Free RecruitZ (Afterworld Series) by Karice Bolton

completely took me off guard.
    “Really?” I crossed my arms.
    “I do. And I happen to be in charge of hiring so you’re hired.”
    “I don’t know how to make any drinks,” I protested.
    “It’s not rocket science,” he laughed. “Besides, it seems people will drink anything nowadays. Pour it heavy, slap it with a zombie name, and you’re in.” He pointed at his empty glass and I laughed. “I bet your friends would also be relieved to see you with an outside interest. It’s a twofer situation.”
    I took a bite of my hamburger as I thought about his offer. It would get me around the people I wanted to find out about. And it would look somewhat normal to my friends, proving that I wasn’t turning into a complete hermit. But the thought of showing up at Shackles, especially if Preston wasn’t around freaked me out.
    “What’s holding you back?” he asked.
    I didn’t want to lead him on. I was in no place for any type of a relationship—platonic or otherwise—but I didn’t want to work there unless he was there on the same shifts as me.
    “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way.” I set my burger down. “But I wouldn’t want to be there with any other bartender. I’d only want to work the shifts with you.”
    “That can be arranged,” he agreed. Unfortunately, I also noticed a glimpse of satisfaction appear behind his eyes. I would have to set him straight. “So is it a deal?” he asked.
    “I think it is,” I said, surprised.
    “Good. Show up on Saturday at four o’clock and you’ve got yourself a job. I’ll teach you who’s who in the scene, and we’ll go from there. Another set of ears on the floor will be perfect.”
    I nodded and debated about asking him one last thing. If I was going to persuade my friends that I was okay, like really okay, I could use Preston to my advantage.
    “I’m meeting Abby for coffee on Friday. That’s the one who I’m—”
    “Say no more,” he said, nodding.
    “You’d do that for me?” I asked.
    “Absolutely. If we act like you’re into me and the reason you’ve been avoiding all your friends is because you’ve been wracked with guilt…”
    “Huh?” I interrupted, bewildered. “That’s not what I meant.”
    “Well, what did you mean?”
    “I just thought you could show up and talk me up or something.”
    “I think my idea is more believable.”
    I sighed and pushed my empty plate away. He was probably right, but just the thought of it made me feel like a traitor to Gavin.
    “I won’t over do it,” he replied, grabbing the napkin with Baily’s number on it. I watched him wipe his mouth with it and started laughing.
    “For someone who’s supposed to be observant…” I raised my brow and stared at the napkin he tossed on the plate.
    He glanced at the napkin and leaned forward. “What makes you think I didn’t see it?”

 
     
     
    I woke up to the sunlight spraying into my bedroom, which resulted in me tugging on the comforter to cover my head. I had no idea what time it was, but it felt far too early to be up. I didn’t have to meet Abby until noon and had hoped to sleep in until at least ten. Last night hadn’t been kind to me. Between waking up from nightmares and the neighbors playing their music too loud, it was a miserable night. My mind slowly escaped to the muted dream world that I so often craved. It was a place that only held pre-outbreak memories, and there were so many days where I wished I could stay there. Some days, I did. My breathing shifted as images of Gavin smiling and gliding from the tree swing outside his home drifted into my mind. I smelled crushed pine needles as I sat on the ground underneath the tree, peering up at him.
    And then the phone rang.
    I let out a sigh and pushed my comforter off my head. So much for going back to sleep.
    I glanced at the screen and saw Preston’s name. I wanted to be annoyed, but I wasn’t.
    “Hello?” I asked, in the best non-sleepy voice I could muster. I