Garrett yawned and tried to look penitent. “Aww, Parrish, don’t be mad at me. I didn’t mean to get drunk. And I’m sorry I messed up your pretty dress. You want me to wash it?”
“No,” she snapped.
“Listen, there’s something I feel really bad about.”
“You should.”
“No, it’s not the dress. Earlier, you asked me how come I got all those drinks for free. If I tell you something, do you swear it’ll be just between us?”
“I won’t swear to anything until I know what it is.”
“Fuuuuck,” he sighed. “Look. Your aunt has been good to me, the whole time I’ve worked for her. So I feel kinda shitty about it, you know?”
“About what?”
“The thing is, some of us at the Verandah, we got an arrangement with some places around town. Which is why I get to drink for free.”
“What kind of a deal?”
“They, uh, buy liquor from somebody at the Saint. Kinda out the back door.”
Parrish pulled the Audi to the side of the road. “You’re saying someone at the Saint is selling our liquor—liquor we pay for? Jesus, Garrett. That’s stealing. Outright theft. You’ve got to tell me who it is.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Yes, you should have. How many people are involved?”
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t know.”
“How long has it been going on?”
“Look, it’s not that big a deal. Everybody in the restaurant business does this kind of stuff. The guy who told me about it said if I kept my mouth shut, I’d be taken care of.”
“Taken care of, how? Kickbacks?”
“Not, like, in cash. Like, the bars I hang out at, I drink and eat for free. That’s all.”
Parrish pulled at a strand of her hair, twisting it until it was almost knotted. “That is a kickback, Garrett. You know it and I know it. You just told me how good Traci has been to you, and that’s how you repay her? Looking the other way while somebody rips her off?”
He grabbed her hands. “You can’t tell anyone I told you about this stuff. Promise me, Parrish. I could get in big trouble.”
“You’reinbig trouble, asshole.”
“I’m not the one dealing the booze,” he protested.
“No. You’re protecting whoever is stealing from us. That’s called, what? Accessory?”
“Please, Parrish? If you rat me out, I’ll lose my job. At the very least. And I need this job. Big time. Please? Promise me.”
“I don’t know,” she said reluctantly. “I’ll have to think about it.” She started the car again and pulled onto the roadway.
“Fuuuck.” Garrett pounded the dashboard with both fists. “You’re gonna get me killed.”
When they got to the dorm, Garrett slumped against the doorframe while Parrish keyed in the code on the front door. He lurched inside, mumbling something unintelligible as he stumbled to his room.
Parrish watched him go. “What an asshole,” she whispered.
Back in her own room she got undressed, tossing the blue dress into the trash can, and changed into an oversized GeorgetownT-shirt. She tiptoed to the bathroom, washed her face, and brushed her teeth.
