Sea Breeze 04 - Just for Now

let out a hard laugh. “Nothing pays me enough. The ones that do I’m not qualified for.”
    ‘That’s ’cause you’re looking in the wrong place.”
    I turned my head to look at him. “Where do you suggest I look?”
    “You’re looking in the right place now.” He smirked. “Drive to Pensacola. I got a guy I want you to meet.”
    “In Pensacola?”
    “Yep. He owns a club. I used to work for him. Bouncers get paid real well. Late hours and good money.”
    A bouncer?
    “How good is the money?”
    Rock closed his door and buckled his seat belt. “The nicer the club, the better the pay. The place I’m taking you to pays more than most at fifty dollars an hour, and you’ll get six hours a night. As many nights as you can handle.”
    Three hundred dollars a night. I could work Thursday through Sunday nights and make twelve hundred dollars a week.
    “You think you can get me this job?”
    Rock laughed. “I already got you the job. I’m just taking you to meet your new boss and get your paperwork done. You start this weekend.”
Amanda
    After two weeks of dreading calculus because I’d have to see Preston, and then arriving and him not being there, I had come to the conclusion that he’d dropped the class. This was a good thing. I didn’t want to see him. I wasn’t sure yet how I’d react to seeing him.
    My phone started playing my ringtone, and I reached into my backpack and pulled it out as I walked across campus to the coffee shop. I needed caffeine if I was going to make it through the study group I was headed to next.
    “Hello.”
    “Good morning,” Jason’s voice greeted me.
    “Good morning to you, too,” I replied.
    “You sound better this week.”
    Jason had made the mistake of calling me the day after my breakup with Preston. When he’d asked me how I was doing, I’d starting sobbing and telling him about my breakup. Of course I left out the actual reason why we broke up. Preston didn’t deserve my protection, but I couldn’t stop myself. I loved him. He’d shattered my heart, but I still loved him.
    “I think it works that way. Each week you get a little better. Maybe by next month I’ll be out dancing in clubs.”
    Jason chuckled. “Yeah. Well, let’s not get carried away. Clubs aren’t real safe for a single girl. I, of course, could escort you.”
    I hadn’t led Jason on at all. I’d been painfully honest with him. I was still in love with Preston. I probably always would be. But if Jason wanted to be friends, then I’d like that. I needed friends right now.
    “I’ll keep that offer in mind.”
    “How’s wedding planning coming in the Hardy household? Only two more weeks.”
    The wedding had taken over our lives. There were flowers everywhere, and candles and several different china patterns covering the dining room table. It was insane. Willow was the most laid-back bride I’d ever met. She just smiled and agreed to things. My mother, on the other hand, was a freaking bridezilla, and she was just the mother of the groom.
    “I think I may borrow that jet of yours and fly to the Keys until it’s over. That or kill my mom.”
    Jason laughed. “I’ll let you borrow the jet, but I don’t think Jax has enough influence to get you off the hook for murder. Running away sounds like a safer plan.”
    “You’re probably right. I’ll stick with plan A.”
    “I’m still planning on kicking your butt on the Go Kart track. After the wedding, the race is on.”
    We had gotten into a conversation about the Go Kart track in town and how I knew which one was the fastest and I couldn’t be beat. He disagreed that he couldn’t beat me. We made plans to go race after the wedding.
    “I haven’t forgotten. I’m currently in training, Hollywood. You’re out of your league.”
    My phone beeped, and I pulled it back to see Jimmy’s number flashing across the screen. Why would Preston’s little brother be calling me?
    “Um, Jason, I gotta go. I’ve got a call on the other line I need to take.”
    “All right, Bama. I’ll talk to you later.”
    “Bye,” I replied before clicking over.
    “Jimmy?”
    “It’s Brent.”
    “Brent, are you okay?”
    “I’m okay, but Momma’s been asleep for a real long time, and we can’t wake her up. I called Preston and he didn’t answer. Jimmy isn’t home yet from school, and I don’t know if I should call 911.”
    I ran back toward the parking lot for my car. “How long has she been asleep?” I asked.
    “Since yesterday