Frost on the Green (The Green Girl sequel) ✓

Chapter 16

Caden’s POV

He looked strict.

Everything about him – the tightly shut thin lips, the dark penetrating eyes, the high hoary eyebrows, even his white and meticulously combed hair, told me that this man was one of honor, virtue and discipline.

So how come he considered giving the likes of us a job?

We were sat in his office – well, what would be his office once the store opened anyway – and he was just done with asking us questions. He was watching the three of us silently while he contemplated whether hiring us would be the biggest mistake of his life.

I shifted in my seat.

He made me nervous.

Maybe it was his rigorous demeanor or perhaps it was due to him deciding my fate… or at least my financial state.

How come I did not remember him from the fair?

How could have I missed him?

Was it because I’d been too distracted with thoughts of Elanor and Cillian’s cryptic “We’ll talk later or maybe Logan will explain that to you” when I asked what had happened to Gavin?

Most likely.

Still, to miss a man such as this…

I looked at my friends: both of them were nervous, although by far not as much as I was; you could barely tell they felt that way. The thing that gave Keegan away was that he was tapping his knee with his index finger and Asher’s telltale sign was that he was sitting on the edge of his plastic chair. Their faces were calm though.

And I?

I was sure Mr. Jacobson - Asher’s dad’s friend and possibly our new manager – could see just how anxious I was simply by looking in my eyes.

When had I become like this?

There was a time when nothing could faze me; when no one could read my thoughts no matter how long they stared at me. I used to hang out with junkies and criminals – people who knew how to find your weak spot and use it against you.

Hell, I was a criminal!

I used to watch people, to carefully track their every move so that I’d know when to talk and what to say or do so that I wouldn’t end up dead in the nearest gutter.

I used to have cops questioning me about the things I’d done or they thought I’d done and they could not get anything out of me.

But now things were different.

My palms were sweaty and cold, my throat was dry and I just couldn’t stay still in my chair.

Darn it! These plastic things were so uncomfortable.

It’s just a matter of whether you get the job or not, I kept reminding myself. It’s not like your life is at stake. There will be plenty of other opportunities if things don’t go the way you are hoping for them to go here…

Would there?

Would there really be other opportunities?

I’ve been looking for a job for almost two months now. This was the closest I got to getting one. Not that those knitted white eyebrows and Mr. Jacobson’s prolonged silence brought me any comfort. Just as I thought I was about to explode from nerves, he spoke:

“So do you three have any questions?”

My heart jumped. That was a good sign - if he was asking us that then maybe he would hire us after all.