The Mating(57)
“Elise, you don’t need to work. Despite the possible financial problems the oil spill will cause us, the pack isn’t destitute yet.” Kane leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. Inwardly Elise winced. That wasn’t a good sign.
“I know, but I like the idea of having my own money and being a bit independent.”
“Well, the Alpha’s wife has an allowance because of her position. You’ll be ‘earning your keep’ by hosting visitors and cooking, and helping with meetings.”
“Not really. Those are Helen’s jobs.”
“Because she was the Alpha female. Now, as my mate, it’s your job.”
Elise had been afraid of this but continued on, putting forth her defence. “Helen’s done those jobs for years and she loves it. We can’t take that from her. She looks so happy when she’s organizing and cooking. I’m sure she’d step aside if I said I wanted to take over, but I wouldn’t be nearly as good at it and she’d probably feel hurt and a bit lost.” Kane’s expression seemed to be wavering, so she pressed her advantage. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to avoid my responsibilities. Someday, when she wants to ‘retire’ I’ll take over, but until then I’d rather stay on the sidelines and help out now and then, sort of like being an understudy or an Alpha-female-in-training.”
“Hmm, I see your point about Helen. But you still don’t have to work. I have more than enough for the two of us.”
“But what will I do with my time? It was nice to wander around this week, visiting and reading and napping but I can’t do that all the time. I’ll get bored with nothing to do. I’m not talking about anything full-time, just a few hours a day.”
Kane looked at her for a few minutes, and then sighed. “All right. It’s highly irregular, but I can see your point. I’m still getting you a car though and setting up an account. A part-time job waitressing won’t earn you that much.”
“Okay.” Elise conceded on the bank account, deciding it wasn’t worth arguing over and Kane was right. She would need a car, especially if she got a job. The account could be opened but whether or not she ever used it remained to be seen. Kane was her mate and if it made him feel good to think he was providing for her, then that was fine.
“Do you have any idea where you might apply for a job?”
“Actually, there’s a place in town called the Grey Goose. I was there with Helen and her girls the other day. It seemed like the sort of place where I’d feel comfortable working.”
Kane nodded. “I know exactly where it is, and yes, it would be a good choice. I can drop you off there tomorrow morning; you can talk to the manager while I take care of my business. Then we can go hit the dealerships.”
*****
The next morning, they drove into town and Kane dropped her off outside the Grey Goose. “I’ll only be about half an hour. Wait for me here when you’re finished and then we’ll go find you a car.”
Elise hopped out, waved as he left, then turned to face the entrance of the building. Biting her lip, she began to question the wisdom of trying to get a job. She’d helped serve large meals at home when the whole pack got together, but her actual work experience was sadly lacking. It would be embarrassing if no one would hire her, especially after she’d insisted to Kane that she needed to work. Wiping her suddenly sweaty palms on her pants, she took a deep breath and entered the Grey Goose Tea House determined to put her best foot forward. Hopefully a cheerful, willing attitude would compensate for her lack of formal training.
Half an hour later she met Kane in the parking lot, beaming with excitement. “I’ve got a job! It’s only a few hours a week, until he sees how I work out, but at least that’s a start. At first I didn’t think he’d hire me given that I had no experience, but then he got called away to answer the phone and when he came back, he said he’d thought it over and would give me a try. Isn’t that great, Kane?”
Taking in her glowing face, Kane nodded. “If it makes you this happy, then it is. When do you start?”
“Tomorrow I go in for some training, and after that, he’ll put me on the schedule.”
Kane pulled her close and kissed her brow. “Well, I guess we’d better get you some transportation then, hadn’t we?”
*****
The car lot was just down the road and soon Elise was walking up and down the rows of vehicles, her head spinning as Kane and the salesman engaged in deep conversation about engine size and fuel consumption. As long as it was an automatic, not too big, and a decent colour, Elise really didn’t care what she got. They finally selected a burgundy four door with a sporty grill and automatic everything.