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“It’s pretty straightforward.”
Terry watches as I ring up the next customer.
“Nice!” he says. “Now we can alternate. One of us does the register while the other makes the drinks until we get tired of what we’re doing. Then we can switch. Or we can alternate customers—whatever you prefer.”
“Let’s alternate customers,” I say. “That way I can remember what I’m making.”
“Deal!” Terry gives me a big smile, and I return it. I’ve decided his smiles are contagious.
We fall into a smooth rhythm for a while. Around ten o’clock, the man who is always following me around comes in. He lets a woman go in front of him, and I’m pretty sure it’s so he ends up with Terry taking his order and not me.
He can think he’s subtle, but he’s not. In fact, he’s as obvious as he could possibly be. I do take note of the name Terry writes on his cup—Charlie. I wonder if it’s even his real name. He goes to the back table with his newspaper and coffee.
“Has he always been a regular?” I ask Terry.
“The weird guy?” Terry winks.
“Yeah, the one who always sits in the back and reads the paper.”
“Who reads newspapers anymore?”
“Right?” We both laugh.
“I guess he’s been coming in here regularly for the last few weeks. I’m pretty good about remembering customers.”
“About the time I first started coming here?”
“Hmm…maybe.” Terry tilts his head and looks at the ceiling. “A week after, I think. Why?”
“Just curious.”
“Do you know him?”
“No, but I’ve seen him around.”
My shift ends in the afternoon, and as soon as I head out the door, I see “Charlie” across the street on a bench near the bus stop. I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he stands and follows me down the street at a distance.
I am already sure he’s following me, and this just adds to my evidence. If I ever decide to ask Deklan about it, he won’t be able to deny it. There are just too many coincidences.
Surprisingly, Deklan is home when I get there.
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” he asks as soon as I walk in.
I hesitate. I’m not sure if I want to hear either one.
“Good?” I hang my jacket up on the hook and walk over to the kitchen.
“I’m taking the rest of today off,” Deklan says as he wraps his arms around me. He kisses me gently before letting go.
“What’s the bad news?”
“I need to make some preparations,” he says. “In the morning, I have to leave for a couple of days.”
I frown.
“Do you have to?” It’s a stupid question, but I ask anyway.
“Yeah, I do.”
