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I stared at him and wondered what his story was He was a handsome man, but more in the retired boxer kind of way He was tall and stocky, with a buzz cut and deep blue eyes His bulging ht and rigid back He reminded me of some ex-military men I’d met the summer before at the Navy pier

I then checked out the other two guys They both looked like boys trying to play e builds One of the guys had really bad acne and his eyes looked cold He looked like the sort of guy that would ht I wasn’t sure if he was Frank or Bruno, but I knew that I didn’t want to spend any one-on-one time with him

"Any questions?" David continued, and I realized that I had spaced out

"When are we going to learn what our job descriptions are?" Nancy spoke, and I looked at her in surprise I hadn’t thought that she’d wanted to draw any attention to herself

"Not until you pass the first three days," Patsy answered, and I looked around to see if Greyson had come back with her

"When can we call our friends and faave her a hard look

"So today, you girls will cycle through ten different rooo in one roo you for a particular quality or skill You have to conment in each roooing to be so a break froet away froirl" The words were out of , Grandirls, except Nancy, started laughing

"I’d rather be a grandma than a bimbo," I muttered under my breath, and Nancy squeezed " Patsy sighed "We are all friends here"

"Until someone becoain I realized that she wasn’t as clueless as she had made herself to be yesterday

The first room I entered was bare aside from a black leather couch and a s what I was supposed to do There was no paper, and I couldn’t see any guidebooks I stood by the door for a fewfor someone to walk in, and then I walked over to the couch and sat down I sat there in silence for a few more minutes, and then a voice spoke into the room I jumped up in surprise, taken aback by the suddenness of the voice I looked around the room, and it was then that I saw the speaker in the corner

"Stand up," the voice co jack," it said, and I stood there for ajack?" I spoke back to the voice and waited The lights went out then and I sat back down on the couch, wondering if I had already failed the test All of a sudden, I heard so fro I’d listened to in grade school The sound of the door opening ain and I turned around quickly to see who had joined me in the room

"You don’t like to listen to instructions, do you?" I couldn’t

"What are you doing here?" I sounded anxious and weak, and I wanted to rewind the clock so I could answer hi" He walked towardsout aboutto do with the training" I spoke more firmly this time I wanted him to know he didn’t affect me

"I don’t" He slipped onto the couch next to me "Not usually"

"So why are you here?" I questioned hi up into his face curiously as ainst s I wanted to move farther down the couch and away from him, but I didn’t want hiive you your first test"

"Oh" I looked up at him then "I didn’t know you were a part of the tests"

"Why would you know?"

"Why did you choose me?" I burst out, unable to stop "

"How old are you, Meg?"

"I’ave irls all look like they’re under twenty-one"

"Yes" He nodded

"So why am I here?"

"I’m forty-two" His voice was hu for me"

"Forty-two?" I was surprised He was older than I’d thought Older than I’d thought I would be interested in

"You sound surprised Brandon is forty-two as well"

"What does that have to do with anything?" I blinked at hied

"You didn’t date him, did you?" His eyes narrowed as he surveyed me "I was taken aback when I lared at hi rejected

"Greith ‘Full House,’ did you?"

"What?"

"How rude!" he said in a young fehed in surprise

"I did watch it when I was younger I guess I was channeling uess you were" He moved closer to me and I felt his arm slide around my back "So if you didn’t date Brandon, how do you know him?"

"Why do you care?" I sed hard as I felt his hands rest uponintomy balls of stress and tension

"I don’t really care," he murmured, and I felt his breath on the back of my neck

"Why are you in here with me?" I juer, aren’t you?"

"No But I’"

"What?" I frowned back at him "Is that the test?"

"Perhaps"

"What do you want to knoas an attorney I got fired I applied for a job as a bartender and I ended up here At this private club And now I’ about"

"How does that make you feel?" He stood up, and I felt his ar ed and looked up at hi any through the doors"

"I suppose I’irl you hire either"

"No, you’re not" His eyes bored into irls we norlared at his"