Midnight came out of the break room, grinning while she tapped away on her phone. She must’ve been texting Elise. On anyone else that freshly-in-love smile might’ve been endearing. On Midnight, it looked like a murder clown in a Stephen King fun house.
“Isn’t cell phone usage against company policy?” I asked.
Midnight glared at me. “You’re one to talk. I’m surprised your skin hasn’t molded to your phone case yet.”
“Fair point, but then again, I don’t claim to be the shift supervisor. I just thought you’d hold yourself to a higher standard than the rest of us lowly employees.”
“Fuck off.” She grabbed the zipper bag holding last night’s credit card receipts and slammed the door to the office behind her.
“That went well,” Paxton said, not looking up from his vacuum.
“She’s talking to Elise. I don’t like it.”
“I know you don’t.” His slightly mocking tone had me gritting my teeth. He rested his arms on the table and leveled his gaze at me. “But it’s not your call to make.”
“They’re making a mistake.”
Paxton gave me a blank stare and went back to focusing on the vacuum. “No matter what you think, they might live happily ever after or they might destroy each other. Who knows? It’s their choice. And maybe for them it’s a risk worth taking.”
I didn’t even know who he was talking about anymore. “Are you talking about Midnight and Elise? Or someone else?”
He looked at me with the kind of intensity that made me feel more exposed than the night my red bra had shown through my wet tank top. “Who do you think I’m talking about?”
Tension snapped in the air between the video and the repair side. Like we both had mental swords drawn and were perched on the opposite ends of a sparring ring. It left me feeling … unbalanced. “Why are you being weird? Are you mad I have plans on Wednesday? Because I really do want to hang out. It’s just—”
“You don’t owe me an explanation. It’s really not a big deal.” He shook his head and grabbed his backpack, full of whatever odds and ends he’d brought to work. He hefted it over his shoulder. “See you later, Macy Mae.”
He walked out of the store without a backward glance.
Who do you think I’m talking about?
His question lingered in the air, around the store, in my brain. It was a question I couldn’t let myself think about. Not when I had plans for my future already in motion while I waded into these viral waters to see just how far I could go.
With fifteen minutes left before we closed, Midnight joined me to start closing duties. She held two thin strips of paper. “We draw for who wakes up Butch.”
“As much as I love playing your games, Unholy Mistress”—I gave her a sweet smile as she gnashed her teeth—“why not just lock up and let him sleep it off?”
“Because last time he woke up in the middle of the night, he forgot where he was and peed all over the middle row of the Drama section. So, unless you’re in the mood to do some cleaning in the morning, draw.” She shoved the slips of paper under my nose.
I shuddered and grabbed the paper closest to me. From the way her grip tightened slightly, I knew I had her beat before I pulled it all the way out. She balled up her shorter strip and threw it into the trash, her heavy combat boots stomping across the concrete toward his office.
She didn’t bother with nice as she flicked on the lights and yanked his rolling chair back, sending his feet crashing to the ground and almost causing him to face-plant onto the desk. I had a feeling she did it that way for the Unholy Mistress nickname alone, but if he wasn’t technically the manager, I had no doubt she would’ve dumped a cup of scalding coffee over his head.
Butch stood in a daze, as if he had forgotten where he’d fallen asleep. He glanced down at Midnight like he’d never met her before. “What time is it?”
“Closing time.” Midnight held his office door open, a not so subtle gesture for him to leave. “I ordered those snacks you told me to. I’ll print the receipt tomorrow.”
“What snacks?” Butch glanced at the video side of the repair shop and weaved a bit, eventually grasping the door frame and hauling himself out of his office. “I didn’t ask you to order any snacks.”
Told you, I mouthed to Midnight. She didn’t seem like she cared, and she probably didn’t if she planned to sell those snacks for her own profit. Butch stumbled toward the front door, which Midnight again held open, as if directing him where to go.
“Is he driving?” I asked.
“Nope.” Midnight stuck her head out the door. “He made it as far as the bench in front of the pharmacy. Okay, he’s asleep again.” She shut the door and locked it.
Sighing, I picked up the phone, called his wife to come get him, and shut down the register to count the till. Midnight kept throwing me glances as I flicked dollar bills between my thumbs, opening and closing her mouth like she wanted to say something. After the fourth time, I shoved a stack of fives into the night deposit bag and faced her.
“Whatever it is you want to say, just spit it out already.” I gave her an overexaggerated bow. “You have my full attention.”
She chewed on her thumb as she looked me up and down. “Elise told you. About us.”
The semi-argument I’d had with Paxton brushed up against my mind. “Yep.”
She raised her eyebrows. “That’s all you’re going to say?”
“Would it make you feel better if I threatened to hit you with a wrench if you hurt my best friend again?” I gave her a closed-lip grin, but it didn’t come close to touching my eyes.
Her gaze darted to the counter where I stood, as if she knew I’d only been half joking. “It’s different this time.” She let out a breath. “I’m different. And I don’t care if you don’t believe me, but I do care about Elise and I don’t want this to come between you and her or me and her or any of it.”
I tilted my head. This certainly didn’t sound like Midnight. And I wanted Elise to be happy, of course I did, even if I’d never understand why she’d found that happiness with the Unholy Mistress. “I don’t know if I believe you, but I don’t not believe you either.” Paxton’s words rang in my head again. “I’ll stay out of it.”
“I guess, given our history, that’s the best I can ask for.” Midnight picked up the night deposit bag, and I brought the register to the safe in back. She unlocked the door to let us out, the ring of keys clinking against the old metal door as she locked it again. “Be careful around Jared. Keep away from him at all costs, until this temporary fame thing goes away and he forgets about you again.”
It seemed like everyone and their dog wanted to dish out warnings tonight, but something in her tone made my pulse jump. “Why do you say that?”
Her eyes were nearly as black as her spiked hair as she looked squarely at me. “He learned at his father’s knee. Consider yourself very lucky that Brady was there.”
The cold rolling off her sliced through my veins and I rubbed my arms, as if I couldn’t get enough heat, even on this warm summer night. “What did he learn at his father’s knee?”