The Danger With Fireworks - Robin Daniels
NEW ADULT NOVELS
Millionaire B&B
I pulled into Singing Oak Arts Camp feeling a jumbled mix of nervous and excited. This was my first real job—a.k.a one where my employer wasn’t related to me. My friend Abby told me about the camp. She said her sister worked here and loved it. Then she convinced me to apply. I tried not to be hopeful because the job sounded too good to be true and there was no way I was the most qualified applicant. So, when the director called with the offer, I was shocked but ecstatic. I’d never considered myself a lucky person. Maybe that would change this summer.
The moment I stepped out of my car, a woman wearing a sparkly visor and clutching a bedazzled clipboard greeted me enthusiastically. “Mr. Jenkins! Welcome to Singing Oak!” She spread her arms wide, showcasing the scenery like a product model.
This woman was a trip. Big hair, bigger sunglasses, and a feather boa wrapped around her neck. She was every quirky, artsy cliché one could imagine. “Hello, Ms. Rupert. It’s nice to meet you in person.” My final interview had been done by video conference. It clearly hadn’t provided an accurate picture of my new boss’s theatrical personality. But, given where I was, I suppose I should have expected it.
“Please, call me Vivian. I’m only thirty-five. Not nearly old enough to be a Ms.” Vivian was extremely tall, so when she placed her hands on my shoulders to air kiss both cheeks, it wasn’t much of a stretch.
I chuckled. “Thirty-five? You don’t look a day over twenty-eight.”
“Ooh, I like you already.” She grinned at me with an exaggerated wink, then called over her shoulder, “Chloe dear, can you come help Garland with his luggage?”
A girl, who was clearly related to my friend Abby, wandered around the side of a nearby cabin. She was thin, like her sister, though her long, toned legs made her much taller—five-nine or ten, if I had to guess. She had Abby’s button nose, complete with a dusting of freckles and the same pouty lips. The one thing, besides height, that set the two apart was Chloe’s waist-long mane of stick-straight, shiny strawberry-blonde hair.
Chloe approached and flipped her sunglasses to the top of her head, revealing bright blue eyes framed by long, dark lashes. She put her hands on her hips, looking me over while she blew a giant bubble with her gum. When it popped, she sucked the sticky pink glob back into her mouth. It made a loud cracking noise as she bit down on it again.
“So, you’re the guy Abby gushed about,” she said frankly. I couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or a simple observation. “A ginger and a day walker. Nice.”
My brow crinkled. “A day walker?”
“Yeah. Like a vampire.” She folded her arms across her chest and waited for me to get the reference. I was too busy watching her mouth move. Every few chomps, she pulled the gum tight over her tongue. It was mesmerizing. When I didn’t respond, she grew impatient, cocking her head to the side. “As in, you can go outside during the daytime without being fried crispy?”
I gave my head a quick shake, breaking the bubblegum trance. “That I can.”
Chloe looked me up and down, then wrinkled her nose. “My sister assured me we’d be instant buddies, but you’re barely a redhead.” Huh? What the heck did my hair color have to do with anything? She jerked her chin toward my head and shook hers in disapproval. “Auburn. That’s code for almost brown. I’m not sure we can be friends now.”
“Okay…” I felt like I’d been knocked upside the head with a stick. This girl might have looked like Abby, but that’s where the similarities stopped.
She waited a beat, then laughed. “Oh my gosh, I’m messing with you, newbie.”
“Right.” I choked out a lame chuckle.
She waved her hand dismissively and reached down to pick up my bag. “Your hair’s great. Your tan, too. Totally jealous. We still can’t be friends, though, because I’m your boss.”
“Chloe,” Vivian warned, sounding stern but looking as if she were holding back laughter. “Be nice. And don’t abuse the power. I can take it away as quickly as I gave it.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Chloe saluted Vivian, then spun on her heel and marched off toward a trail labeled staff cabins.
Vivian rolled her eyes, but her smile was warm. It was easy to see she had a great affection for Chloe. “As you know, I’m the camp director.