Isla slowed her steps as she stared down at the map on her phone for what felt like the tenth time in five minutes.
The blue location dot shifted slightly while she turned in a small circle on the sidewalk, trying to match street names with the directions Jonna had sent her earlier.
“This better be worth it,” she muttered under her breath.
The street was very much alive.
Cars rolled past steadily.
Students crowded the sidewalks in groups, laughing too loudly, moving like they had nowhere urgent to be.
Isla kept her head down as much as possible.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough anymore.
She could feel eyes on her.
Every few steps, whispers followed.
“That’s her.”
“The Cheer girl.”
“The one who embarrassed Liam.”
Isla hated the sudden attention.
By the time she finally looked up and spotted the large black-and-red signboard hanging above a brick building across the street, relief hit her harder than expected.
THE RED WOLF.
At least she had found the place.
Isla crossed the road quickly and stepped inside before anyone else could stop her with another stare or whisper.
The pub was quieter than she expected.
Warm amber lights stretched across the ceiling, giving the entire place a relaxed glow despite the empty tables.
A stage sat toward the far end of the room, framed by speakers and hanging lights.
The walls were covered with framed vinyl records, neon signs, and dark wooden panels, creating a cozy yet energetic atmosphere.
It screamed college crowd.
Loud Karaoke nights.
Live music.
Alcohol.
Even without customers inside yet, Isla could already imagine how the place would look when it was packed.
There was only one person present in the pub.
A guy leaned casually against the bar counter, scrolling through his phone.
His hair was dyed a deep reddish color streaked with black underneath, and silver piercings lined both ears, while another rested through his brow.
Tiny tattoos ran across every one of his fingers.
He looked up when he heard her footsteps approaching.
Isla immediately tried to pull together a polite smile despite the nervousness twisting in her stomach.
“Hi,” she greeted.
The guy’s expression shifted almost instantly into recognition.
“Oh,” he said with a grin.
“You’re the new cheer girl. Everyone’s talking about you.”
There it was again.
Isla felt her smile stiffen at the edges.
At this point, she was starting to think her actual identity no longer existed outside of being the girl who publicly humiliated Ravenhurst’s star quarterback.
Still, she forced herself not to react visibly.
“You must be Jeremy,” she said.
The guy chuckled softly.
“Nope. Landon.”
“Oh.” Isla tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Sorry. I’m here to see Jeremy about the waitress interview.”
Realization crossed his face.
“Oh, right. You’re the girl he’s expecting.”
She nodded once.
“I’ll go get him.” Landon pushed away from the counter and disappeared through a swinging door behind the bar, leaving Isla alone with the soft music playing overhead.
She exhaled slowly.
The silence gave her too much room to think.
Maybe Jonna hadn’t been dramatic about her being famous after all.
Because the moment Isla left the dorm, it became painfully obvious that people knew who she was.
The stares started before she even reached campus grounds.
People whispered openly.
Some pointed.
A few girls looked at her like she had personally committed a crime.
Isla could have sworn she saw one, even rolled her eyes as she passed by.
Apparently, embarrassing Liam Douglas was equivalent to attacking national treasure status around here.
Isla hated every second of it.
Yesterday was supposed to be simple.
Attend the dance orientation, learn about her schedule, and blend into the background.
Instead, she had somehow become campus entertainment overnight.
And the worst part was that none of this would’ve happened if she had just said no to Jonna.
That would have stopped her from getting tangled in Liam Douglas and his ego in the first place.
But it was too late now.
Isla mentally added another promise to the growing list in her head.
“Avoid Liam Douglas at all costs. No interactions. No more arguments. No accidental run-ins. Nothing.”
The swinging door opened again, pulling her from her thoughts before they could spiral further.
Landon returned alone and leaned against the counter again.
“Jeremy will be out in a sec.”
“Thanks.”
A few seconds passed quietly before Landon spoke up.
“You really cooked the Star Quarterback yesterday.” He smirked.
Isla nearly sighed out loud.
Would this ever end?
“It was entertaining to watch,” he continued.
Isla gave him a small nod, hoping the conversation would end there.
It didn’t.
“I mean…it’s nice to finally meet a girl who doesn’t give a shit about Liam Douglas.”
Honestly, Isla was already exhausted, and it wasn’t even noon yet.
People talked about the confrontation like it was some legendary campus event instead of a guy getting called out for being arrogant.
