Page 16 of Existential

I shake it off. “No problem. Just thanking your president here for his hospitality.”

“Oh, okay.” He moves his gaze between Hooch and myself, and then turns his body slightly to face me only. “I talked to one of the guys here who knows the lady who runs the grocer a few miles up from us. He said he can have a word to her about getting you a few hours a week if you want to stick around a while.”

Ugh. Catch-22. Wait and possibly get cash, or leave like I’ve been asked to and struggle to eat again. Damn it.

I look pointedly at Hooch. “If that’s okay with you, of course?”

“Make yourself useful, and I won’t have a problem with it.” He eyes Digits, passing some message I can’t quite decipher.

My thoughts flit to what Beth said about making yourself indispensible, and predicting what it is these guys want before they have to ask. I glance over at the men currently downing their drinks at a rate of knots and an idea forms.

“Would your men be hungry? I can whip something up?”

“We have a cook already,” Hooch states, his gaze challenging.

Bastard. “Suppose you have someone to do the washing, too?”

He nods. Digits sighs.

“Bookwork?” I’m pretty good at organizing things when I have to.

“Does it look like we need a receptionist?” Hooch scathes.

I sigh, rolling my eyes back in my head. “You decide then—how can I repay your courtesy?” I narrow my gaze on the brute, resisting the urge to place my hands on my hips.

“The grounds haven’t been taken care of in a while.”

You’ve got to be kidding me. “So show me the way and I’ll get to work.”

“The garden is out there.” Hooch thumbs over his shoulder to the front doors. I catch the hint of a suppressed smirk.

“Jesus, boss. Steady on.” Digits guides me toward the entrance with a hand on my shoulder. “Come on, I’ll show you where the tools are. You can get started tomorrow.”

I nod and step aside to let him lead, catching the smug look on Hooch’s face as he looks over his shoulder to eye us leaving.

If he thinks he can break me for some light entertainment, then the asshole has another thing coming. These goddamn grounds are going to be golf course quality by the time I’m finished.

And he’s going to be begging me to stay.