back and closes the bathroom door.
Jude walks over to where I’m standing, and the look on his face…
“No.” I already know what he’s thinking, and it’s a horrible idea. “Absolutely not, man.”
He crosses his arms and brushes his lip with his thumb. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
I burst out laughing. “Yeah fucking right. I’ve known you your whole fucking life.”
“Come on,” he whines, a twisted, little smile playing on his lips. Everyone thinks he’s the innocent one—the one without tattoos, the face of an angel, thequietone. But he’s the sickest of us all, and I know he’s suggesting one of his depraved games. “Let’s hire her and fuck with her a bit. Give her a taste of her own medicine.”
Silas stills at his station, before he slowly turns to face us. “What are you suggesting?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“No,” I repeat. “I’m not fucking around with the future of this shop. Let’s just hire someone else and get on with it.”
Silas stands and saunters over to the front of the parlor to where we’re standing. Normally, I’m the psychotic one, so the fact that they’re both considering this…
His eyes dart between the two of us. “Fuck with her how?” he asks Jude, and I spin around to face him.
“She’s right, you know. It’s been ten years. Forgive and forget. Time to move on. We don’t have to hire her.”
Silas’s eyes find mine, and they narrow ever so slightly. “Forgive and forget? Do you remember graduation night?”
Jude nods, and I wince. “Yeah, man, but I mean—”
“What do you all want for lunch?” Lola asks, startling us as she walks back over to the desk and plops down. “I was going to get a burrito. Want me to get four?”
Silas just looks at Jude, and I know in an instant that it’s been decided by the way his lips curve upwards.
Fuck me.
“Sure. Sounds great, Lo,” Silas says, his voice faraway. “And by the way, you’re right. Time to move on from high school. Why don’t you give her a call.” He gestures to her resume. “Tell Lennon Rose she has the job.”
Double fuck me.
six
Lennon