After a moment, Landon noticed her discomfort.
He straightened and shifted the topic naturally.
“I play here on weekends, by the way.”
Isla glanced at him properly this time.
That explained the aesthetic.
“The stage?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He grinned.
“Band stuff.”
“I thought you were just the bartender.”
“Only during weekdays. Jeremy handles weekends because apparently I suck at customer service.”
That made Isla laugh softly before she could stop herself.
Landon snapped his fingers in triumph.
“There we go. Finally got a reaction out of you.”
Before she could answer, another figure stepped out from the back.
He was taller, more muscular, and intimidating, too.
Dark tattoos crawled across his neck and disappeared beneath the sleeves of his black shirt.
Another large tattoo spread over the back of one hand.
Unlike Landon, he had no piercings.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” he said.
His voice was calmer than she expected.
“It’s fine,” Isla replied quickly.
“You’re Isla, right?”
She froze slightly at hearing her actual name.
Finally!
Someone called her by her name.
Not cheer girl.
Not a transfer student.
Not Liam’s enemy.
Just Isla.
“Yeah.”
Jeremy motioned toward one of the barstools.
“Sit.”
She climbed onto it while he stood across from her.
“So,” he started, “any work experience?”
“A little.” Isla clasped her hands together loosely in her lap.
“I worked shifts as a mall attendant once during high school.”
Jeremy nodded slowly.
“But I’m willing to learn,” she added quickly.
“I know I don’t have experience as a waitress specifically, but I can adapt fast.”
Landon and Jeremy exchanged a glance.
Panic immediately crawled up her spine.
Had she already messed this up?
“I really need the job,” she admitted before either of them could speak.
The honesty slipped out before she could stop it.
Jeremy’s expression softened just slightly.
“What’s your free time like during the week?”
Relief flickered inside her chest.
At least he hadn’t dismissed her yet.
“For now, my classes aren’t packed,” she explained.
Jeremy leaned one arm against the counter thoughtfully.
“You probably won’t be available much during football season.”
Isla nodded slowly.
“Probably not.”
“What about weekends?”
“I’m free after four on Fridays. Saturdays after one. Sundays are completely open.”
Landon frowned.
“Wouldn’t you need extra practice time?”
“Not yet,” Isla answered honestly.
“And if things get busier later, I can adjust.
I just…” She hesitated briefly before finishing more quietly, “I need as many shifts as possible right now.”
Jeremy studied her carefully for a moment.
Not in a creepy way.
More like he was trying to figure something out.
Finally, he nodded.
“Okay. When school gets hectic, we’ll cut you down to two shifts a week. But for now, I can give you four.”
Isla blinked.
That easy?
“You pick the days, too.” He added.
For a second, she genuinely wondered if things just worked differently here or if she had somehow gotten lucky.
Back home, getting hired usually involved multiple interviews, awkward waiting periods, and rejection emails.
This felt almost suspiciously smooth.
“When’s the busiest?” she asked.
“Friday and Saturday nights,” Jeremy replied.
“Then…” She quickly reviewed her class schedule.
“Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.”
She could survive that.
And keeping Sunday free already sounded necessary.
“Works for me,” Jeremy said.
“You’re hired.”
Isla stared at him.
“Really?”
A grin pulled at Landon’s mouth.
“Guess I’d better take down the hiring post.”
The tension sitting on Isla’s shoulders loosened so suddenly she almost felt dizzy.
She got it.
An actual job.
A paycheck.
It meant something stable.
“Can you start this week?” Jeremy asked.
“Yeah. Absolutely.”
He unlocked his phone and handed it across the counter.
“Put your number in. Text me the hours that work best on those days so I can update the roster.”
Isla carefully took the phone and typed in her number.
“There.”
Jeremy took the phone and sent her a quick message on Whatchat.
“I just texted.”
Her phone beeped almost immediately.
“Thank you,” Isla said
She meant it more deeply than either of them probably realized.
Because this wasn’t just some random college job to her, this was breathing room.
A small piece of independence.
A way to stop feeling like she was barely holding herself together while pretending everything was fine.
Isla headed toward the exit.
The moment she stepped outside, she released a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding the entire interview.
Three messages popped up from Jonna at different times.
Any updates?
Did you get the job?
HELLO?????
Isla typed back.
I got the job.
Almost instantly, her phone buzzed with an incoming reply.
That’s great news!
I’m glad to help.