Page 18 of Stroke of Fate

Her hazel eyes widen when she finally glances up from the phone in her hand, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O.’

“Shit,” she laughs after a beat.“I didn’t even notice you.”

“Sorry, I thought saying something would have startled you more,” I admit with an apologetic shrug.

“You must be Bear. I got a text about you.” She explains, holding her phone in the air. “I’m Macy.” The smile she offers immediately puts me at ease.

“Nice to meet you,” I say, my own smile appearing.

“Preston mentioned showing you around and that you’ll shadow me.”

“Yeah,” I nod. “He said you’re the best at it.”

“Right,” she rolls her eyes playfully and motions for me to walk with her. “Let’s start in the break room. It’s where the extra uniforms are kept.”

We head toward Preston’s office but veer right instead of left. Macy points out the restrooms along the way, and a little further down, we stop in front of a door with a Staff Only sign hanging on it.

“This is it,” Macy says, gesturing for me to enter. “Feel free to use the lockers to store anything.”

As far as breakrooms go, this one is as standard as they get. A small table with chairs sits in the center, and a worn-in sectional is pushed against one wall. A row of black lockers lines another. There’s a mini fridge with a whiteboard marker above it, but that’s about it for decor.

After putting our bags away, Macy rummages through one of the drawers until she finds what she wants.

She hands me a shirt wrapped in clear plastic. “I guessed your size, but I think this one should fit.”

Taking the shirt from her, I quickly swap mine for the new one. It’s a simple terry-cloth polo with a gold logo printed on the left side.

“How does it look?” I ask, smoothing the fabric down with my palms.

There’s no mirror in here, so I have to rely on Macy’s judgment.

“It looks good. If you need extras, grab some. If we run low on size, just let Preston know so he can stock up.”

“Thanks, and thank you for showing me the ropes.”

“You’re welcome.” She grins. “Let’s head out front and see if anyone else has arrived yet.”

When we return, there are three new faces, and someone has turned on the music. One guy takes chairs off the high-top tables and places them upright, while another sets salt and pepper shakers down. A girl with long, curly black hair is messing with what I assume is the POS system.

“Hey, everyone!” Macy shouts over the music, causing three pairs of eyes to turn toward us. Depending on the night, you’ll work with different people, but in my humble opinion, Elsie and I are the best to have around, " she whispers loudly.

“She’s not wrong.” The girl—Elsie—beams, engulfing me in a hug. “Sorry, I’m a hugger,” she says, flushing.

“Elsie, meet Bear. Bear, meet Elsie.” Macy says.

“Bear?” Elsie’s eyes widen. “I love it! That’s so unique.”

“Thank you. It’s a family name.” I explain, mirroring her smile.

“Bear, meet Owen,” Macy gestures to the shorter of the two guys.

“Nice to meet you,” Owen says politely.

“Nice to meet you, too.” He doesn’t offer a handshake, so I give a slight wave.

“And last, but certainly not least, this is Jackson.”

Unlike Owen, who seemed indifferent to my arrival, Jackson’s wide grin lights up his entire face. The whites of his teeth stand out against his dark complexion.

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