While driving, my cell phone rang, and I quickly answered. “This is the party to whom you are speaking.”
A laugh bubbled on the other end. “Izzy, this is Rosie. I talked to Jake and put in a good word. I think you work harder than some of the other girls, but don’t tell them that. And a few regulars were asking about you after you left. Jake’s offering you full peak hours if you want them. Can you handle that?”
I found a parking spot outside the store and shut off the engine. “Of course! That’s great news. Thanks so much, Rosie. I won’t let you down. I’ll keep the drinks and food moving, and let me know if you need any help with promotions. I used to hand out flyers on the weekdays to promote special events. I don’t know the laws around here for posting them on poles, but I can do that too.”
“Thanks, hon. I’ll tell Jake, but we got a guy who does that already.”
“A guy?” My flats crunched on the asphalt when I stepped out of the car. “Nothing sells a gig like a girl. Most of our customers are men and they need a little motivation. Their girls get sexed up by the band, they flirt with the waitresses, and everyone goes home and gets a little nookie.”
“I knew it!” she exclaimed. “I said to Jake a long time ago I thought I could walk the streets for money, and he didn’t think it was a good idea.”
I belted out a laugh and strolled into Walgreens. “If you said it like that, Rosie, then I’d have to agree with him. Do you want me to be there at eight?”
“If you want to come in early and prep or have dinner, that’s okay. Staff eats for free, just so you know.”
A young man in flip-flops and long shorts gave me a cheesy grin. I didn’t return the smile. Handsome or not, I never cared to see a man’s hairy toes wiggling in a pair of sandals.
“Sounds gravy. Look, I need to let you go. I’ll see you tonight?”
“I’m there every night, hon.”
Rosie hung up, and I perused the nail-polish aisle. My hair swung from a loose ponytail, and the only makeup I had on was tinted lip balm and a little blush. Occasionally I’d apply eyeliner for work, but over the years, I’d learned to accept my flaws as part of what made me Isabelle Monroe. I realized that beauty had more to do with confidence. I’d seen plenty of knockouts who walked with their head down, and men didn’t give them the time of day.
The trick was to walk with your chin up and center your eyes on a man, as if you had a sexy secret. Then, just as you pass him, look down and nibble on your lip. But always look back over your shoulder at him. Men are perceptive about body language—something I’d learned working in bars.
I lifted the orange nail polish and examined it under the fluorescent light.
“Try the matte green,” a young woman on my right suggested.
I glanced over at a girl with striking beauty. I admired the trendy cut of her blond hair—short with long bangs sheared at an angle. She looked at me with charcoal-lined eyes and lifted a curvy bottle from the rack.
“Normally I hate the stereotypes about redheads wearing green, but this color would look great on you because of your fair complexion.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Looks like it’s on sale.”
“The top shelf is half off, so check out some of the shimmery colors with a touch of pink. Sorry, don’t mean to be nosy.”
“Not at all. You seem to know your stuff, and I never turn down free advice,” I said, noticing the bright purple polish on her nails. “I’m Izzy. I just moved here a few weeks ago.”
She dropped a bottle of electric blue into her basket, and it rolled over a paperback novel. “I’m April Frost. Where are you originally from? I don’t hear much of an accent.”
“All over,” I replied with a soft laugh. “We’ll see how this goes.”
“It’s not a bad place to live as long as you don’t mind hot weather. I work a few blocks down at Sweet Treats.”
“What’s that?”
She shrugged and examined an eyeliner pencil. “It’s a candy shop, but it’s not just for kids. I guarantee you’ll find something in there you like. Stop by and I’ll give you the first item for free.”
“Very savvy,” I said, noticing her eyes flash up to mine. “A local business, right? No need to work your charm, you have a new customer. I know how important it is to reel ’em in.”#p#分页标题#e#
She laughed and passed the basket over to her other hand. “I’d recommend going there even if I wasn’t the manager. We have the best chocolates you’ve ever tasted.”