Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 9

"Lambert? Lambert..."

Jack's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, I've been a bother lately."

He let out a long sigh. "It's not your fault. If you need a job, I can ask around for you."

"Thanks, but I'll figure something out. Really, I appreciate everything you've done."

Once I hung up, I paid Darleen's hospital fees and made sure she was settled for the night. Then I started reaching out to coworkers, hoping someone knew about any work.

"You know anywhere that's looking for temp workers?"

Aaron replied right away. He already knew I'd been fired. "Actually, I just saw a hotel posting. The pay's not bad. Maybe you should check it out. They have some event tonight and they're desperate for people."

"Alright, send me the address. I'll head over now."

I followed Aaron's directions and found the hotel. The event was starting soon and they really needed help. Since I had experience and looked the part, the manager took my info and put me on the job right away.

The work wasn't hard, just a little tedious: setting up the banquet hall, arranging tables, and later, serving drinks when the guests arrived.

These kinds of events always attracted the city's big shots, but I never expected to see Claire. She stood out in a crowd, wearing a red slip dress that hugged her waist. Her long, black hair fell over her shoulders, highlighting her delicate features. She looked stunning, almost impossible to look away from.

It had been years since I'd seen her, and she was nothing like the girl I used to know. She was all grown up now, confident and breathtaking, shining in the middle of the ballroom. Watching her from across the room, I felt myself drift for a moment. If I'd stayed back then, would things have turned out differently for us?

"Waiter, bring me a drink!"

I glanced at his suit. It was nothing special. "This brand is fine with dry cleaning, sir. There won't be a problem."

He just glared at me, acting like I'd ruined his whole night. "Look at my shoes! Now they're filthy. Get down here and clean them, or this isn't over."

People started staring. I didn't have a choice. I knelt and wiped his shoes with my sleeve.

He turned to his friends with a smug grin. "See? This is how you handle people like this. People who do this kind of work are just trash, you know?"

The group burst out laughing, their voices sharp and ugly. I bit my tongue and kept cleaning, knowing if I argued I'd lose the job too.

Then, right behind me, I heard Claire's voice cut through the noise.