Read Online Irresistible (Underneath it All Series: Book One) (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) by Ava Claire - Free Book Online

front of them was invisible. She wasn’t invisible. In fact, I was glad that she, and Hefty Rental, existed. I’d been banned from Zipcar and every other rental car company in the city thanks to my mother. It took two car thefts, three fender benders, and the woman literally setting a car on fire for me to learn my lesson and not put her rental in my name. At least I’d been smart enough to say ‘yes’ to the insurance. And until my little sister Rose walked across that stage and put all this drama behind her, I’d have to keep saying ‘yes’ to my mother.
    “Hello?!” Gail snapped impatiently. “Are you still there? What’s going on?”
    ‘My mother texted me 911 which is rarely a bluff’ would not have gotten me out of my shift at The Red Room. Any other manager would have sighed when I called in sick and gone about the business of finding coverage for my shift. Gail preferred to run through my entire medical history so she could diagnose my illness over the phone. In her warped imagination, she probably thought she was being helpful, but from over here, it felt like she was trying to catch me in a lie.
    “What time did you go to bed last night?” she grilled me. “Were you feeling sick last night? Maybe that’s why you dropped the tray and wasted hundreds of dollars in liquor. That’s coming out of your check, by the way.”
    Now my stomach really was hurting. I could feel every dollar being deducted from the little amount I took home in the first place. I knew for a fact that she could let it slide. I’d seen her let lots of things slide with other employees who kissed her ass and wanted to remind her that even Javier would raise an eyebrow at such blatant favoritism. Instead, I reminded myself that I had to choose my battles and fix the problem in front of me, which was selling my illness.
    “I’m sorry about the drinks,” I apologized. For the hundredth time. I pivoted away from the lasers the rental counter clerk fired with her eyes. “I’d come in, but I don’t think Javier would want me to risk getting other people sick. Or the customers. And I-”
    “Alright, alright,” Gail cut in, like she wasn’t the one forcing me to beg her. She released a sigh that was filled with the weight of the world, and now, thanks to me, it just got a little heavier. “I’ll find someone to take your shift.”
    I exhaled and turned back to the counter. “Thank you, Gail.”
    “Mmhm.” She sounded so disgusted that she’d given in to me that she could barely stand it. “Actually, maybe I’ll swing by and check on you. Since you’re so sick.”
    Panic flared in my chest, but I doubted she would do anything that would require actual effort on her part or would be misconstrued as actual concern. “That’s so sweet. If you could bring a couple of things when you come, I’d really appreciate it.” It was a ballsy move, one that could easily blow up in my face, but I was betting on her indifference about the real state of my health.
    “What was that? You’re breaking up. Feel better soon!”
    The line went dead and I slipped my phone back in my purse, ready to apologize profusely to the rental clerk for holding her up.
    “My manager’s a pain in the ass too,” she shared empathetically, waving away any need to apologize. “Let’s get you squared away.”
    The rest of the process went off without a hitch. She even upgraded me from Economy to Full-Size for free. It was going the extra mile, kindness for the sake of being kind, and I almost hugged her neck because of it. Since I left The Tower last night, things had gone to Hell in a wastebasket. I’d left my shift at The Red Room without any further catastrophe or trays dropping. In fact, after I told Jackson to meet me at The Tower after work, my feet never touched the ground. I’m pretty sure I even smiled, really smiled, a couple of times.
    While all the companions on staff were thoroughly scanned (along with the clients) and offering their