I held my ground. "You could have someone else train me."
"Can you handle every jackass in here hitting on you?" He peeled himself from the bar and stepped closer to me so there was only an inch of space between us. It pulsed with hyperawareness, but I maintained my steely frontier. "Can you handle their eyes watching you, undressing you?" I could taste his breath - whiskey tainted - and I shivered. "Can you handle it, Ella?"
"I can handle it, Dace." I said stubbornly although I had no idea what I could handle. I'd never been in a position where I had to handle it - until now. "I need this job."
Dace pulled away from me and I sucked in a deep breath of air. From the corner of my eye, I saw a girl behind the bar frowning at us.
"You'll be in whenever I say you're in." Dace stated and I knew there was no room for argument. "I don't give a shit about your tests or whatever else you have to do."
"I'll be in whenever you need me and I'll never talk to you about my schooling." I promised. I was getting excited.
"And you'll also take self defense lessons." His eyes were sharp and all seeing on my face.
"I will." I nodded.
He smirked. "You'll take lessons from me."
"I will," I paused, frowning. "Wait, what?"
Dace didn't even flash a smile. "You'll take defense lessons from me."
"Are you qualified?" I asked.
This time he laughed. His blue eyes twinkled and my heart felt swollen, as it's beats grew faster. "I might be."
"Okay." I nodded. "Deal. Do I have the job?"
Dace rocked back on his heels. "You have three months probation."
I beamed and had to stop myself from succumbing to the girly-girl happy dance Dee must have rubbed off on me. "When do I start?"
He cocked his head. "You'll be here at eight a.m. Knock on the back doors and I'll hear you."
"Eight a.m.?" My eyes were wide.
"Do you have a problem with mornings?" He asked darkly.
I shook my head. "I'll be here at eight."
"Wear something comfortable." He turned his back to me and walked through the club before disappearing into a door marked 'employees only'.
I clapped my hands together and breathed out a sigh of relief. I got the job! I was seconds away from a happy dance when Dee bumped into my back. "What did you say to him?"
"I told him I needed the job." I admitted.
"That's it?" Her eyes were wide and she was looking at me as though I'd cast some witchy spell on Dace to make him do my bidding. It made me crack a smile.
I nodded. "That's it. I just told it to him straight. I have no job and no money and this was my last hope."
Dee clapped. "Yay!" She jumped and Kyle glared at me. "She got the job, Kyle."
Kyle looked stressed. "He could have destroyed you, El."
"I'm a girl, Kyle." I rolled my eyes. "I highly doubt he was thinking about beating me to a pulp."
He shook his head. "I mean mentally. He fucks with women so keep your barriers intact. Actually, just stay away from him. Come to work and leave. Mind your own business."
Again, I rolled my eyes. "You're exaggerating. He isn't nearly as bad as you think." I smiled. "I mean he gave me the job, didn't he."
"He did." Kyle looked somber. "I just don't know why."
I shrugged it off. "We should celebrate."
Chapter 5
My alarm sounded at 6:15am and I moaned. I'd gotten in late last night and the fact I'd even had the sense to arm my alarm was a feat to be reckoned. Dee had taken advantage of my famous last words - let's celebrate - and I vowed I would never utter them again. Apparently three drinks was way too many for someone who never drank. My head felt foggy and my mouth felt coated and fuzzy. Even my body whined as I kicked at the warm cocoon of my covers.
I forced myself to swallow and cursed my dry throat as I turned off the alarm and padded to the bathroom - the only room in my entire apartment with a privacy door. It was no wonder I couldn't get a roommate.
I stripped from my pajamas and wondered how I'd even gotten into them in the first place before I stepped into the shower. Warm pebbles of water hit my back, massaging my tight muscles. I washed my hair and body before I climbed out and tied a towel around my water coated skin. After I finished brushing my teeth, I felt much better. I felt like a human being again and I had a little more desire to do something else with my day besides crawl back beneath the covers of my bed.
I pulled a comfortable pair of black yoga pants from my closet and plucked a fitted cream sweater from a hanger. It was chilly last night and I was a little more cold than usual today. Although there still was no snow covering the ground, the weather was chilly. And Dace had said to dress comfortably. This was about as comfortable as it got - apart from sporting my pajamas outside of my apartment. I blow dried my thick chestnut hair and shrugged off the thought of makeup. I wasn't in the mood.