by Shaw, Robin
By the time it was late into the afternoon, my stomach rumbled. I thought I could go without lunch today since I hadn’t had an appetite, but my body clearly wouldn’t be denied. I guess I had that “do not fuck with me” sign on my forehead, because other than the morning greetings, I’d been left to own devices until Mrs. Clark came towards me.
She rested her arms on top of the thin stand that served as my barrier from other people and looked at me inscrutably. “Cassidy is here to see you and she isn’t allowed to come in here.” She tipped her chin up towards the door. “You’ll have to go out to see her. Since you didn’t have lunch and you’ve completed most of your assignments in the system, take your time.” Briskly, she glanced at the door once more and headed toward another cubicle.
I peered at Cassidy’s tall and lithe figure through the glass window of the door as she stood by the wall directly across from the door. Waving at me in her tight white dress and matching white rose on the side of her hair, she really embodied the dream of many guys. She had such flawless beauty, and other than her instances of bratty behavior I’d witnessed, everything about her seemed to be what any guy would want.
I gathered my personal items into my satchel and did a quick job of cleaning my work area, and took my egg-white wrap from the fridge and left the HR department.
“Hey,” Cassidy said. “Are you all right?” She examined me from head to toe with her luminous azure eyes.
I grinned at her. “How come you didn’t tell me that you were dropping by to see me?”
“After I’d had a talk with Father, I hung out with Brody a little up front and then he’d told me that he hadn’t seen you go out for lunch.”
I nodded and we walked down the long hallway and into the break room, which some employees were leaving.
“How come Mrs. Clark wouldn’t let you come in?” I wondered out loud.
Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Because I used to work as an interoffice mail clerk, and I came late like six times. She told Father on me, and he terminated my employment on the spot.” She pouted.
“Hmmm. She does seem strict. But six times, Cassidy?”
She shrugged her shoulders and her cheeks turned pink. “I went a little overboard with my tardiness. But I think she ratted me out because she hasn’t liked me since I was a girl.”
“So what do you do during the day?”
“Whatever I want.” She laughed and I slightly shook my head. “About this morning,” she huffed. “I never meant to have my private life on show like that. We just got carried away and the vibe between you and Chase makes me believe that…something may have been going on with you and him too.”
I had to force myself to take a bite of my wrap. I went to the machine to get a can of juice and sat back down again. Lifting my shoulders dismissively, I said, “We flirted with each other. Nothing close to serious. And I didn’t know about you and him.” Even though I liked Cassidy and she was my cousin, I wasn’t going to tell her what Chase and I had discussed, or how he’d affected me. A bond wasn’t established between us like it was between Pierce and I. I supposed it was because this was the first personal conversation that she and I had had.
“If I’d known about it, I would’ve stopped…hooking up with Chase. We started three months ago and we knew that that was all it was. Other than that, we have nothing in common, and he’s a very…simple-minded person. But I don’t speak to him anymore because he’s not going to have two Pruitt girls. I am not doing anything exclusive, but that’s just gross!”
“I don’t wanna share a guy with my cousin either,” I agreed, and I forced myself to eat the rest of my wrap.
Her eyes sparkled and she leaned her elbows on the table. It was a move that appeared uncharacteristic of her. “Remember that guys we danced with?” I nodded. “Well, the guy I’d been with is Evan and the guy you danced with is his friend, Andrew, and he wants to hang out with you Friday or Saturday. If you’d prefer, Evan and I can stay with you guys until you want to be alone.” She tittered.
Chase and I were supposed to go to the Tainted Virtue concert on Saturday. Though I should meet new guys, I needed to get Chase off of my mind. Going on a date with Andrew wouldn’t accomplish that. I didn’t even recall Andrew’s face. Andrew may not care if I was substituting him for Chase, but I did.
“It’s a date,” Cassidy said, “and you can leave if it doesn’t go well. You’re a cute girl. You may find another guy, and you’ll be like ‘Chase who?’”
