“Do you want to take any of the leftovers home with you? Or should I leave them in the break room?”
“Leave them here. If I take them to my apartment, myroommates will eat up whatever’s left before I get up in the morning. At least if they’re here, I’ll have breakfast, snacks, and maybe even lunch for a day or two.”
I arch an eyebrow. “I don’t pay youthatpoorly that you have to eat like a college kid, do I?”
“No, boss lady, you pay me well.” Her eyes widen. “I just have expensive taste. I spent my next three paychecks treating myself to VIP concert tickets, a cute outfit, and a hotel.” She counts on her fingers. “I had to cut back somewhere to pay my bills, and this month, it’s the food department.”
“Well, if it ever gets so bad you’re sick of Top Ramen, let me know. I’m happy to spring for lunch.” I’m poor too, but I don’t want my one and only employee to starve.
“Thanks, Doc.”
Over the next hour, I clean up. Vicki heads home, and soon I’m alone. It’s about four p.m. by this point. Sitting in my office as I take a break, I open my phone and check my texts again. Nothing.
Why am I torturing myself? Dylan will text me when he’s good and ready. I rub my temples. A headache begins to form at the base of my skull.
“Dr. B?”
I jump at the sound of Fernando’s voice. My hand flies to my chest. As I glance behind me, I see the man leaning casually against the door frame. “Fernando, you scared the crap out of me.” My pulse is still racing at the speed of a jackhammer.
“Sorry,” he says. “I tried calling your name a few times, but I guess you didn’t hear me. I forgot these.” He holds up a pair of sunglasses. “Are you still cleaning?”
“Yeah, but I’m almost done.” I quickly stand and pick up the trash bag that I set to the side. “I just need to take this out to the dumpster on my way to my car and lock up.”
He tucks the sunglasses into the collar of his shirt. “I’ll walk out with you.”
I pop a hand on my hip. “Didn’t you have somewhere you needed to be?”
The faintest patch of pink appears on his cheeks. “Not really. Sundays are my catch-up day. I, uh, wanted to get away from Vicki. She’s a lovely woman, but...”
“She made you uncomfortable with her flirting,” I guess. “Well, don’t worry, she got the message that you’re, quote, ‘off the market.’”
“That’s a relief.”
The way he says it makes me wonder if he was telling the truth or if he was lying. Is he really single?
Wait. No. I don’t want to know. This isn’t what I need right now.
I grab my purse, sweater, keys, and the trash as we exit my office for the front. “If she made you uncomfortable, you should’ve said something. She’s a big girl. She can handle it.”
“I didn’t want to be rude.”
I wave him off. “Well, for future reference, you don’t have to be nice. Being direct with Vicki is the best way to get a message through.”
“Noted.”
Outside, the air has warmed since this morning. The stores on the other side of the mall are hopping with people shopping for holiday supplies at Hobby Land. They have a week to go before the Thanksgiving.
“Thanks again for all your help today,” I say as I lock the front door.
“You’ve already said gracias to me more times than I can count. You don’t need to say it again.” Fernando winks.
A warm, fuzzy feeling envelops me. I open the lid off the trash and toss the black bag inside, then squirt a little hand sanitizer on my hands and rub them together. The scent of pineapple and mango fills the air.
“I, uh, guess I’ll see you in January. You’re going onyour trip home soon, right?” My mind has gone blank. I suddenly have no idea what to say to him.
He places the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. “Sí. In a week.”
“Well . . . travel safe.”
