I hit send before thinking. My skin still stung from the sunburn. I hoped Avery would suggestsomethingelse.
Aves: Carter is playing tonight. I thought we could watchhimplay.
Ugh. Okay, anything but that. I did not want to be the third wheel to her and Mr. Guitar Hero. They couldn’t keep their mouths to themselves. Plus, Wild Bill’s smelled like the love child of a dumpster and an ashtray. The last time I went with Avery, my favorite flats were completely trashed because some drunk guy spilled his beer all overmyfeet.
Me: I’m notgoing.
I waited for her response, but when I didn’t hear back for several minutes, I assumed she didn’t have anything else to say.Whatever.
I looked up from my phone and watched Rainier. He was walking around the store quickly putting books away. The glasses he wore kept sliding down his nose while he fought a losing battle. He would push them back up with his shoulder, since his hands were full, but they always fell back down. One time, Rainier ended up dropping a stack of what looked like romance novels, and I barely held mylaughterback.
Fine. I didn’t hold it back at all. I laughed, and he caught me, earning a glare. I just smiled and gave a little wave of my fingers. He was such a dork, and I could only hope I wouldn’t be stuck working with him every day. Even Jenny would be betterthanthis.
My phone buzzedagain.
Aves: Just cometonight.
Me: I’ll gonexttime.
Aves: This is the last chance before I leave forMexico.
Me: Then I’ll go when yougetback.
Aves: You can be so selfishsometimes.
I put my phone down with more force than I intended. I wasn’t mad, not really. Avery had a point, but I really didn’t want to go out. I looked up just in time to see Rainier walking back to the counter to grab morebooks.
“Why are you running around like a chicken with its head cut off anyway?” I asked, when he gotcloser.
“It’s my job,” he said, barely making eye contact with me as he looked at the spines of the different books in his hand and began organizing them. He tapped against the books in a repeatingpattern.
“Yeah, Igetthat.”
“Doyou?”
“What’s that supposedtomean?”
He set the books on the counter and looked at me. “Nothing, but I have plans tonight, and I need to make sure I finish everything beforeIgo.”
“Dungeons and Dragons?” Iteased.
“Something like that. Can you just… Just tell me if someone comes in and needshelp,okay?”
“Sure thing, Mr. Manager,” I said with a wink, which earned me a slight blush. He didn’t say anything in response, just continued withhiswork.
Just a couple more hours and I was out of here. I was not looking forward to a summer full of customers. Customers like the woman walking up to the counter. Rainier had just walked off when I spotted her coming in my direction. She was a mousy looking thing with a small stack of books. When I looked closer, I could see they were romancenovels.
How pathetic did you have to be to read stufflikethat?
“You’re not buying these, are you?” I asked when she set four books on the counter. The one on top had a woman in a beautiful green dress that was falling off her shoulder, while the man on the cover was shirtless. Isnorted.
The woman’s face turned red. “Whywouldn’tI?”
“You mean besides being pathetic? How about it gives women unrealistic expectations about love?” I pointed down at thebooks.
Her eyes darted back and forth between the books on the counter and the entrance to the store, and it looked like she was about to cry. I wondered if she would walk out before buying them and knew my dad would have a lot to say about that if he ever found out. I started to open my mouth to apologize when Rainierinterrupted.
“Mrs. Bristol,” Rainier said in a friendly tone. “How are youtoday?”
