Panicking herself, but thankful the baby seemed to lull back to sleep, she shook her head, glancing down at her phone and remembering the plan. “No.” She shook her head again, praying she could pull this off without blowing it. “It’s um . . . just that, uh . . ” Turning to Orlando again, she sputtered something out about a personal issue she’d been dealing with. She paused, taking in how they were both staring at her now, and quickly looked back down at her phone as her heart raced now in dread that she might blow this. She had this whole story about her make-believe grandpa being on his death bed. But the intensity of Orlando’s eyes had her nearly blurting out the truth. She shrugged now, trying her best to make less of it. “I’ve just been really emotional about a personal issue. I’m fine.” Orlando nodded, searching her eyes, but didn’t comment as Nine took her in for a moment before making his way back to the counter.
“We have discounts certain days out of the month,” Nine informed her as he seemed to search for something behind counter. “Geez, this place is a mess.” He glanced up at Orlando. “Has that temp agency gotten back to us yet?”
Orlando shook his head, looking down at the baby, and wiped something off his face. “Not that I know of.”
Sifting through papers, Nine frowned. “Beast said to hire a part-time temp until Talia can get back, but I think she’s done. Knee replacement’s no joke, especially for someone her age. And this place, fuck.” He moved more stuff around. “Anyway.” He looked up at Danica this time. “I don’t have the exact dates for this month, but it’s usually toward the end of the month. When things slow a bit.”
Seeing him shake his head again and look beyond frustrated roused the epiphany she’d had after leaving the shop that first day. It wasn’t even until she’d been in the shower that night, pondering her need for a second job, that she remembered the comment between Beast and Orlando about their receptionist being out on disability. Despite the second part of her plan being a bit farfetched and riskier, she’d instantly launched the idea of possibly weaseling her way in this way. Nine’s comments now made this even better.
Willing her voice to not go all unnaturally high pitched and trembly, Danica braced herself in preparation to deliver her next lines. “I-I can probably get the money soon. I uh . . . just need some time.” She addressed Nine specifically, so she wouldn’t be so obvious, and because she was afraid looking at Orlando’s penetrating eyes would do her in again. Then she did her best to remember the speech she’d been practicing since the day she gave the baby up. Though she would have to improvise now that her plan got a new twist. “I work with kids. Part-time.” She cleared her throat, chastising herself for sounding so damned robotic. “But also, one-on-one. I uh . . .” She glanced around, though she refused to look in Orlando’s direction because already her speech sounded so forced. She was afraid he’d pick up on anything questionable if her nervous eyes met his. But her hand was on her waist again, so she let it drop again. “I just lost one of my one-on-one kids. They’re moving out of state. So, I’ll be a little short until I can either replace him or get a second part-time job.”
Nine nodded, and as tempted as she was to glance in Orlando’s direction to get his reaction, she still didn’t dare. Hoping she wouldn’t be overdoing it or sound completely robotic again because the next part hadn’t been rehearsed nearly as often as the first, she glanced at Orlando casually before quickly turning back to Nine. “I have some receptionist experience. Maybe I can bring back my resume for you if you’re looking to hire one.” She smiled nervously, turning to Orlando again for a microsecond before turning back to Nine and swallowing hard. “If it’s a temporary position”—she shrugged awkwardly—“it might hold me over until I can replace the one-on-one I lost.”
Nine’s head jerked up from the mess he was still sifting through. “How soon could you start?”
“Easy.” Danica turned to Orlando after hearing his chuckled comment. She was instantly feeling even more anxious. As nerve-wracking as this was, she hadn’t counted on this working so easily and happening so fast. Her initial plan was to try and worm her way into the baby’s life by throwing out her “working with kids comment.” She hadn’t been totally committed about the receptionist part yet. But Nine’s mention of their needing a receptionist at such a perfect moment made her premeditated ploy seem all the more spontaneously prompted.
“Look at this place.” Nine motioned at the counter for Orlando. “I don’t have time to be dealing with this shit, sifting through applications and doing interviews, do you?” He turned back to Danica. “Job pays fifteen bucks an hour. I’d need you in here at least three days a week, five-hour shifts. You’d get a major discount on that transmission as a bonus, and we could even take the payments out of your check, so you can get it replaced the sooner the better.”
“I . . .” Danica’s head was racing even as her relieved, yet very excited, heart pounded because this could get tricky. She hadn’t worked out the details of this plan yet. “I’d have to check my schedule. Probably soon?” He looked at her strangely since he obviously didn’t get that she was questioning whether her answer was the best one or not, so she added the next part quickly. “L-like in the next week or so?”
“Tell you what.” Nine turned away, looking out the window. “If you can promise to get back to me as soon as possible, I can have them patch up the leak with something right now just to buy you some time for now. Free of charge.”
Danica began to smile, despite her nearly stammering last response, but then remembered something. She glanced down at her phone. It was already five minutes to five. Among one of the many things Ted was a stickler for was punctuality, especially when he was waiting on her. In this case, she’d be late to happy hour where she was supposed to be meeting him soon. “How long do you think it’ll take?”
“Ten, fifteen minutes tops,” Nine said, handing her a card from out of his front pocket. “That’s my number directly. Call me as soon as you can.” He started toward the door that led to the garage. “They’re just gonna pour something in it that’ll clog up the leak as a temporary fix.”
“Okay, that sounds great. A-and yes, as soon as I know when I’ll be available, I’ll give you a call. Thanks so much.”
Without thinking, she started putting a text together for Ted. She lied, saying she was stuck in traffic, but she’d be there in a few. Curiously, it was so much easier to lie to Ted, especially via text. “I’ve seen you before.” Danica glanced up at Orlando in response to his comment. “Do I know you from somewhere?
“I’ve been in here before,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed. Of course, he wouldn’t remember her. She was absolutely forgettable. But in this case, it was a good thing. If he remembered seeing her car sitting up the street the past few weeks, he might be suspicious.
He turned to the window that opened into the shop. “Kia,” he said under his breath then turned back to her. His widening eyes swept over her from top to bottom. “Yeah, yeah, I remember now. You asked about me moving. You were in here with your boyfriend?”