“How’re you feeling? Do you need a break?”
I’d really like to look at my friends, because I’veneverheard him ask anyone if they need a break. “I’m okay,” I say. “I do have to get to my feet sometimes to relieve the pressure on my leg, but I don’t take too long.”
“Make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Healing is most important.”
I probably stare at him like he’s grown four heads. It takes me a second to nod in acknowledgement of his words. Then he walks away. I watch. We all watch. Everyone around our huddle watches and then exchanges perplexed looks.
“Okay, that was weird,” I mutter.
“Right?!” Marnie whispers. “There’s been a series of those interactions since the day he suddenly looked scared of his shadow. It’s wild.”
“I don’t know what to make of it,” I admit. “What does it mean?”
“He’s beingkind,” Bella in the huddle behind ours says. “It’s almost more unsettling than when he was being an asshole.”
“Like someone is wearing a Nick suit,” Jackie says, from behind me.
Huh.
It’s difficult to concentrate on work for many reasons. Not only the conundrum of Nick’s sudden change, but my leg keeps twinging. I’m tired. Thirsty. The bathroom is so far away, and I’m winded by the time I get back. It’s making me cranky.
I go between standing and sitting so many times that Nick comes out of his office again to check in with me and tells me I can go home early if I’m not feeling well. I’mnotfeeling well. The constant ache in my leg is making my stomach sour, but leaving right now feels… weird. It’s only four hours, for fuck’s sake. I can handle four hours.
Besides, I’m still wigged out about this new Nick and am waiting for him to jump out and yell,“Fooled you. You’re fired.”Or some shit like that.
It’s rough making it to the end of my shift, but eventually, noon arrives, and my huddle accompanies me downstairs. Oxley is waiting at the door for me.
“I’ll be back on Thursday,” I tell them.
“Get some rest,” Kylie says. “You looked like you were in a lot of pain for the past hour.”
I shake my head, sighing. “You know that feeling when you just can’t get comfortable no matter how you sit, and it makes you ache? That’s what I feel like. After an hour or so, no matter how I sit or stand, I’m uncomfortable, and it aggravates my leg. I don’t even think it’s pain so much as… discomfort. Which is distracting.”
“Go take a nap for us,” Ross says. “All your yawning is putting me to sleep.
I snort, but the girls nod their agreement. “Good luck with Nick. I want to know everything that happens when I leave.”
They promise a report, and I join Oxley. “Did your boss mistreat you?” he asks, likely having overheard our conversation.
“No. It was just…” I shake my head. “It’s one thing to get his weird phone call, but seeing it in person? It’s so strange. He even looks different, Ox. I can’t explain it.”
“How does he look different?”
More and more, Oxley doesn’t correct me when I call him Ox. I smile, regardless of what we’re talking about, when he lets me get away with it.
“I don’t know. Maybe because he’s not scowling at us and looking at us like we’re ants. I spent so much of my shift covertly studying him, trying to figure out how he looks different, but his appearance hasn’t changed.”
Oxley hums. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes. I need a nap. How did I ever make it through an entire shift before? I feel like I haven’t slept in a month.”
“Maybe four hours is too long to start,” Oxley says as we slowly make our way down the sidewalk toward his car. His arm is around my waist. Between him and my crutch, I don’t think either of my legs is taking much weight. He’d likely pick me up if I suggested it.
“Anything less than four hours isn’t worth going in for,” I counter. “It’ll be fine. I’ve been spoiled with napping whenever I feel like it for too long.”
“There’s nothing wrong with napping while you’re recovering.”
On the surface of that statement, I agree. But I have a feeling that if I allow myself to fall into the napping routine for too long, I’ll likely become spoiled and never want to work again. Once more, I’m reminded of his offer to quit my job and let him take care of me.
