Inferno: Part 1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

mother…you’ve seen her—she is, as you pointed out, beautiful and elegant. But she’s not a typical ‘soccer mom.’ She means well, but she is very set in her ways. I was raised by a nanny named Marcella, but would be brought in every day for my mother to say hello and ask how I was. The older I got the more involved she became. Her greatest joy was setting me up with other eligible young women. And by eligible, I mean boring. Sweater sets, socially approved conversation topics. Can you picture me talking about the weather for thirty minutes?”
    I almost snort it makes me laugh so hard. Bryce, in khakis and a polo, sitting down to a society luncheon. It’s like putting clothes on animals—just, wrong, somehow.
    He knows what I’m thinking and nods. “Exactly. She means well, but breeding and family name are her main concerns. I’ve thwarted her attempts to marry me off enough times that she has relaxed a bit. Plus my brother provides a distraction.”
    “And your father?” I ask gently.
    “Oh, my father is basically the ATM. He and my mother married very young, but after Phillip and I were born, they made an arrangement. Dad goes where he wants, with whomever he wants. And Mom gets to buy whatever she wants.”
    “Wow.” I squeeze his hand.
    “That’s pretty much my feeling, too,” he admits. “But he’s rarely around, unless one of his girlfriends wants to attend a certain function, so less fireworks than you’d imagine.”
    We sit on his velvet couch for a while, taking in the secrets we’ve shared. I can’t explain it, but he seems more real to me than before. It could be my psychology classes talking, but based on his parent’s relationship, it seems like he chose his lifestyle to avoid that kind of arrangement.
    I break the silence first with the only thing I can think of. “Well, I’m excited to work at Inferno. So I better get dressed.”
    I escape to the bathroom, slip on the clothes he laid out and stare at myself in the mirror. This shirt is tighter and more low cut than the one I was wearing before. When I emerge, I put my hands on my hips and stare Bryce down, trying to look serious.
    “Is this the standard uniform?” I ask.
    He is on the edge of the couch, his fingers digging into the armrest.
    “When you look like that, yes,” he says.
    There’s no telling whether the smirk is intended to poke fun or mean something else entirely.
    I can’t help but laugh, and he seems relieved that I’m not angry. He insists on walking down to Inferno with me, since I’m late and he doesn’t want Sam to think I’m a terrible employee.
    We make our way down the elevator, through the lobby, and to the Inferno in what feels like merely seconds.
    When we step inside, Alexa is behind the bar drying glasses, and we head for the bar.
    She looks up and smiles when she sees me, but her face changes when she notices Bryce is right behind me. Is it because we came in together?
    “What’s wrong?” I ask.
    She sighs. “Nothing, just my back hurts from working four days in a row.”
    “You can take off tomorrow,” Bryce chimes in, trying to be helpful.
    Alexa looks pissed, and sighs before saying, “Thank you.”
    Thinking he has resolved the issue, Bryce cheerfully walks away. Men are so oblivious.
    I spend the next five hours serving drinks but a few times I almost trip over the bouncer. Not that I’ve been to a lot of clubs, but it seems odd for him to be tailing me instead of watching the door or the room. I ask Alexa if that’s normal, and she frowns.
    “No, no one usually gets a bouncer to trail them. Bryce probably gave you extra security.” She pauses, trying to seem casual before asking me, “So what do you think about him?”
    The question catches me off guard, so I just say I don’t think about him.
    “Well, I’ve seen you look at him a couple times. And he’s been watching you, too. Look, I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. Bryce isn’t the type to stay with one