as his head whips around with a speed not safe for a man his age. “Sorry to interrupt you,” I say politely. “May I come in?”
His brows pinch in concern before he nods and sweeps his hand toward the chairs opposite his wide desk. “Of course,” he says, striding toward his desk. “What can I help you with? Has something happened at that school? Is it Dean Simmons again?”
A slight excitement lights his eyes and I realize that he’s hoping for me to say yes. He wants Dean Simmons out and is using me to make it happen. How could I have not seen this? I guess the first time I came in here asking for help, I was so blinded by shock, rage, and distress that I mistook his little game for kindness.
“Yes, something has happened, however, it’s nothing that I can’t handle,” I explain, wanting to give him a little to work with in order to soften him up.
Confusion filters across his features as he slowly raises his chin. “Then what can I do for you, Ocean?”
A chill runs through my spine at his use of my name which is ridiculous but I try to ignore it and continue. I swallow my pride and hope to God that what I’m about to say isn’t going to fuck up anything for my mom. “I want to start by saying how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for mom and I. Without your help, I don’t know where we would have ended up.”
His eyes shine with pride but I’m not stupid enough to mistake it as goodwill, a mistake I surely would have made upon first meeting him. No, this is the look of a man who thinks that his act is paying off and knows how it must make him appear as a generous man among his rich friends. “Of course,” he says with a nod as an impatient flare shoots through his features. “What is it that you need?”
“A job.”
“A job?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Might I ask why?”
I raise my chin, trying to keep my pride but it’s quickly breaking away. “Sir, I mean no disrespect but after graduation, I need to learn to stand on my own two feet. Mom and I have no money saved up, no car, nowhere to live apart from your pool house and I don’t expect your generosity to continue after I finish school, so I’d like to prepare myself for that. Breakers Flats is my home, it's where I grew up and I have so much love for it, but if I can avoid going back, I will. I want to better my life and if I have to mop and scrub every room in this house, I will. I want to be better. I don’t want to be that girl who falls down a destructive path, gets pregnant, or forgotten. I want to succeed and I didn’t realize how badly I wanted that until I came here and saw how much more there was to the world.”
Charles looks speechless for a moment and I watch as he gathers his thoughts. “I admire that,” he says, shocking me. “That’s one of the many reasons why I set you up with such a prestigious school. Having graduated from Bellevue Springs Academy on your resume will help open doors for you. Have you considered college?”
“College?” I laugh in shock. That’s certainly not a question I’ve been asked before. “No, college isn’t exactly something kids like me are taught to aspire to. Most of us are just hoping we can make it to the end of high school without being shot in a gang war, getting pregnant, or jumped in. All I want to do is save up some money so when that uncertainty after graduation comes, I’ll be able to land on my feet and have a little something there to keep me going until I can find a home and a job where I won’t have to sell either myself or drugs.”
“I see,” he says, his eyes narrowing in thought. “So, why come to me? Surely you must realize by now that Harrison is head of my staff. He deals with employment applications.”
“With all due respect, Sir, Harrison is a dick and would laugh me off before I even got a sentence out. Besides, this is your home and you hold the power. Why speak to Harrison when I could go straight to the top?”
A sparkle hits his eyes and I realize that I’ve