Nobody’s Hero Read Online Free PDF Page A

the two guys had collided.
    Mr. Ortega paused to take a sip of his coffee. “He’s working with me this summer too. As I said, he’s also a student at Carleton. Just finished his first year. He can help you get acquainted with the town and the campus so you’ll have a head start when the fall semester begins.”
    Brad nodded, trying hard to rein in the new stampede of worries. He hadn’t had time to come to terms with Danny being related to his new boss, and now Danny worked for the company too? Ride with Danny? See him every day? How was that supposed to work? If Danny was pissed at him for the night before, it would make things awkward as hell.
    What if Danny wasn’t angry? If he still wanted to get together? Hooking up with the boss’s son was an epically bad idea, and Brad couldn’t afford to screw up his life yet again. He needed to get his shit together and make enough money to live through the summer until his scholarships processed.
    Mr. Ortega rifled through a couple of files on his desk and came up with some forms. He handed them, an old metal clipboard and, after digging through a drawer, a black pen to Brad.
    “The first form is a basic questionnaire for the personnel file and then the W2. Gotta get the taxes worked out. The second page is a list of safety equipment you’ll need—safety glasses, steel-toed boots and a few other things. The last is a breakdown of expectations, pay rate and schedule, and company mission statement.”
    “Great.” Brad glanced through the stack of papers in his hand and tried to line them up on the clipboard. His heart sank when he read the list of safety equipment. There was no way he’d be able to afford all of this, not without tapping into his trust fund, which absolutely wasn’t happening. Even the money couldn’t make him face his family again.
    Mr. Ortega handed him a blue note card. “You’ll need to get a physical and we do random, mandatory drug testing. Go to the clinic here and you can get it taken care of first thing Monday.”
    Brad looked at the card, his mind still focused on the safety equipment. “Uh, Mr. Ortega—”
    “Please, I told you, call me Hector,” Mr. Ortega interrupted.
    Licking his lips, Brad continued, “Hector. Ah, I don’t think I’ll be able to afford most of the safety equipment.”
Or any of it.
“Is there work I could do until the first paycheck? Something not requiring the safety equipment? Filing or office work? I’ll be sure to get everything after the first check.”
    Mr. Ortega considered him for a moment. Brad held his breath, hoping he hadn’t ruined things. Finally Mr. Ortega nodded, as though he’d come to a decision. “Tell you what,” he said. “I’ll provide the safety glasses, hard hat and gloves. We can deduct the cost from your pay over the course of several weeks. What size shoe do you wear?”
    “Eleven.”
    “Perfect. My son-in-law is also an eleven. He doesn’t work much on-site anymore. He handles more of the marketing and business aspects of the company. You can wear his boots until you are able to get your own. I’ll have him bring them by tomorrow so they’ll be here when you stop by on Monday.”
    Was this guy for real? The whole thing was too good to be true. Brad had learned a long time ago to look for the shit-storm hiding behind any silver lining. “If you’re sure.”
    With a dismissive wave, Mr. Ortega said, “Absolutely. Frankie won’t mind at all.”
    “Thank you. I really appreciate it. You have no idea.”
    He patted Brad’s shoulder. “We’ve all been there.”
    Brad pulled out the forms and began filling in the blank fields. Almost right away he ran into a roadblock. Why were things so freaking complicated? “Mr. Ortega?” He glanced up to where his new boss was clipping a blueprint onto a slanted display table.
    At his arched brow, Brad said, “I mean, Hector. I have another question.”
    “Shoot,” the older man said.
    “Can I fill in the address portion later?