CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Hayden
It’shot as fuck as I stand at the gas pump trying to get it to read my card. There must be something wrong with it, but my low gas light is on and I don’t feel like calling and asking for help this afternoon.
Irritable from my day at work, I grab my purse and hoof it toward the store.
As I’m about to cross the parking lot, a truck with a too-loud exhaust system and a crude sticker on the back leaves in a flurry of squealing tires and rolling coal. Rolling my eyes at the display that no one asked for, I finally get into the blessed air conditioning and then groan as I see the line I’m presented with. Luckily for me, I see someone I know at the very end. Danny’s dad.
“Hey, Mr. Ramirez.” I smile as I get in line behind him.
“It’s Juan,” he corrects me.
“Sorry, I’ve never met a boyfriend’s parents before so I’m slightly unsure of the polite way to say hello.”
He laughs, so much like Danny. “You don’t have to worry about being correct. The smile you’ve put on my son’s face is enough for me.”
I beam back at him. “He puts a smile on mine too.”
“Coming home from work?” He asks, running a hand along his dirty forehead. It’s obvious he’s been mulching.
“Yeah, and the card reader won’t read my card.” I hold up the piece of plastic. “It’s hot as hell out there and, instead of fighting with it, I decided to come in and at least stand in the cool.”
“You do look a little red.” He grins.
“Lily white skin right here. I never even tan.”
“A lot like my wife.” He sticks his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “She helped me one time in the landscaping business. Burned to a crisp.”
“Oh no!”
“Yeah, had to take her to the hospital. Never asked her again.”
There’s only a small tinge to his accent that suggests he’s not from around here, but I can only imagine how long it took him to achieve it. “How was work today?” I make conversation with him but, the truth is, I love listening to him speak. His voice is reminiscent of Danny’s and he’s so soft-spoken.
“Hot,” he laughs, running a hand through his hair. “Sent the guys home a little early. Only reason I’m still here is because I need to pay for the gas we got. But this line doesn’t seem to be moving real fast.”
Glancing up, I see a young kid working the register. He looks highly overwhelmed. I wonder where Nancy is. Checking my watch, I see we’ve been standing here at least five minutes. “I know Nancy, who owns the place. I’ll let her know she needs to hire more help,” my mouth smirks.
“Help is hard to come by.”
Before I can answer, a man comes in, putting a till in the other register. His face is screwed up in irritation as he gazes out at the line in front of him. “Whoever’s next.” His voice is rough and not at all what one would expect of a customer service worker.
Juan is speaking, but I continue to focus on the man at the counter. The way he treats those he’s waiting on rubs me the wrong way. Would it kill him to smile and say thank you?
The younger one of the two asks for the next person. It happens to be Juan, but he motions for me to go in front of him. “Thank you.” I shoot him a grin. “The reader wouldn’t get my card, can I prepay fifteen on five?”
“No problem, that one seems to be having an issue. I’ll let Nancy know.”
“Thanks.” I put my PIN number in when I hear the other guy say something that infuriates me.
“I know you had the extra fifty bucks on three, dirty wetback,” he says the last part under his breath.
“Excuse you?” I look over at him. “What did you say to him?”
Juan holds out a hand. “It’s okay, Hayden.”
“No, it’s not.” I cut in front of Juan, put my hands on the counter and look at the man standing there. “Would you like to say that to someone’s face? For your information, I saw the truck that drove off. Juan wasn’t even out there, he was in here.”