“Jen…”
From their glowering standoff and huffy sighs, I got the impression her mom was paying for most things lately. No wonder they needed some cake.
I gestured to one of our displays. “I suggest the Victory Air line. They have stretchy, breathable fabric, but they’re still hardy enough for long walks on regular terrain.”
“Thank you. We’ll need a size eight.” She glanced at her daughter. “Eight and a half, maybe.” Miss Mascara batted her eyelashes at me and smiled with her head on a tilt, all pageantry once again.
They ended up with some size nines and two more spats by the time they left.
Later, I couldn’t help imitating Miss Preggo when it was time for my lunch break. “We have to eat,” I sassed, popping a hip.
Cassandra laughed and waved me off. “Go eat your cake. I hope she enjoyed hers.”
“She needed it.” Although she probably hated everything at the moment. The woman couldn’t get comfortable or touch her toes. Plus, she lived with her mom. I hoped she had two slices of cake today.
In the break room, I grabbed my pre-prepped chicken salad from the fridge and secured one of the two-person side tables. I popped in my earbuds and propped my feet on the opposite chair before digging in. My playlist automatically queued up Theo’s latest mix.
I groaned and hit the back button. My algorithms were going to be crap because of him. I started deleting the songs from my favorites, jabbing each heart icon so it disappeared under my fingerprint. Stupid, Zeezy-loving, selfish…
A huge shadow loomed over the table. “Mind if I sit?”
Before I could respond, a big guy slid into the seat opposite me, nudging my feet aside with his hip. “Thanks,” Zack said.
I flexed my toes. “I didn’t say yes.”
“I guess you’re right.” He chuckled and slung a wrinkled paper bag onto the table, dumping out three tuna sandwiches and an apple. “Isit okay if I sit? Or were you saving someone’s place?”
I furrowed my brow. This was probably only for today. Once he made friends, I’d be nothing again.
People in the cafeteria looked at us. Zack waited for my answer, pinning me to the chair with a flat look. I guessed he still had time to bond with the warehouse bros, and it wasn’t like I had a new playlist to enjoy today.
“Fine. As long as you eat quietly,” I said.
Zack smirked and grabbed a sandwich. “No promises.”
At least he was within kicking distance.
20
Give Me A Break
We sat in relative silence for a good ten seconds. Did Zack want to talk? Or was he more interested in inhaling those smelly sandwiches?
I squirmed and removed one earbud. “How was your first day so far?”
“Fine.” He jerked his chin at my phone. “What are you listening to?”
“Nothing yet. I’m purging my ex from my playlist.”
He wiped his lips with his fist. “His set wasn’t that impressive.”
Yeah, and we broke up, so it was inappropriate to keep them.
Zack’s phone buzzed. He quickly replied to a text, then set it down and made a ‘come hither’ motion. “Can I see the rest of your playlist?”
“Uh, sure.” Why did he care? I turned the screen toward him, though he tugged it closer to get a better look.
His rough fingers brushed mine. My heart jumped at the contact. Jerking back, I dropped my phone, accidentally relinquishing it to him.
