I whirled around and hurried out the door. Within a few steps I felt warm fingers curl around my biceps. “What was that all about?” Drey asked me.
I stopped, steeling myself against his eyes. His smile. Our date was this coming Sunday night, and I was already getting nervous, and it was only Friday!
“You weren’t on the schedule today, which was weird, since it’s an all hands on deck event. But here you are.”
“Two waitresses called in sick. Came by to see if I could help.”
“How’d you get the day off to begin with?”
“Had…something planned, but it…canceled.” God I should be better at lying by now. Something about Drey’s sweetness pulled the truth out of me, forbade me to lie.
“Why wasn’t Bill too happy about that?”
“You do have a knack for eavesdropping, huh?”
“Don’t leave the door open if you don’t want people to hear. So what’s the deal?”
“Nothing. Just here to help.”
“I like the pink hair. And the ring.” He tapped my nose.
“It’s fake. But I might have to get one. It’s cool.”
“We’ll get you one of these.” He stuck out his tongue and pinched his piercing between his teeth. “Then we’ll have some real fun with that first kiss.”
“Drey!” I whispered. But I couldn’t help but smile. He was like a little kid sometimes. So sweet, and it was contagious.
“I’ve got something fun planned for your first date.” He stepped closer. “You ready?”
More than I wanted him to know, but I didn’t dare say anything, so I nodded.
“Good. Be careful tonight.” He skimmed his finger along my bare arm. “See you later.”
“Hmmm.” I couldn’t even form a word. I was pathetic. Watching him walk away was a treat, though.
“I didn’t hear you tell him to stay away from you tonight,” Bill said as he lumbered out of his office.
“We both know the minute you tell himnotto do something, he wants to do it that much more.”
“You feelanyheat. You bolt. Got it?”
“I will, dad.”
“Wish like hell I’d been your dad. I would have saved you from all that—”
“Don’t.” I put my hand up, stopping him from continuing that morbid sentence. I didn’t have time to spiral down those negative memories. “Thanks, Bill. You do enough now. Like Lina says…I won’t let Nicco have any more power over me.”
I said it out loud, hoping I’d believe it more and more each time I said it.
Nicco had tons of power over me, otherwise I wouldn’t live like I did. I watched Drey, a head taller than most of the crowd, walking to the stage with such confidence. I thought for a moment I, too, could have that confidence one day. That I, too, would be free of my past.
I wasn’t counting on it, but I could hope.
I jumped into the excitement of the evening and pushed drinks for three hours straight before I got to take my first break. I rounded the corner to the employee locker room intent on touching up my makeup but rammed straight into a guy.
“Whoa. Sorry.” I reached out to steady myself as the Employee door swung shut. But this guy wasn’t staff.
“You lost?”