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What did you think would happen? That you’d get to help brainstorm a new exhibit? Go cry about it, Clark.
The line crept forward and I glanced at my watch. I only had a thirty-minute break, and at this rate, I’d be scarfing down my food while running back to clock in. When I cursed under my breath, there was a chuckle behind me, and when I glanced over my shoulder, I did a double take.
Even though it’d been low-lit in the den that night, I would recognize King anywhere. With his hair spiked high and that seemingly permanent pompous leer on his face, he was an unwelcome sight.
King’s eyes flickered down from my face in a slow perusal that had me cringing, and then he fingered the employee badge I wore around my neck. “Mmm. Jesse Clark,” he said, looking up at me and tapping my badge. “What a lovely, unexpected surprise seeing you here.”
Ugh, why didn’t I shove it in my pocket on my break? Lesson learned.
I pulled my badge away from his fingers and casually flipped it over. “Hello,” I said, not bothering with any other niceties. I’d been hiding from the man the last time I’d seen him, for God’s sake, so the last thing I wanted was to give him an “in” with me. Wait, he didn’t work here, did he? Shit.
“I thought it was you when you lined up over here, but I wasn’t sure until I got closer. I didn’t think my luck was that good to run into you again so soon.”
So soon? Wait…did he work here? What was he talking about? Because if that was the case, my day was about to take a drastic nosedive from one of the best to one of the worst.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, and then turned around, edging my way forward, wishing the person in front of me would hurry up so I could escape the man behind me. No such luck, though, because no sooner had I taken a step forward than I felt a hand on my elbow. I looked down to see King had taken hold of my arm, and before I could tell him to let me go, he was striding forward, pulling me with him around the other people in the line.
We passed several other employees, then King stepped in front of the man about to walk up to the cashier and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Paul, buddy, you don’t mind if we cut in, do you? Thanks,” he said, without waiting for an answer, propelling me toward the register.
I lowered my eyes, wishing the ground would open up and devour me, because shit, this was not the kind of impression I wanted to make on my first day.
“Make your order, Jesse,” King said, and it sounded so much like something Tor would say that I flinched, because while Tor ordering me around made me hot, King had the complete opposite effect—I felt as though ice was running through my veins.
I glared at King’s profile, wishing I could will him to vanish—no such luck.
“Can I help you?” the woman behind the counter asked, and when I finally met her eyes, I could tell she was unimpressed by what had just happened, and I wanted to disappear myself.
“Sorry, yes. Could I please have the burger and fries?”
“Really?” King said. “That’s not a very healthy choice.”
“I don’t really give a sh—”
“One burger and fries it is,” the lady said, and this time when my eyes found hers, she winked at me, seeing I was just as irritated by King as everyone else.
“Extra fries, please,” I added, and then aimed a fake smile at King. She rang up my order, and when I went to pay, King handed her a credit card.
“I’ll take care of that.”
I was about to argue, but then I thought if I did that I’d have to put up with him longer, so I merely took the number she gave me and then marched off toward the dining area. With my eyes on the ground, I could still feel all the other employees staring at me…or were they staring at the jackass following tightly on my heels? Why won’t he just get lost? He was giving me the creeps.
I moved toward a table in the far back corner, and when I got there, I went to pull a chair out, only to feel King’s hand brushing over the top of mine. I snatched mine back, and as I did, he chuckled and pulled the chair out for me. I looked down at it and then decided there was no way I was going to take that seat like he was here with me as a…date. So I walked around to the other side of the table and slumped down into the seat, crossing my arms.
