Double ugh.
Brandy stood there with her arms folded, hip cocked out, chewing gum, and looking bored, the deepVof her tight sweater leaving nothing to anyone’s imagination. I hated to ask, but since she had no groceries, I had to assume she’d come to bother me. “What do you want?”
She smirked. “That’s no way to speak to Mom’s favorite daughter.” Well, she wasn’t lying about who the favorite was.
“I can’t help it if my mother has bad judgment. Are you here to buy some toilet paper?” I glanced around, looking for Megan. Not because I thought I’d get in trouble, but I hoped she’d come and tell me to get back to work, thereby banishing Diablo to a different circle of hell, one that I wasn’t occupying.
Her brow furrowed, but then her gaze turned flinty. Her nostrils flared. “I knew it was your fault! Mom wouldn’t believe me that you used all the toilet paper.”
“Yes, Iusedall of it.” I smirked.
She drew a quick breath into her tunnel-shaped mouth. It was nice that she realized I’d done it on purpose. Maybe she’d be more wary about being horrible in the future. Though I doubted it. “I guess you don’t want to hear what I have to say. Your loss.” She bared her teeth in a flash of sarcasm and turned to leave.
I looked at old Mr. Hill, who’d arrived at the checkout with his cart. “Morning, Mr. Hill. How are you today?”
While he answered, Brandy stopped leaving. Her back was to me, but it was obvious by the way her head dropped back that shewas annoyed.Ha! I’d called her bluff. Besides, whatever she had to tell me was probably from Mom, asking her to get me to bring certain groceries home—I was lucky enough to have a 5 percent discount. It wasn’t much, but it was more than most places gave their employees. Mom wouldn’t have been able to call me because it was a rule that we left our phones in the break room while working.
I started ringing up the items. How many beeps would it take before Brandy caved and told me what she came here to say?
The magic answer was six.
“Fine.” She spun around to face me. “Amy’s been trying to contact you. Something’s happened.”
My stomach, which didn’t have further to fall, managed to drop below ground level. We were headed for hell, it seemed, and the universe hadn’t even seen fit to give me a handbasket to make the journey more comfortable. “What happened? Is she okay?”
Mr. Hill cleared his throat. “If we could hurry this up, please. I have bingo in two hours.” Yes, and I had to get up at eight tomorrow. Best start preparing now.
I pasted on a fake smile. “Of course. Sorry.” I swallowed the panic struggling to take me down. Amy wouldn’t call for nothing. There was no world in which she’d lose her job, so it must be about her health. Or what if someone in her family had died, and she needed me? Maybe she’d broken up with Ernie for the fourth time. My stomach inched further down. What if something had happened to Curtis? I mentally shook my head. No. I was not going to worry about him. He wouldn’t have given me a second thought except to be upset at me for lying and losing him his job.
Not that it had been my fault… not entirely. I just hadn’t been able to keep my secret long enough. If we’d just been able to land that account and secure his job, none of it would’ve escalated. By the time my untruths surfaced, I would’ve been long gone, and he would’ve still been CEO.
What-ifs, the bane of my life.
Mr. Hill paid and left, by which time someone else was waiting to be served. I dinged the bell next to my register three times. Soon, Megan came over. “Brandy has an urgent family matter she has to communicate. Can you cover for me for five minutes? I’ll work the extra time before I leave. Is that okay?”
Megan gave a nod. “Of course. See you in five.” She turned to the next customer and smiled.
I walked to the front of the store and outside. There was no way I wanted anyone to hear whatever news it was, and if it was bad, bad news, then falling apart in front of my colleagues and customers wasn’t ideal. My mouth was dry when I faced Brandy. “What happened? Is she okay?”
Even though she was in her twenties, her voice was of the whiny teenager variety. “I don’t know. Why are you asking me? Mom just said to get down here and tell you to call Amy immediately.” She blew out an irritated breath. “Don’t look at me like that. A little thanks would be nice. I was about to do a face mask when Mom made me come down here. You’re wasting my afternoon.”
“Okay, then.Thanks, Brandy. You can get back to wasting it with your own nonsense.” Because doing a face mask was super productive and life-changing.
“Pfft. You’re the one wasting her afternoon at this dive. Mom and Dad were right—you’re the biggest loser in our family. See ya.” She turned and strode off, her long attention-getting legs using little effort to sway her hips from side to side. Maybe if I had legs like that, my life would be easier and people would be nicer to me.
Her comment hurt, but I covered it with an opaque smear of fuck-you and went back inside. I needed five more minutes to call Amy. “Megan, I’m so sorry, but I have to make a phone call. Again, I’ll make the time up at the end of my shift.”
“Of course. I’ll be here till you get back.” She smiled, thekindness in it almost setting my tears off. She was nicer to me than the people who were supposed to love me.
I shook off the poor-me stuff and hurried to the break room. It didn’t matter how much of a loser everyone thought I was, I was capable of helping my friend. Whatever Amy needed, I was there. God knew, she’d been there for me more times than I could count. She wasn’t keeping score, but I owed her so much.
I grabbed my phone. Five missed calls from Amy and two from my mother. My heart thudded uncomfortably as I pushed the Call button. Amy answered on the third ring. “Faith! I’m so glad I got you.”
At least she didn’t sound like she was on her deathbed. “Is everything okay? What happened?”
“I have some news, but also, I hadn’t heard from you for a few days. I was worried about you.”
My heart slowed to a more normal rate as guilt made me wince. I hadn’t texted or called Amy since the night I’d seen Curtis on the news because I knew she was busy with work. I also didn’t want her asking how I was and trying to convince me to go back and stay with her. What happened with Curtis was all I could think about, so I didn’t need to compound it by talking about it with anyone and dissecting all the ways I’d ruined things. I also knew she still thought we could’ve made a good couple, even after what happened. Before I left, we agreed he sucked but that he was damaged in a way that required him to fix himself, and I was just in his life at the wrong time.
