Page 45 of Survive the Night
“Sure about that? Gets pretty cold and snowy here.”
“Yes.”
Some of her determination must have shown on her face, since he pushed away from the wall. “What hours can you work?”
“Anytime.” That sounded promising. Little sparklers of hope started fizzing in her belly, but she tried not to get excited. She didn’t have the job yet. “Afternoons would be best, but I could do mornings, too.” It would be nice to work while Otto was sleeping. Even after just a few days of settling into their routine, she’d miss their mornings together.
Pressing his lips together, he eyed her up and down. It wasn’t a creepy look, but more of an assessment. “You’re pretty small.”
“I’m strong, though.” Confidence. Sell yourself. Her brain was doing the motivational-poster thing again, and she quickly shut it down before she started laughing like a loon. “Smart, too. If something’s too heavy for me to lift, I figure out a way to move it.”
He hummed, and Sarah’s palms prickled with sweat. She couldn’t tell if that sound was thoughtful or skeptical or shorthand for “How do I get this woman out of the store?” She wondered if Overall Guy was the manager or owner. If she had to go through another interview with someone even more intimidating, she might end up curled up in a corner.
Her hands clenched, and paper rustled, reminding her of what she was holding. “Here’s my résumé.” She held it out, trying not to cringe at the rumpled edges where her nervous fingers had been clamped. Sarah hoped that he didn’t ask her any questions about her pretend job history. Even though she’d studied it carefully for hours, her mind was currently a blank. She could barely remember her new last name.
Overall Guy glanced down briefly, but he didn’t seem too interested in her résumé. Instead, he went back to studying her in that nerve-racking way. Finally, he spoke. “Come in tomorrow at noon. We’ll give it a try.”
“Really?” The sparklers in her stomach burst into full flame. “Thank you! I’ll work very hard, I promise.”
Overall Guy—her new boss—made a humph sound and fished out his phone. “We’ll see.”
“Yes. Thank you. I’ll be here tomorrow. At noon. To work.” Sarah closed her mouth, not wanting any more babble to spill out. It was just that she was so excited. Her first job…and she’d gotten it all on her own. She hadn’t needed the Blanchett name to open doors or prove her worth or scare someone into giving her the position. She’d done it by herself, as Sarah Clifton.
She nearly skipped out the door. As soon as she emerged, she stopped short so she didn’t crash headlong into Otto.
“Well?” he asked, looking almost as stressed as she’d felt earlier.
Sarah beamed, knowing that all of her excitement and pride must be obvious. “I start tomorrow.”
With a whoop, Otto grabbed her in his arms, spinning her around. Laughing, Sarah hugged him back. Having him share her accomplishment made everything fifty times better. Her grip tightened as she pulled him closer, clinging to him. At that moment, she was almost unbearably happy.
“Want to go to the viner for lunch to celebrate your new job?” Otto asked, putting her down.
Sarah stepped back reluctantly. Although she knew it wouldn’t be practical for her to spend all her time being hugged by Otto, it would be a nice way to live. “Sure. I haven’t seen Jules in a few days.”
As they walked the half block to the VFW-turned-diner, Sarah shivered, wrapping her arms around her. Her coat was thick, but the wind was cold, and it seemed to find all the vulnerable spots on her body, snaking into her collar and cuffs where a tiny bit of bare skin was exposed. Down the street, the spot where the diner used to be before it had been blown up was just a bare dirt lot, looking like a missing tooth in the line of shops. Everything looked so barren and abandoned, with the closed signs in almost every window. Sarah was looking forward to seeing Monroe in the summer, when it was warm and bustling with people.
The wind picked up, and Sarah twisted her head to the side. “Brrr! Do you think it’s going to snow tonight?”
“Supposed to, but the weather site’s been predicting snow for the last few days. I’ll believe it when I’m trying to drive the squad car in it.”
Sarah ducked under his arm as he held the viner door for her. Inside, warm air and a host of good food smells hit her at once, and she relaxed muscles she hadn’t even realized she’d braced against the cold.
“Sarah!” Jules waved from across the room. “And Otto! Have a seat, and I’ll be right with y’all.”
Sarah smiled. She loved Jules’s Southernisms and the way she stretched out words. Her accent sounded softer than the Texas twang Sarah was used to hearing. Spotting Grace and Hugh, Sarah wound her way through the tables until she reached them.
“Guess what?” Sarah slid into the chair Otto held out, giving him a smile of thanks. Before either Grace or Hugh could guess, she blurted out her news. “I got a job!”
“That’s great!” Leaning over, Grace gave her a side hug. “Where is it? It’s not at Nan’s, is it? Because that was way too much poo for me. I’m much happier dealing with theoretical poo in my development job than the real stuff.”
Sarah laughed, her happiness bubbling out again. “No, it’s poo free—at least I hope it is. It’s at Grady’s.”
“Congratulations.” Hugh grinned at her from across the table as Otto settled into the chair next to him, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
“Thank you.” Sarah looked back and forth between Grace and Hugh. “You two aren’t fighting, are you?”
“Fighting fighting? No, although we’re pretty much always arguing. It’s a constant of our relationship,” Grace said. “Why?”
