1.1 ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴍᴀʏʜᴇᴍ | ✓

28 | a second look

"Hey!" Caprice jogged me out of my thoughts. She sat next to me. "Why do you look constipated?"

I snorted. "Did you pass that requirement?"

"Yeah. Look." She pointed at the men that crowded in the lobby. "They wanted to invest after seeing my presentation."

"You did that?" I frowned. Caprice had a natural talent to convince people. Her words have power. "Where did you learn to do that?"

She let out an uneasy smile. "If I tell you, I have to kill you."

"Okay but..." A sudden thought entered my mind. My crumbling bar and Caprice's skills... "Can I hire you?"

"What? I won't sleep with you!"

"It's amazing how that's the first thing you think of." I reached out and played with the stray hair on her face. Caprice tensed under my fingers but she remained calm. I chuckled. "For my bar, can you... work your magic on it?"

"You have a bar?"

"Yeah."

"In L.A.?"

I nodded and she laughed, throwing her head back. I figured I should be insulted but Caprice rarely laugh so I let her.

She cleared her throat. "LAX is the 3rd busiest airport in the world. At least 40 million tourists visit annually with an estimated increase of 3% every year. And here you are telling me of this unknown bar?"

I barely understood her. "What are you saying?"

"How is your bar unknown in one of the busiest cities in the world?"

I shrugged. "We have customers but it's not even enough to cover the expenses. I always think it's because we're ex-cons."

"That has nothing to do with food. I think you lack promotion or maybe you have nothing to promote?" she taunted with that eyes that glittered with challenge.

"I cooked for you and you tasted Rico's food and you're insulting me?" I laughed as she rolled her eyes and a blush spread over her neck. I almost forgot that she was like a kid in the kitchen. It was her weakness and she tried to play it off like it was nothing.

Too late, my sweet hellcat.

Caprice cleared her throat, yanking at her shirt's collar. "Social media is a big part of today's business. It enables them to gain market insights and of course, exposure. I know a lot of bars that served food on the south side of Hexwood. Wanna do research?"

"Sure. I never knew research could sound so sexy." I smirked as Caprice arched an eyebrow.

"Everything I do is sexy," she declared and left me staring at her retreating back.

☽

I took a shower and changed into my limited clothing choices. A black shirt, jeans, and combat boots. I stared at the mirror and cussed. My faded cut began to disappear. I pushed the strands off my face and blinked the tiredness from my eyes.

I looked like shit.

I felt like shit.

Fuck. I shut my eyes and shoved the depressing thoughts away. Why did I even start smoking? Who's fucking idea was it?