Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier Page A

important that he like her.
    He’d applied for a position on games crew, which almost all the boys his age wanted because it was the best opportunity for a Wonder Worker to make more money. Game runners were paid either their hourly rate, or a commission on their sales, whichever was higher. A good game runner could make upward of thirty dollars an hour on a Saturday in the summer—great money for an eighteen-year-old saving for college.
    And college was definitely in the works. He’d already confirmed his place at the University of Miami in the fall, and would be leaving Seaside at the end of high season. Which gave Bianca two months. The perfect time frame.
    “So you just graduated from West Seattle High?”
    “Yes, ma’am. With honors.”
    She’d lost count of how many times he’d “ma’am’d” her so far, and it never failed to aggravate her. She was only thirty-six, for fuck’s sake. Which was twice his age, but still.
    “And what made you choose the University of Miami?”
    “Oh, you know,” he said, and a lopsided grin spread across his face. “I’ve been in Seattle all my life. I’m looking forward to the warm weather and sunshine.”
    And party girls and booze, which is the only reason anyone ever goes to college in Miami. “And why do you want to work at Wonderland?”
    “I have several friends who work here, and they all say great things. I love the idea of working outside, and I love being part of a team.”
    It was the standard stock answer, but that was fine. Games crew didn’t require a kid to be articulate, just friendly.
    “And if you live in West Seattle, you’ll require housing here in Seaside then?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he said again, and she mentally slapped him. “I know I’m a late applicant, but my mom got sick back in March and I couldn’t make it to the job fair. I was told there are still spaces in the dorms, though.”
    “I’m sure we can find a place for you.”
    Truthfully, Bianca had no idea. Wonderland leased dormitory housing at bargain rates from Seaside Technical College from May to September every year, a good deal for both the park and the college as STC didn’t offer summer classes, anyway. It had been a brilliant move by Uncle Nick after he bought the park, allowing Wonderland to widen their applicant pool and attract better-quality employees. Seaside was too small a town to accommodate the housing needs of up to a thousand-plus summer staff, and staying in a dorm room had become part of the Wonder Worker experience. Dorm room assignments, however, were well beneath Bianca’s pay grade.
    “I don’t know how much your friends have told you,” she said, “but the hours here tend to be unusual. As you know, the park is open from ten to ten every day, but you’ll often start earlier or finish later. And even if you’re hired for games crew, you could be assigned at any time to another gig, depending on what we need. Are you flexible?”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    I bet you are. Bianca gave him another smile. “And I’m sure you also know that Wonderland does the most business on weekends. Rarely will you have a Saturday or Sunday off, or two days off in a row. This means we can’t accommodate family vacations or weekend getaways with your girlfriend. Is that a problem?”
    “It’s just me and my mom, and we don’t take vacations. And I don’t have a girlfriend,” Xander said, not realizing that questions about his girlfriend were inappropriate in a job interview.
    Oh, you ’ll do just fine. “Tell me more about yourself,” she said.
    She watched his hands as he spoke enthusiastically about school (boring), his volunteer work at the Humane Society (also boring—Bianca had zero interest in animals), and his involvement in his church youth group (which on the surface might have seemed like a red flag, but she had learned over the years that good little church boys often made the most enthusiastic and creative lovers). He had strong hands, with long