“I don’t know,” I said
“Come on. You’re datable.” Cassidy looked at some of the other employees who had come inside. “We only deserve the best, and the includes the best breed of men. No more scraps.”
Her comment didn’t sit right with me. “Don’t you think that’s kind of a snotty way to talk about Chase?”
Had Chase decided that Cassidy was beddable and I hadn’t been? Most likely. But I didn’t like the way she was talking about him. Someone could easily say that about me; I didn’t have much and I came from one of the poorest areas in Franklin Parks. Also, Chase was a really talented graphic designer and I was confident that he gave his heart and body when he was on the field to help his team succeed and make UM proud. I just couldn’t ignore those qualities about him.
“No, it’s not. I am just telling it like it is. I am not better than anyone, but guys like Chase aren’t on our level. Defending him only proves why you should go out with Andrew.”
I crossed my arms. “So, now I am on your level because I am staying at your house for the summer?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Okay,” I said. “Then what puts Chase in your scraps category?”
“He fucked us both without our knowledge.”
***
Brianna flashed me her toothy smile as she came from behind the counter and gave me a bear hug, which I instantly reciprocated. She had her sandy brown hair in pigtails, and wore a beige shirt that was cut off at her midriff and the kind of demin skirt I’d wear, save for the rhinestones. The family crowds were enjoying their meals and conversations.
The meetings Pierce and Uncle Anton had were going long, and Pierce had sounded upset when he’d called me. I’d told him that I’d walk home if Brianna wasn’t able to drive me to his house. I’d agreed to stay here and wait for him if no one was able to give me a ride. Chase was going to drive me because his shift ended when mine did, but I didn’t have it in me to act blasé and accept a ride from him.
Talking with Cassidy wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought it’d be. I didn’t like talking to her about my guys. Her tone had been somewhat condescending. She and I were living two very different realities. If I made any major mistakes, my future could be bleak. It did sound a little dramatic. Pessimistic, even. However, I couldn’t do just about anything and have the family support system and resources that she had. Plus, she kept on making comments that had insinuated that Chase and I had had sex, like she and Chase had. The thought made my skin crawl. I wasn’t going to disprove her assumptions so she could make comparisons between her and me. I was being silly because I wanted my hands on Chase. Not hers or anyone else’s. And I wanted his heart too.
“You’re not supposed to be behind the bar.”
“Sue me!” Brianna took off her apron, and handed it to Nico, and he placed it underneath the counter. “You act like I drink alcohol here.”
Nico focused on me. “I’d offer you a morir soñado, but then that would mean that Bri would stay here longer.”
“Now, don’t be a Debbie Downer cause you’re gonna be here Friday and Saturday. I’ve done many Fridays and Saturdays.”
“Easy for you to say. It’ll just be Henerito, two cooks, and I manning the place.”
“Everyone will be coming back from their vacations before you know it.” Her lips spread into a smile. “But I am still here. I’ll have a piña colada and a morir soñado for Beth.” She shifted her gaze to me. “Want anything else?”
“No thanks.”
“A virgin piña colada,” Nico emphasized to her.
“I was making sure you remembered.”
“Yeah, okay.” When Nico handed us our drinks, he said, “Today’s weird with Pierce and Mr. Pruitt gone most of the day and then Chase not coming into work. Brody’s all on his own today.”
“Chase didn’t come in today?” I queried.
“No, he didn’t,” Brianna replied as she looked at her smart phone and scrolled down her screen, a look of worry furrowing her eyebrows.
Nico took her phone. “Damn, that sucks.”
“What sucks?” I asked.
“Chase is gonna have himself a drink tonight. Because his position is now open.”
“Since when?”
“Since this job was posted this morning,” Brianna answered, and I noticed the dejected set of her shoulders. “He liked it here…too much. Either he quit ’cause of an emergency or he was fired.”
A bout of silence stretched until Nico’s gaze settled on Brianna. “I know you have to keep information confidential, but you really didn’t know, huh?”
