“My mother and I are nothing alike.”
“That’s for fucking sure,” Max snorted.
Casey began stocking the cigarettes. “I’m fine, Max. This store is half a block away from the police station. It’s never been robbed. I checked it out before I applied for the job. The owner is looking for someone to take the job over. As soon as he hires someone, I’ll quit.”
She had met Ned when he had come into the bank to make a deposit three years ago. One day, he had moaned that he had to pull double shifts because his third-shift employee had gotten married, and Casey had offered to work at the store.
“So, what do you need the money for?” Max leaned against the counter.
Casey blew out a breath, trying to keep her temper in check. “It’s personal, okay?” There was no way she would tell him. It would defeat the whole purpose of her working there in the first place.
“Listen, Max. It’s nice that you’re concerned, but I have it under control.”
Max straightened, narrowing his eyes on her. “What time do you get off?”
“Six, why?”
Max shrugged. “It’s none of your concern,” he mimicked in a snooty voice. “You have two weeks. If I see you here a day past that, I’ll make it my business to find out what in the fuck has a woman who’s too cheap to buy anything without a coupon working two jobs.” With that, he turned on his booted heel, leaving the store.
Casey stared after him. She would talk to Ned in the morning when he came in for his shift. The last thing she wanted was Max snooping into why she wanted the extra money.
She released a frustrated sigh. She should be trying to draw him closer; instead, as always, her guard had been raised by his attention. She hadn’t anticipated seeing him and had been unprepared to lower her guard. If she was going to succeed, she was going to have to loosen up around him. All her plans had been well thought out yet had gone flying out the door when he had walked in. She could kick herself for letting the opportunity pass. She didn’t have much time to achieve her goal, and she had just trashed the one opportunity she was looking for. Next time, I’ll do better, she promised herself, firmly ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind that was telling her it would be easier said than done.
Chapter 2
Casey watched the television as the on-screen couple shared their first kiss, bringing her back to the first time she'd had any real interaction with Max.
She was a month away from graduating high school and had spent the day at the library. Exhausted, she felt as if she had sand in her tired eyes from reading for such a long time. Casey stopped in the doorway, seeing her mom and her two friends, Roni and Ginger, trying to clean up the mess from the party they'd had the previous night.
It was the same scene she had lived through numerous times during her lifetime. Her mother was on the prowl for a new man, so there would be numerous parties and one-night-stands until a new boyfriend settled in to stay.
“Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to help?” Renee snapped, holding a trash bag while Roni and Ginger tossed trash inside.
“I told you before I left for the library that I have finals tomorrow.”
“Helping for ten minutes isn’t going to hurt you.”
Her angry glare had Casey dropping her books onto the chair. She was too tired to argue with Renee. She would lose more time fighting with her than it would take her to clean.
“Give the girl a break. She might end up being a doctor as smart as she is.” Ginger winked at her.
“The only job she’ll ever have is working twelve hours a day behind a counter just like me.” Renee handed her the trash bag then took a seat on the couch, flipping on the television.
Casey almost asked her when she had ever worked, much less worked a twelve hour day.
“I don’t think so. I see Casey making something of herself.” The pretty strawberry blond continued to help clean while Roni settled down next to Renee.
Roni and Ginger were both younger than Renee. Casey often thought they used her mother for the free booze and the parties that provided them with a variety of men to choose from. Ginger was only a few years older than Casey. She was nice, whereas Roni made no attempt to be friendly with her.
Casey was in the kitchen doing the dishes when Renee’s friends began arriving with a few of the Predators. They had stopped coming by when Renee had broken up with Mason, but her mother must have found a new target that belonged to the deadly club.