“And why not? What about me?” She pouts.
“What about you?” I down the last of my beer wondering when she started working here and already regretting getting head from her.
“I thought…,” she stammers.
“Whatever you fucking thought—you thought wrong. Now get gone.”
“It’s Melissa, isn’t it? I thought she was related to you.” Her arms fold across her chest.
“Nope,” I pop the P growing more agitated by the second. I don’t owe her any explanations.
“If you toss me aside, you’ll regret it,” she warns.
“Don’t threaten me, bitch. You’re nothing but a whore. You know it. I know it. You came to me wanting to suck my dick. Not the other way around. You wasn’t even good at it. The whole time your lips were on me I was watching her and imagining her mouth. Like I said you’re nothing to me. Take this to the trash.” I thrust my beer bottle into her hands. “Better yet, take it and go fuck yourself. It’s the closest you’ll ever get to my mouth being on you.”
Her eyes start to water with unshed tears. Maybe I am being too harsh and taking the anger I feel toward myself for being so Goddamned weak out on her, but I don’t want her to come near me again and being cruel should achieve that.
“You’ll be sorry,” she mutters and stomps off.
“I already am,” I call out after her. I’m gonna have to put a word in with Hades to get the cunt gone. I can already see it coming. She’s going to cause shit for me with Melissa. I spend the rest of the night hiding away in the office angry with myself. That was fucking stupid.
It’s closing time and Melissa comes in to clock out and cash out her tips. She eyes me, and I wonder if Carmen already told her. If Melissa knows she isn’t saying anything.
“You looked good up there,” I tell her, guilt rotting away at my insides though I technically didn’t do anything wrong.
“Thanks. I didn’t see you out there on the floor.”
“I was in the back.”
“So hey, Carmen started working here tonight but she was being real weird.”
Fuck here we go.
“How so?” I should come clean and tell her now but I’m a chicken shit. A fucking pussy when it comes to the thought of disappointing her.
Her shoulder lifts into a shrug. “I don’t know. She was short with me and kind of snappy. I thought maybe she was mad at me because I canceled on Marcella watching Jimmy tonight because he stayed over at MaryAnn’s, but it felt like more than that.”
“I wouldn’t stress it. She’s flaky.”
“I guess. I just got the feeling I did something to her.”
I attempt to change the subject. “Ignore her. She’s probably jealous of you. Let me walk you out.”
“Okay. You’re probably right. I’m just paranoid I guess and feel bad because I know the little money that I give Marcella helps out and it’s the holidays.”
“Didn’t you bring a coat?”
“It wasn’t that cold out when I left.”
“Here. Wear mine.” I snatch my leather jacket from the back of the chair and hold it up for her to slip her arms into.
; “Thanks.” I hear her breathing in the leather and letting out a sigh of contentment. We walk down the hall and out the back door. Everyone else has mostly left for the night.
Melissa stops at her car, rubbing her hands together, and I can see her breath. “You should have let me start your car up.”
“I’ll be okay. I don’t have far to go. I’m not picking Jimmy up until morning.”