Ryatt took Jenna and Crimp to a cafe down the street. They began with Crimp explaining her job in more detail. How she spent her time, how she treated sensitive information, what her duties were like when there were no other security officers on the three palaces, and what her time off was like.

As she explained it, Jenna was astonished by how crappy it sounded. Jenna didn’t understand the universal money system well enough to know if Crimp was being paid enough to make her job worth it. It sounded like maybe she wasn’t.

For starters, when they were on the palaces, most of the security work was done by Ivy, Ixy, and the security team in orbit. They also did all the technical security work, securing communication channels for confidential conversations, and making sure the security cameras didn’t get hacked.

Crimp said she ran daily maintenance checks on escape vehicles and checked multiple escape routes, so she always knew which ones would be the most effective. Sometimes, diving straight into the water was the best choice. Other times, sending Excelyn into orbit or speeding across the water to a cave or a hideout was better. She also had to keep tabs on people she considered to be cause for concern considering whatever Excelyn had been dealing with lately. It was a list of people she was likely to tick off.

None of those things took up much time and she spent most of her time on standby.

The big con to working on the palaces was that even if Crimp had the day off, she couldn’t leave. She couldn’t spend her nights partying with the doctors and nurses on the mainland because she couldn’t be gone that long. She wanted Ryatt to be hired so she could at least turn things over to him so she could spend her day off shopping instead of being on standby.

“I don’t own a single pair of socks without a hole in them,” she confided.

“We went shopping yesterday,” Jenna asked. “Why didn’t you buy some then?”

“Yeah, I’m going to complete my whole shopping list while I’m supposed to be protecting you?” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’ll just set my shopping bags down while I defend you against some whack-job? No. I have to do my job properly.”

After hearing Crimp explain the situation, Jenna knew she would have to hire Ryatt. She couldn’t make everyone else’s lives tough because she had her concerns. She just needed to make it clear what was expected of him and give him a trial run.

“Okay, Ryatt,” Jenna said, leaning forward. “Does that sound like it’s within your skill set?”

He nodded. “It all sounds very straightforward.”

“Good. Now, I have to tell you about my palace. I have three employees. Misha is my stylist, Smoothie is my cook, and Vash is my butler. It’s nice when they only have to do their job and it would be nice if you only had to do your job, but there aren’t enough people for you to be snobby. I’ve had Misha serving drinks when it was definitely not her job to do so. I’ve had Smoothie doing security in the absence of a security guard, and Vash has been doing construction work. If you’re going to be fussy, this might not be a good job for you.”

“No. I’m happy to help with anything,” he said easily.

Jenna wanted to smack him. Anyone as accommodating as Ryatt was bound to be trouble.

“Do you get into fights easily?” Jenna asked sharply, poking him to find the chink in his armor.

He laughed. “No. I have to be paid to get into a fight. It makes no sense to give it away for free.”

“Do you have problems with propriety?” Jenna continued her poking.

He looked at his ragged knuckles with the bones protruding. “I don’t usually scrape people by accident if that’s what you’re wondering.”

That wasn’t what Jenna was wondering in the least. She rephrased her question. “Do you have workplace romances?” she asked directly.

“With whom? I’d love to have a workplace romance with you,” he accented with a smile. 

“I wasn’t asking you to have a romance with me,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes and literally holding her right hand under the table so she didn’t smack him.

He laughed at her tight expression. “Relax. I’m only joking. I get what you’re asking. You don’t want me to make a mess by pairing up with someone who works on the floating palaces. It would bother you and disgrace you if I couldn’t draw the line. It shouldn’t be a problem.” 

Jenna started scratching the inside of the ear that had had Sardius’ earpiece in it the night before. What had Sardius been thinking? His recommendation of this guy did not feel like any of his other choices for staff members.

She kept asking questions. “Do you have any other skills? Is there anything else you bring to the table besides being a top fighter?”

“Sure. I’ve had military-grade training in security. I have worked on Adamis starships and can double as a hacker. I’m good with machinery and can do repairs on tech, machinery, transports, and computers. I’ve also had quite a lot of experience working in public relations. I can promise you that I will never embarrass you.” He nodded at Crimp because he was explaining all over again how perfect he was for the job. 

Crimp was pursing and unpursing her lips like she was trying to stop herself from showing too much approval. 

“If I hire you,” Jenna finally said. “You must forget that you and I have ever locked lips. I’m a dignitary. I cannot have a member of my staff pinching my butt, blowing me kisses, or ruining my concentration with inappropriate advances like that comment you made a moment ago about being in a romance with me. The only reason we’re having this interview is because Sardius recommended you and I think so highly of his advice.”

Ryatt cleared his throat. “I didn’t think it would come to this, but I prepared a present for you to help ease your mind. This,” he said, producing a tiny flat rectangle like a memory card and placing it on the table between them. “Is the only recording of our kiss at the fight last night. And there aren’t any cameras in the gym.”

“Check it, Ixy,” Jenna hissed to her PA.

“I can only check that there are no other existing recordings,” Ixy reminded her in a tone of voice that reminded Jenna of a teenager popping bubblegum.

“That’s what I want you to do.”

“You have a PA?” Ryatt exclaimed. “That’s really cool. I thought the thing in your ear was a fashion statement.”

Jenna looked at him. For a moment, she was utterly transfixed by the expression on his face. He just seemed so curious, so excited, and so anxious to make a good impression that Jenna suddenly felt reasonably comfortable hiring him. What had Sardius seen in him? She wasn’t sure, but she knew what she saw in him. Someone thirsty for new experiences. That was why she wanted to be a diplomat. Even if her experiences sucked, she still wanted to have them.

Jenna asked Ryatt an array of questions and he answered them as primly as any interviewee ought to answer. Forty minutes later, Jenna allowed herself to show that she felt good about offering him the position.

“We’re going to visit someone this afternoon,” Jenna said, finishing up. “Could we meet you outside your boxing club at seven tonight?”

“The Clube,” he corrected, not stumbling over the horrid awkwardness of the word and making a sexual comment in a way she couldn’t complain about.

“Yeah. Whatever,” Jenna fumbled. “Bring everything you need. Who knows when you’ll be back?”

Ryatt smiled and thanked them. He was the perfect amount of pleased.