6. Locked Drawer
6
Locked Drawer
I was late. Running only served to bounce the popcorn out of the bag and onto the mall floor. Security was going to be up my ass about littering, so I power-walked until I got back to the store.
AJ glanced up from sorting pin-buttons. “How was it?”
I closed my fist around my cross, my heart throbbing underneath it. “Good. I loved—”
Bree kicked the dressing room door aside with her hip and wielded an empty hanger like an ax. “Look who’s late. Should we write you up?”
I feigned a smile. “No. I had extenuating circumstances.”
Nodding, she dragged the hanger edge against the wood edge of the dressing room door. “I’ve had some of those.”
Sure. She had car troubles, long lines, snowstorms, and diarrhea. Or at least that was what she told my predecessor every time she strolled in late. Ten minutes weren't a big deal. Lies were, though. Especially now that she was trying to feed them to me.
She crept closer, her nostrils quivering. “You brought us a snack?”
I twisted away and cupped the bag against my breast. No way was I sharing my special gift with everyone. “This isn't a penance for being late. It’s my lunch.”
AJ pushed his glasses up and tilted his head. “You didn’t eat it during the movie?”
“I was distracted.” More by the sultry manager than the movie, but both were enticing. Plus, I only got popcorn at the end. But that’d be difficult to explain. I didn’t want them to get the wrong idea about the manager and me. We were still a mystery. “I’ll put this away and eat it later,” I said.
“Are we allowed to snack during the day now?” Bree teased.
“Yeah, when we’re on break.” I went into the storage closet to escape the inquiries. Boxes of various sizes offered lots of decent spots to hold snacks. Yet part of me hesitated to plop my bag in plain sight. Who was to say my coworkers wouldn’t steal a few handfuls and get butter all over the clothes? Plus, they might ruin the sentimental gesture with their germs. I rolled the top of the bag down to preserve some freshness, then locked it in my desk drawer.
Better safe than sorry.
And being careful meant not fucking strangers like that manager in a dark theater. I sighed. A girl could dream.
As I made my way to the sales floor, I overheard Bree gossiping, “I still can’t believe Willow had to leave. What a baby. Why did Kat go with her if she wanted to see the movie so badly?”
Buttons clattered into their pail as AJ continued sorting. “To be nice, probably.”
“Yeah, because Kat’s so sweet,” she said sarcastically.
I stopped and furrowed my brow. Did she think I was mean?
She spun the buttons in the bin with her finger. “She wouldn’t even share her popcorn with us.”
Snickering, AJ nudged her arm. “Hangry lady.”
“At least I’m not selfish,” she said.
A giant claw prodded the inside of my chest. No monster was going to break through my ribcage and demand blood if I could help it. My predecessor warned me about attitude shifts when I’d taken the position. But grace could go a long way.
I inhaled deeply and strode out to face the not-so-adoring crowd.
Bree schooled her expression as if she hadn’t just been bad-mouthing me. “All good?”
I flashed her a smile and tidied a rack. “Yeah. Next week, we get the bulk of our costumes, so get excited for a mini fashion show. I’ve already got the playlist set.”
She brightened. “We can try them on? On the clock?”
“Yeah. We did that before, anyway.” Was that nice enough for her?
She high-fived AJ and cheered, “We’re gonna look so fucking hot.”
I glanced around to make sure no kids were in the store. “As long as the work gets done—”
She waved me off. “It always does. I’d been thinking of dressing up as a witch, but if we get something sexy, I might have to buy it.”
“I’ve seen the previews. Should be a good batch,” I said.
“Finally.” She twirled the empty hanger and sat on the counter. Technically, that was against regulation. If she needed to sit, we had a bench in the shoe area.
“Hey, can you put something on that hanger?” I asked.
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes and pushed off the counter.
The claw in my chest tapped again. So much for goodwill. As Bree’s friend and coworker, it’d been easy to direct her. ‘Get off your ass and hang that up’ did the trick. We might’ve even lightly smacked each other’s backsides with hangers back then. She’d laugh and do what I said. As a manager, I was 'the man.' The enemy. One of the pitfalls of working for an anti-establishment brand.
By the end of the shift, my widow and hot guy high had faded.
I didn’t want to blame Bree. Or customers. I probably was hungry—or hangry, as AJ jabbed earlier.
Still, I hesitated when it came to taking home my popcorn. It’d be a nice treat for a rainy day. What if I needed it? A perfectly preserved memory.
That intriguing manager helped me. He boosted my self-esteem, and I finally got to see the movie. It was an all-encompassing kind of satisfying.
Although treats did go stale. Eventually, the delicious scent of butter would fade. Or attract bugs. Nope. Better enjoy the popcorn while it was relatively fresh. I grabbed the bag, locked up the office, and then waved to my crew. “Bye, fam.”
“Bye,” AJ said.
Bree didn’t echo the sentiment.
It was fine. I left the mall resolved to go home and rest.
Actually, it was kind of ironic that I ended up munching on the popcorn as a car snack, just like the manager had advised. I smiled and checked my rearview mirror, half expecting him to show up—or at least play a spider prank.
I’d see him again. After all, he’d invited me back. I only had to pick a showtime and hope it coincided with his schedule. The theater had a horror lineup for the next month and a half. Surely, there was something—and someone—worth the trip.
I licked my lips of salty goodness.
Definitely worth the trip.