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Painted Red Lila Fox 13840K 2023-08-27

“You can cohter

I ignored his innuendo, deciding to focus on getting him to leave me alone instead

“Well, if you’ll excuse s I need to do today so-”

“Oh, of course, of course” He licked his lips “I set up shop down in the base”

“I think I’ll be fine, but thank you” I gave hi hi the door

My exhaustion froave me very little ti like I was used to Already furnished, every item in the place seemed to be completely utilitarian The place was old, shabby, and all but falling apart It was a far cry fros of rown up in There was so paint and underlying scent of dirt, that stirred a certain fondness in my chest

After a long, hot shower and a change of clothes, I headed back out into the hot Miami streets with a few job prospects pulled up on my phone and pure deterhtly optimistic but the realist in me knew thatlaw office and an unfinished Bachelor’s degree I was alers at some hole-in-the-wall diner before the day was up

Hours of sickeningly polite rejections and a few obligatory “we’ll let you know” statements later and I was ready to throw in the towel One last scan over the classifieds section caused one particular ad to pop out atthat an artist’s assistant was needed, no experience necessary There was no phone number or email address listed, only an address and the request to “stop by before 6pm,” and at 5:15, I would be just be able to make it before the deadline

The address, as it turned out, was actually a warehouse, only one story and covered in graffiti It had all the pretenses of being abandoned except for the dark grey Porsche parked out front and the obviously reinforced steel door, painted a burnt orange color

For a second, I conte ain The thought of ood to pass up

I pressed the high-tech buzzer stationed next to the heavy door and a rumbly, deep voice sounded out over the speakers “What?”

“Uh…” I sed, so tone made me nervous “My name is Rosaline Reed, I’m here about the job”