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“You’ll what?” Frankie nudged her, a knowing look on her face. “Go after him.Quick!”
Lilac opened her mouth just as her phone buzzed.Gavin has another date today, she remembered, and thought of how she’d asked him to keep her up to date. If Gavin needed her, that was more important than this frat boy—and besides, he was clearlybusy.
“Oh,” she said, her face falling as she saw the screen. It was a call. FromEarl.
Frankie frowned. “What’s he want? It’s your dayoff.”
“I better see.” She took a deep breath.He’s your boss. Be professional.“Yes? Lilac speaking,” she said. Nolan and the kids were gone now, lost to thecrowd.
“Oh, good, you answered!” said Earl. Even just the sound of his voice was enough to send her impulse to gag into overdrive. “Night shifts and weekend shifts are all here,” he said, referring to the other managerial crews that reported to him but took over when he had time off. “I thought I’d introduceyou.”
“Now?” asked Lilac. She regretted it almostinstantly.
“Yes,” said Earl, clearly disappointed. “Unless you’re too busy to come in. I can’t offer you overtime, but this is a casual gathering, and everyone else managed to behere.”
Then why didn’t you warn me earlier instead of springing this on me at the last minute?Hehadmentioned wanting to introduce her to everyone else, but he hadn’t said when. “No, it’s fine. It’s just that I’m not dressed forwork—”
“Casual,” repeated Earl. “I’m sure whatever your pretty little self has on right now will do justfine.”
Lilac swallowed as she looked down at her tank top and Capri pants. They weren’t exactly cheaply made, but even so. She’d have worn it to Tent Tildy as a “camper,” but not on the “Tildy Scout” side of things. Frankie studied her quizzically as she grabbed her own phone off thetable.
“All right,” said Lilac, taking a deep breath. “I can be there inthirty.”
“Great! We’re meeting at Tildy’s Campfire,” he said, referring to the resort sit-down restaurant. Lilac felt immediately better, knowing she wouldn’t be headed back to that office withhim.
It didn’t bode well for her job if she couldn’t stand to be in that office with him, but he just kept walking thatline.
“See you there,” said Lilac as she ended the call. She explained the situation to heraunt.
Frankie shook her head. “This sets a bad precedent,” she said. “What if he wants you to come in on your days off all thetime?”
Says the woman who’s never worked an 8-5 in her life, as far as I recall, thought Lilac. She swapped her phone for her new set of keys in her purse. Her aunt had met her at the mall after the car lot, so they each had their own ride now. “Then that’s what I’ll have to do,” said Lilac. “I’m here because I want to work here.” She pushed visions of Minnesota and all her teaching degree work out of her head. “This is what I need todo.”
“Okay,” said Frankie, but she didn’t sound sure. “Let me know if you’re going to be very late. I don’t want to worry about you getting lost in the dark on the wayback.”
Lilac grimaced. That, unfortunately, was the least of herworries.
* * *
Dinner went well enough.Earl and the weekend day guy, Christian, talked a lot—a lot—and that left the rest of the table rather quiet. But everyone else seemed nice enough. The one awkward moment had been when she’d sat down and shaken everyone’s hands. When she’d finished, Earl had elbowed Christian, who, like Earl, had a wedding ring on his finger, and said, “I told you she was cute, didn’t I?” Christian hadn’t said anything, just chuckled, but she could feel his leer on her after that. Both their leers. The only other woman there, Jillian, one of the two night managers, had glared at Lilac then, as if it had been her fault and not themen’s.
So Lilac had mostly just listened instead of talking. She knew Brielle especially thought of her as a talker, but that was only when she was comfortable around everyone around her. She was so completely uncomfortable at this table, the most she’d done was place her order. She hadn’t drunk alcohol, though everyone else at the table had. Her head still ached a bit from the mini-bender she’d gone on the nightbefore.
Earl had had several drinks. The longer the dinner went on, the louder and more talkative hebecame.
“Well, I suppose I’ve been away from the desk for long enough,” said Christian. He and the other shift managers shared a single desk around the corner from Earl’s office and he was supposed to be on duty. “Unless, Jillian, you want to get your shift startedearly?”
Sipping her water, Jillian raised her eyebrows. She’d stopped at just onecocktail.
“I’ll take that as a ‘no,’” said Christian. He stood. “Nice to meet you, Lilac. Welcome to the team.” He winked as he grabbed his suit coat and Lilac tried tosmile.
“Let’s see if you last longer than any of Earl’s other girls,” mumbled Jillian from behind her cup. Lilac looked at her, but no one else seemed to have heard it and everyone else got ready to go their separateways.
Lilac fished her phone out of her purse in an effort to look busy and unconcerned, despite how nauseous she was starting to feel. She was ready to make her own excuses, make up a fake message if need be, when she saw a text Gavin had sent a couple of hours before, probably right after Earl hadcalled.
Call me?it asked.I had a shitty day. A shittydate.
Lilac felt guilty. She quickly texted her apologies and excuses, promising to call him when she got backhome.
