Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
For a while, I lose myself in the work. It’s not a fun job, but I make the best of it by being friendly to the customers, making small talk if they’re receptive. Soon, the lunchtime rush is over. I wipe down tables, knowing better than to stand around with Dirk on the lookout for any excuse to jerk out fully.
When the bell above the door rings, I look up, meaning to smile at the customer like I always do, but I can’t smile. I’m frozen, just like yesterday in the hallway, like when we almost kissed. It’s Jamie, holding a few printed sheets of paper.
He’s dressed more stylishly than yesterday, with a pale blue shirt that hugs onto his muscles and does the impossible. It makes me jealous of a shirt. His pants are sharp, and his shoes are shiny. His eyes glint with something fierce when he sees me standing here.
“I’m not paying you to gawk at the customers,” Dirk snaps, walking right by me. “Get your act together.”
Jamie moves his gaze from me to Dirk. Something terrible comes over his face, making me wonder if he looked like this the day he killed Dad. It’s like all the rage a person feels is rising in him.
“Oh,” Dirk says, stopping and noticing Jamie. “I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t see you there. Can I help?”
I shake my head at Jamie urgently. It’s strange how we can communicate like this. Wordlessly, as though we’ve got some intimacy when we definitely should not, he looks like he’s about to chew Dirk out for how he just spoke to me. I can’t let him put my job at risk. Anyway, why would he want to defend me?
Duh, he regrets what he did to Dad. The massacre. The slaughter. What the heck is wrong with me?
“I’m…” Jamie pauses, licks his lips, and I think about the other things his tongue could do. “Looking for work.”
“Sorry,” Dirk says. “We haven’t got any openings right now.”
“Can I give you my resume?”
Dirk grins, glancing at me, then at Jamie. His bully’s mind is working overtime to figure out why I’m looking at Jamie with such intensity. He’s already guessed that we know each other, and his eyes widen. His mouth falls open. I realize I’ve never seen Dirk truly shocked.
He’s pretended to be shocked before by making a big O of his mouth when inspecting some aspect of my work. The coffee machine after I’ve cleaned it, his forced shock designed to guilt-trip me.
“You call this clean?”
But this is real shock.
“Wait a sec,” Dirk says. “You’re Jamie Williams, aren’t you?”
Jamie clenches his jaw. He does the temple pulsing again. The room is tense, so quiet I can hear the paper of his resume crinkling as his hand curls into a fist. Dirk turns to me and stares.
“Lucy, you know who this is, right?”
“How do you know who he is?” I reply, struggling to stay calm.
My heart is attacking me, thudding, pounding hard. Sweat slides down my neck and the back of my shirt.
“There’s something called Google. Maybe you’ve heard of it?” Dirk laughs harshly. “Jesus, this is some turn of events. Jamie, you need to leave. Now. I don’t want you disturbing my employees.”
Coming from anybody else, I would say his heart’s in the right place. It’s not like he knows about the feelings inside of me, the crazed desire I should let go of as soon as I can. He doesn’t know how badly I ache for Jamie, even now, every second. He doesn’t know about the shower, the dreams of a family, and the deranged belief no other man will ever compare, but with Dirk, I can tell he’s doing it as a power play. This is his chance to act like the big tough guy.
“Hello?” Dirk says when Jamie stares coldly at him. “Did you hear me? We don’t hire killers here, and you’re making my employee uncomfortable.”
“Stop speaking for me,” I snap, which is bad.
I should shut up. Keep my job. I shouldn’t be defending Dad’s killer. Dirk doesn’t even look at me. He keeps staring at Jamie with a douchebag grin on his face.
“Lucy finds it difficult enough as it is to stay focused. The last thing she needs is her dad’s kille—”
“Stop speaking for me,” I say again, another mistake.
Dirk turns and glares. “Will you just shut up for one second?”
Suddenly, Jamie surges forward. The rage is pouring from every inch of his muscled body. His teeth are gritted, his eyes flare, and his chest expands as he walks right up to Dirk, making my boss seem so tiny despite his size.
“Say that again,” Jamie snarls. “Disrespect her again. Do it. Do it.”
Dirk tries to laugh, but then Jamie takes another step forward.
It’s wrong, but I like it. I more than like it. I see my man stand up for me against this asshole who’s been bullying me since I started working here, but I need this job.