Courtney's Secrets (The Clandestine Series)

Admit Twelve

The woman continued screaming as the pink drained from her cheeks leaving an ashy complexion. She dropped the handle of the carpet shampooer in the aisle in front of the giant cinema screen and backed away from me with her arms outstretched for protection as if I might attack.

I began to speak, but I realized she couldn't hear me over the noise. I found the switch on the shampooer and flipped it off. The woman continued backing away, confused.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," I said.

She blinked but made no effort to speak.

I tried to diffuse the situation and pointed back to the entrance. "The door was open..." I waited for a response, but she stared at me. I stepped closer and put out my hand to shake. "My name is Deja."

Relief washed over her face. "I thought you were a ghost."

At first, I wanted to laugh, but then I realized she wasn't joking. She shook my hand and scrutinized my face. Her eyes bounced from my nose, eyes, hair, and mouth. "The name's Eleanor." She had a large gap between her front teeth.

"Nice to meet you." I flashed a smile. "I'm sorry to have barged in on you. Are you the owner?"

She nodded. "That's right."

I added enthusiasm to my voice. "I noticed you recently put the sign up outside, and I was wondering if you were hiring?"

She started to nod but stopped midway, stared at me and looked me up and down. "I'm not sure you're a good fit."

My stomach flipped. She had known me for thirty seconds, and even though I scared the crap out of her, I couldn't believe she had already decided I wasn't right for the job.

"What? Wait... Why?" I asked.

"I'm not sure you would... fit in." She gave me a stone-cold stare.

I wasn't sure what grounds she had for her judgement, which forced me into panic. I needed this job. "I would. I... I'll do whatever it takes to fit in... Anything." I made a steeple with my hands.

She sniffed, making one nostril flare, and frowned at me. "The pay is minimum wage."

I stepped closer, raising my palms, and shrugging. "You know, that's okay with me."

"It's late hours..."

I maintained my positive approach. "No problem."

"And..." she trailed off as if she were trying to find another excuse.

"Please..."

She angled her head to catch a glimpse of Davianté. "I don't know, hon."

I raised myself up on the balls of my feet and dropped again. "I really need this job... please give me a chance."

The annoyance in her eyes dwindled. "Why do you want to work here so badly?"

I kept the positive vibe flowing. "It's down the street from my neighborhood, and I grew up here. I want to see this place full of people eating popcorn and bringing their kids to see wonderful movies. I want to be a part of making that happen."

Reluctantly, she said, "Alright, you can start Friday at four o'clock. Wear black pants and shoes."

I stepped forward to hug her, but by her cold expression she wasn't ready for one so I stepped back.

We followed Eleanor out of the theatre. "Who is your boyfriend?"

I blushed. "This is my friend,