I shook my head.
“Let’s not be negative. He may have gotten another job. It happens.” Nico gave us a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and then walked away from us.
“Thinking about checking up on him?” Brianna asked.
“Yes and no.” I took in a deep breath. “I am not speaking to him right now.”
Anxiety flooded through me. Pierce hadn’t promised me that he wouldn’t talk to Chase about what I’d seen earlier today. I couldn’t convince him to do that, but I wanted him and Chase to be there for each other like they had been. It was tough on Pierce to be the second man of the house with Uncle Anton’s seemingly rigid standards for him and flexible standards for Cassidy. However, I knew that despite being wrong about Chase’s intentions with me that his friendship with Pierce meant a lot to him.
“I am not gonna ask why. Maybe you guys can talk again. I mean, you two looked really happy together the other day and no, I don’t just mean you guys were about to jump each other’s bones.”
I remembered how my body tingled from being with him that day all too well.
“Drink your morir soñado before we head out,” Brianna told me, her deep green eyes flitting over me. “Nico will think he didn’t make your drink right, and then we’ll be here till midnight.”
Glancing around the room, some patrons left. The bright lights dimmed. More people trickled in, ranging in age across a lifespan, and what they had in common was that they were not here for the family dinner.
***
Chase
“Now that’s a sick bitch move right there,” Joel said, referring to Cassidy using Beth’s shampoo to fuck with me.
Seamus just started cutting off chunks from Joel’s copper hair. His hair grew back two or three inches a month. Pierce, Rylan, and I had been here many times for this very reason, and also because Seamus was the best barber in town. There were a few other ones, but they were pricey and notorious for doing rush jobs. There was no way they could handle my hair when it grew out and became unruly. Back home in Vermont, I’d resorted to cutting my hair myself because my hair had looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. I’d seen many of the females come to Seamus to cut and style their hair. He liked to give classic haircuts the best. He’d been in business for twenty years.
By now, everyone knew I was out on my ass. Joel had known that I was angry and frustrated when he’d seen me coming out of the post office after I’d gotten my mail from my PO box. I’d just told him that I’d moved out and what Cassidy had done after he asked me why I wasn’t staying at the Pruitts’ anymore. It hadn’t surprised him, and it had been cool to talk to him. Joel had asked me to accompany him to Seamus’s Barber Shop. I walked with him ten blocks from the post office to here.
“Chase, do I even wanna know what you’ve got yourself rolled up in?” Seamus asked with a hint of a smile in his voice.
“Doubt it,” I answered.
“Hmm,” Seamus grunted.
“I’ll have a word with the other girl if you want me to,” Joel offered, not using Beth or Cassidy’s names. “I think she’s taken a liking to me.” He shot me a long look as Seamus shaped his hair.
“We’ll resolve this ourselves. I’ll leave her be for now.”
Joel bobbed his head.
I cleared my throat. “Where’s your partner in crime?”
Joel chuckled. “Rylan is with his dad, visiting his alma mater in Pittsburgh. Again.”
“I gather he’s not enthused about it,” I said dryly.
“Mr. Harding thinks he’ll get Rylan to go to his undergraduate and graduate schools. And his mom wants him to go to her alma mater in Texas. Rylan wants to take a year off before he goes to college. He’d have the whole year to think about it.”
Seamus interjected, “Then he’ll keep putting it off. He might not ever go.”
“He could mess up his GPA ’cause his heart isn’t into it, and end up taking a year to think things over anyway,” Joel respectfully pointed out.
I motioned my head in agreement and Seamus rolled his eyes. “When he’s coming back?” I asked.
“Tomorrow night.”
“Is he looking forward to it?”
“Hell yeah, he is.”
Seamus turned on his blow dryer and brushed the hair off Joel. The floor looked like a sea of red.
Joel and I looked at Gavin as came into the shop.
