“What were you watching?” He snarled.
“Does it matter? Porn. I was watching a porno. Is that what you want to hear, Arsenio? I was late. Big deal. It was barely half an hour.” She motioned to the clock on the wall. Arsenio glared at it and then back at her. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose before responding.
“You better be on time the rest of this week.”
The strikingly pretty woman stuck her thumb up. “You got it, boss.”
“Jeremy, thank you for covering for Scout. Get home safe.”
The human glanced at the glass windows into the dark. He nodded, reached for his coat under the counter, and left without saying another word. Silence filled the lobby as we watched Jeremy hurry to his car and speed off.
“Are you happy? That man risked his safety so you could watch porn.” Arsenio flashed his fangs at the girl, and I was surprised when she laughed.
“I’ll call him in a bit to make sure he got home safe. Go away.” She waved him off and turned her back, heading behind the counter. Arsenio clenched his jaw and fists and then suddenly relaxed. He straightened and motioned to me with a smile.
“I can’t until I show your new boss his job.”
“Boss?” She scrunched up her nose and, for the first time, looked at me. My heart skipped. I attempted a smile, but the look on her face told me that I had failed miserably. Pleasantries didn’t come naturally to me. “Who is this cabrón?”
“Thiscabrónis one of my oldest friends. You will treat him with as much respect as you give me.”
She snorted.
She. Fucking. Snorted.
She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Arsenio glared back.
“More respect. He has permission to fire you.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets, looking down. I wasn’t trying to get in the middle of this. Not on my first day.
“Yes, sir. Now, who is this man of which I should have the utmost respect?”
I looked up and saw both parties looking at me. I tried another smile. My lips twitched awkwardly, and I gave a little wave.
“I’m Desi,” I said.
“Desi? That’s kind of cute, actually.” She smiled. My confidence lifted instantly, and I relaxed.
“Desiderio, this is Scout. Scout is the co-manager of the night shift.” Arsenio introduced us formally.
“Co-manager?” She protested. Her mouth fell open, and her brows furrowed. Her face went from shock to anger surprisingly fast.
He nodded. “Desiderio is going to be helping you run the theater.”
“I don’t need help.” She argued.
“Good, because I doubt he’ll do much. He’s taking the other office. Come.” He motioned to me, and I quickly followed. I glanced back at Scout, and she flipped me off.
Good talk.
“What’s a cabrón?” I asked.
“Don’t ask,” he muttered, and we moved on.
“It’s a little dusty, but make it your own. No one will bother you. You got a computer?” My friend led me through the door Scout had gone through to a small break room with a hallway on the other side. Down the hallway were five doors which he labeled as we passed.
“Staff bathrooms, Night management’s office, day management’s office, and this one can be yours.” He beamed as he pulled out his keys, found the one for this door, and opened it quickly. He thrust it open as if showing me something grand. I coughed as dust flew all around us.
