Chapter 16 #2
“Ahh, got it.” We move up in the line. Gemma’s lips curve into a sympathetic smile. “I worry too,” she says softly. “I feel like anyone I care about is going to die. The therapist told me it was normal and would go away, but here I am, twenty-four and still worrying I’m cursed.”
“I feel that way too sometimes,” I admit.
“Have you been subconsciously punishing yourself by not letting yourself develop real relationships?”
“Is that something your therapist told you?”
“Yeah. And it was kinda true until I graduated and got a job at Silver Living. I was a bit of a loner before.”
“I was too. Still am, if I’m being honest.”
She playfully elbows me. “At least you have a boyfriend.”
I smile. “True. You’re not seeing anyone?”
She shakes her head. “I just went through a string of losers and am taking a break for a bit. And by that I mean I’m having as many no-strings summer flings as I can.”
“Sounds fun.”
“In theory,” she says with a laugh. “I’ve never had a one-night stand before. So here’s hoping the guys aren’t all freaks.”
“Being a freak might not be a bad thing.”
She wiggles her eyebrows. “I like the way you think.” We go up to the counter, order our coffees, and snag a table in the back while we wait. “Have you and your boyfriend been together long?”
“Not too long.”
“You seem to really care about him.”
She really is nosey, and while I didn’t mind at first, I can’t get into a round of Twenty Questions with her about my “boyfriend.” First of all, I don’t have just one boyfriend, and second, my boyfriends aren’t quite human.
“How was the night shift?” I change the subject before she digs deeper.
“Huh?”
“You said you worked the night shift.”
“Oh. Right. I did.” She forces a smile and looks away. “It was hectic, as always. But I like working nights because management isn’t there.”
“That would be a nice perk.”
“It has its drawbacks, but I’d much rather deal with that than have the director of nurses breathing down my neck.
She’s a terrible human being. Our supply closet just happens to run low every time she takes a vacation.
I’d report her to the state board of nursing if I wasn’t worried about losing my job. ”
“If you got fired because you reported something, you’d have a big lawsuit on your hands. That’s illegal.”
She taps her chin. “You’re making it sound tempting. Get my asshole boss out of the picture and sue her. What am I waiting for?”
We both laugh. “Seriously, though, if you think she’s doing shady stuff, report her ass. Running low on supplies makes your job harder, and it’s not good for your patients. You have to stand up for those who can’t, right?”
Gemma suddenly gets fidgety and looks like she’s going to throw up.
“Are you okay?” I ask, finding her behavior too weird not to mention.
“Yeah.” She closes her eyes in a long blink. “It’s, uh…my aunt and uncle.”
“The Amish ones?”
“Yeah.”
“Are they okay?” I watch her shoulders relax just a bit.
“Yeah, yeah…they’ve been bugging me to come visit and I don’t want to. They care since I’m family, but they’re a bit judgmental.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, I can see that being stressful.”
“You’re a good person, Ace,” she says quietly, and looks away. She doesn’t speak again until our coffees come, and she jumps up to get them. “Have you decided about going to your neighbor’s party? It’s coming up on Monday, right?”
“Shit.”
“You forgot about it, didn’t you?”
“I did. I’m supposed to bring a side dish, and I don’t cook. So I guess I’m not going.”
“I’m a great cook and have the best recipe for macaroni salad from my aunt and uncle. I’d love an excuse to make it and then eat it until I feel sickly full. I can make it and we can go together. If you want, I mean.”
I don’t want to go to Richard’s party. I don’t want to meet the other people on the street and pretend I’m interested in what goes on in their lives.
But being friendly with the neighbors and figuring out who’s who in the nearby houses will definitely work in my benefit.
What better way to do it than when everyone is all together?
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Gemma beams and takes a sip of her coffee. “Yay! I’ll make it so you have fun, okay? They’re having free drinks, so it’ll be easy. Do you drink? I never asked, did I?”
“I don’t very often, but yeah. And I’m probably going to need a drink or two to get through this party. The guy who’s hosting—Richard—has a son who I caught trying to take pictures of me through my bedroom window.”
“Ew! What a perv! Did you arrest him?”
“I gave him a warning but will if he so much as sets foot on my property again.” I’m still leaving out most of the truth, but damn, it feels good to talk. Now I get the appeal of hanging out with friends. “Which reminds me, I really need to install a few cameras at my place.”
Gemma almost spits out her coffee. “You don’t have security cameras?”
“Not yet.”
“I imagine your job makes you pretty paranoid.”
I shrug. “It can, but I also know how to defend myself and I’m a good shot.”
“Right.” Her eyes go to my gun on my belt. “I’ve never fired a gun before.”
“I won’t say it’s fun because this is a tool not a toy, but there is something very satisfying about hitting your targets.”
She smiles. “It seems like it.”
I take the lid off my coffee to let it cool down faster.
“What’d you get at Lyra’s? Your bag is pretty full.”
“Just some basics, though she was out of mugwort.”
“I have a ton of it,” Gemma offers. “I can give you some if you need it.”
According to my book, mugwort helps with divination and dreams, and could help me see more of the curse. “I don’t want to take your stash.”
“I have plenty, really. Will you be at the police department later? I can bring it by.”
“Don’t go out of your way. Bring it Monday. And thanks.”
“No problem. That’s what friends are for, right?”
“Right.”
“So Lyra canceled her tarot reading this weekend. Do you want to maybe go see a movie or something?”
The last time I saw a movie, I had a boyfriend. A human boyfriend. So…it’s been a while. And I love movie theater popcorn.
“I’m gonna say maybe, depending on the boyfriend situation.”
“Of course! It’d be fun to double date sometime. Which would require me getting a date in the first place.”
“I don’t think you’ll have trouble with that. You’re freaking gorgeous.”
She waves her hand in the air, dismissing the compliment. “Me? Have you seen yourself? You’re in incredible shape.”
“I work out a lot.”
“And I’m way too lazy to.”
I laugh. “It’s part of my job, in a way.”
“True. That makes me feel better.”
I smile, realizing that sitting here talking is making me feel better too.