1. Quinn
668 Words
When it came to women, there was a certain beauty that only came with age. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was or how to describe it, but the words regal and stately came to mind. They held themselves with a confidence that girls like me could only dream of. It was the determination in their eyes, the knowledge that with their beauty and charms, they held an invisible power over men and women alike.
There weren’t many women who aged like a fine wine, but Olivia White was, without a doubt, someone like that.
Even in the badly lit backroom of the bar, with exhausted dark bags under her eyes, she was unmistakably a woman that was used to getting what she wanted. Something I could only envy.
“Harlequin De Marquise. Is that your actual name?” she asked, her voice light and curious. She fished a stylish silver pen from her bag and hovered it expectantly over my resumé, waiting for my reply.
“Yes. I go by Quinn, though,” I replied, mentally cursing my dad for my name.
“Okay. So… I see you’ve listed two years of experience working behind the bar?”
I nodded, steadying my voice so it would carry the lie. “That’s correct.”
“Okay… And you’re… eighteen?” She quickly penned some notes down and flipped the page. Her eyebrows rose in surprise.
I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Really?” Olivia White looked me up and down, doubt drawn across her features. “You don’t look a day over seventeen.”
People always assumed I was younger, no matter what I tried.
“My dad never lost his baby face,” I explained.
The woman tweaked her eyebrow, clearly not impressed. “Alright then. What makes you want to work at Rainbow Central?”
“Oh, ummm… I saw the flyer and it looked fun. I’m a night owl anyway, so the hours don’t matter to me.”
“Alright.” She scribbled down some more notes, her shoulders tense under her grey blazer. “And when could you start?”
“Immediately.”
“No other commitments?”
I bit my lip. “No.”
“That’s fine.” She clapped her binder shut and rose from her seat. Her blazer hitched and revealed a patch of smooth skin between her skirt and blouse.
I shouldn’t be looking at her, but I was. With every movement, she radiated power and composure. She wasn’t cold, but there was a certain detachment to everything she did. I admired that.
“Right.” Her voice broke me from my temporary spell. “If you’re not busy, we can do a trial run tonight.”
I nodded. That was quick, but that was what I’d been hoping for. I needed the money. “Sounds good to me.”
“Alright. Come back at five. Caspian will show you the ropes.”
“Okay.” Before I could stop myself, more words rolled from my tongue. “You won’t be here?”
A surprised look appeared on Olivia’s face. “Of course not.”
“Oh.”
Without saying anything else, the woman turned on her heels, her short blonde hair dancing on her back.
She didn’t even check I was following.
She strode out of the tight backroom and into the main area of the bar. The rancid smell of stale beer and cigarettes still hung in the space. Clearly, it hadn’t been cleaned yet. I just hoped this hadn’t been my predecessor’s task. I hated cleaning. But if it paid the bills, I didn’t have the luxury to say no.
I still needed to catch up on last month’s rent and I was already late for this month. That was a lot of money to owe and my landlord was not a nice or patient man. If I didn’t get this job, I’d end up on the street, but even that was better than returning home.
- Writer
