Page 84 of A Dirty Business
That was total BS, but I liked that he was pretending he needed my help. “I told her you were good people from the very beginning, you know.”
He flashed me one last grin. “I know.”
He turned to his customers, and I did the same, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight was the first ending before a whole lot of other endings. I didn’t know what the others were, and the dread sitting firm in my gut didn’t know either.
I checked my phone on my break and saw the text there waiting for me.
Trace:Want a ride back to your place after work?
Me:I have my own car here.
He’d sent his text an hour ago, but he responded right away.
Trace:So maybe I could get a ride instead? Or you can leave your car for the night. We have a secure parking spot. You can park it there.
Trace:Anthony said Justin stopped by his office earlier.
So he knew.
My heart was heavy, and I clicked out of his messages, spotting there were thirteen more texts from my mother. I hit them, wanting to make sure nothing was wrong, and, spotting the first words of her most recent text wereyou bitch, I clicked out of them.
I responded, knowing I was making a mistake.
I was going to make it anyway.
Me:I’d like a ride.
Kelly came over at the end of her shift. “Justin said he talked to you.”
I was still packed with customers, so I didn’t stop working. “Yeah. I’m staying.”
She nodded, her eyes sad. “I can’t change your mind?”
There it was. I gave her a grin, seeing she’d been quiet because of the change. I finished this guy’s order and went over to her to give her a hug. She wrapped her arms tight around me, hugging me fiercely. “We need to do more than Easter Lanes on Sunday.”
I pulled back. “We’ll do so much more than Sunday bowling.”
She flicked a hand at her eye, blinking away what had been there. “Why do I feel like this is permanent this time?”
“Because hopefully it is.” I saw that Justin was half watching us as he kept doing orders. I flashed him a smile, and he gave me a nod back. “Your path is with him. We were great roommates and better friends. You bet your ass I’m not letting go of our friendship. I need it. You balance all the other bullshit in my life.”
“I worry about you.”
Oh. That was making my chest hurt. I pulled her in for one more hug. “Text me tomorrow, and let’s set up the next time we get together. We’ll do a weekly thing.”
“You promise?”
I was nodding when I heard behind me, “Icannot fucking believethis.”
Kelly’s response was immediate, twisting around. She’d handled her fair share of female fights in the past, so she was the first to snap back: “Can we help you,ma’am?”
Ma’am. I almost started laughing. This chick, whoever she was, was obviously younger than us. And smart, because she registered Kelly’s insult. The young woman had straight dark hair, model-like long legs. She was dressed in high-waisted skintight jean leggings. A black corset crop top. Hoop earrings that I thought had gone out of style when I was in college, but they looked good on her. Her makeup was on point, too, but the sneer directed at me was taking away from everything else.
“I know who you are.” She slapped a hand on the bar, her long red nails distracting even me. Also, those looked painful in a fight, for her. I’d go right for them.
“Excuse me?”
Kelly started to move in front of me, but I held her back. “I got this.”