“What’s good, guys?” He inclined his head to Seamus. “Hey, Seamus.”
I stood up and we bumped fists.
“We still on for tonight?” Joel asked.
“I cooked dinner an hour ago and Bri started on the dessert when I left the house.”
Joel rubbed his stomach. “Damn straight. She knows I like my apple pies and my flan made from scratch.”
Gavin shook his head and sat down another chair. “Correction: she likes her desserts baked from scratch.” Gavin’s green eyes darted over to me. “We’re just all gonna benefit from it!” He notched his chin to me. “I heard that you moved out and that you were gonna stay at the Oren Inn, which costs a pretty penny, since they’re nothing like the Paloma Hotel. How about the same rent, and you can have most of your meals like we discussed when you were thinking about staying with us? You’d be responsible for all of your guests. And you can’t have more than one overnight guest. Bri and I will take the rent for the next two months by the end of next week in cash. This month doesn’t count. Deal?”
I nodded. “Deal. I’ll have it for you and Bri by tomorrow morning.” I paused for a second and Gavin’s thick eyebrows drew together. “Is Bri really cool with this?”
“It was her idea to have you stay with us if you were still in town. I took a little longer to get here because I was waiting on her. Bri drove Beth to her uncle’s. When Bri got home, we talked about it.”
I’d planned on taking Beth home today. Now, I wasn’t sure that she’d hear me out.
“All right, ’cause I know she’s not used to male guests sleeping over.”
“She’s most definitely not!” Joel gave a short laugh. “But every guy ’round here knows that Gavin wouldn’t think twice about breaking their necks if they came at Bri wrong.”
Gavin’s chin firmed to second Joel’s statement.
“Flat top, high and tight?” Seamus asked.
“Nah, let me get a real low top, tapered at the nape,” Gavin replied.
Chapter 8
Bethany
“The arcade is behind the black curtain,” Brianna told me as she hopped on the worn wooden chair.
La Floridita looked like many other bar/restaurant establishments I’d seen on my drive to or from one of my cleaning jobs when Betsy had been fully functional. It was located in the eastern part of town, far from the fancy houses and most of the small businesses I’d seen. It was isolated. The walls were filled with pictures of people, who I assumed were famous or ha
d been important figures here. Signatures were written on the walls with Sharpies, along with the names of couples and the year they’d written their names. From the first couples’ names and years, I’d say La Floridita had been in business for thirty-four years. I liked the square tables and the plastic flowers in the Perrier bottles by the salt and pepper shakers. It reminded me a lot of Luigi’s; the patrons looked happy to be here. This low-key scene was definitely a place I could see Tainted Virtue performing in.
“Why is there a curtain there?”
“During the day it’s open, but some of the customers said that it gave the bar a childish feel.”
“And sometimes we have performers here and the arcade is a distraction from the main event,” a man, about six feet, with liquid brown eyes and inky hair combed back, added. He was dressed in a nice-button down shirt and jeans. He had a carnivorous expression and his ocean-breeze cologne wafted in the small section of the bar we were in. It was pleasant, but after a while, it could be overwhelming. He had a well-proportioned face and body that would appeal to a lot of females—probably me too before I laid eyes on Chase. “I am Emilio.”
I returned his warm expression. “I am Bethany, Pierce’s cousin.”
Emilio stepped in closer to me. “It’s great to meet you.” He paced back and glanced at an average-height female with a shiny bald head with a red and orange dragon tattoo starting from the front of her head all the way down the nape of her neck. The woman’s tattoo was the first thing I’d noticed when we walked in here. She looked like she was in her mid-twenties like Emilio.
“Hey, Millie, drinks are free for them tonight,” he told her, and she smiled at us.
“Thanks, Emilio,” Brianna said.
“Thank you,” I told him.
He canted his head and headed toward a rowdy group of people, who got even louder when they saw him.
“I’m gonna go to the lady’s room,” Brianna told me. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll order for you.” She sped to the restroom.
