After shoving my arms into the holes of a black dressy jacket with a tie around the waist, I locked up my apartment and made my way down to the parking lot.
***
I rolled into the back parking lot of Impact at quarter to eight. I didn't know if I should wait here until just before eight, or if I should be early. I was nervous. Dace had been clear about his tentativeness in hiring me and I didn't want to reinforce his fears in any way. He knew I needed this job. I'd laid all my cards on the table for him last night - if he chose to send me packing I would have nothing up my sleeve to throw at him to possibly curb his decision.
On a long sigh, I turned off my car and slid from the seat. I beeped it locked as I walked to the double doors and knocked as hard as I could. I highly doubted he would hear me if I didn't give it a good pounding and with a frantically beating heart, I waited.
When I was certain I'd been stood up and was moments from turning toward my car, the door opened and the warmth of the club blasted against my skin. I sighed. "You're here."
Dace didn't even flinch at my obvious relief. "I told you I would be."
I nodded, feeling awkward. "I know."
"So why would you think I wouldn't be here?" He cocked his head and I shrugged.
"I knocked and waited for almost five minutes." I sputtered. "I just thought you-,"
"You're early." His tone was chilling and I shivered. "I said to be here for eight."
Was he serious? He was pissed that I was early? "I thought arriving fifteen minutes before shift was a customary expectation." I was becoming increasingly tense and annoyed with his 'I rule the world' attitude. It was uncalled for. "Are you going to let me in, or what? It's cold out here."
His eyes glimmered and he held the door open wider, but he didn't move out of the doorway. I wasn't certain if he expected me to squeeze around him, but considering the fact he didn't bother to move out of my way, that was exactly what I did. With a deep breath, I took a step forward and slipped beneath the arm he was holding the door open with.
As soon as I was inside, Dace let the door fall closed behind me. It slammed shut with a loud bang and I jumped. The club was oddly different - almost eerie in the day. It was quiet and had a ghostly quality to it that made me feel just slightly uncomfortable and jumpy.
"You hungry?" Dace asked as he walked past me deeper into the club much the way I'd gone last night.
"I'm good, thanks."
He shrugged. "Well I picked up breakfast on my way in this morning and I brought you something. I'd like you to eat with me."
I frowned. "I'm really not hungry."
Dace turned around to face me and I stopped walking immediately to keep myself from bumping into him yet again. I couldn't help but remember the way we'd first met at the thought of bumping into him. My skin tightened as I remembered his strong tattooed arms around me. "Have you eaten this morning?"
I thought about lying, but something told me not to test him. "No, I haven't."
"Then you'll eat now." He tilted his head to the end of the hall. "In my office."
I shrugged. "I thought I was here to work."
"You are." He turned his back to me and started walking. I had two choices - follow him or walk back the way I'd come. Being as I needed the job, I followed him.
He led me through the club to the door I'd watched him disappear into the night before and my heart raced. The club was so quiet I could hear my every footstep. "When do the other staff members start arriving?"
"They will be here an hour before the club opens."
"When is that?" Dace opened the door for me and I brushed past him, pausing to wait for him to take the lead. He resumed walking without missing a beat and I followed him through the hallway to a staircase.
"The club opens at nine but most people start arriving around ten or eleven."
"So the staff gets here at eight."
He shrugged. "Some do."
"When do you want me here?"
He glanced over his shoulder. "How much do you know about liquor?"
I felt my cheeks turn red and I breathed a breath of relief when he turned back to face the stairs. "Not too much."
"Until you know what you're doing, you'll work the early evenings with me."
"Oh," I cursed the obvious disappointment I heard loud and clear in my tone. By the way Dace's shoulder's tensed, I knew he'd heard it too. Thankfully, he didn't acknowledge it.
We continued the rest of the way to his office in silence. When we arrived at the top of the stairs, there were two doors - one on either side of a small sitting room. He crossed the space, moving to the door on the right. "This is my office."