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She’d been experiencing them off and on since having her phone hijacked by a freakishly tall pest in boardshorts. If only she’d had a can of semi-toxic chemicals with her on Saturday.
Pshhhhh!
Blondie would have been toast.
Shoving a flimsy cardboard tab into what was marked as its corresponding slot, Andy scowled at the diagram that had come with the shipment of merchandise.
“Need any help with that?”
Andy jerked as a coworker suddenly materialized beside her.
Son of a bitch!What the hell was up with annoying blonde dudes getting the jump on her lately?
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” Aldon Wickers winked as he dropped into a crouch near her hip. “Couldn’t help but notice you wrestling with this thing. Thought you might need a rescue.”
“I don’t,” she said briskly.
Maybe a little too briskly. Aldon glanced at her in the way people sometimes did when she let her mask slip. The one she wore in 99.9 percent of social situations that didn’t involve mean-ass surfers. The one her retail job demanded of her on a daily basis.
Manners, Andygram. Be polite. Can you say that in a nicer way?
Nicer way. Sure. Flashing a smile, Andy rephrased. “I mean, no thanks. I’m good.”
Aldon didn’t move. The strange musky-sweet scent of whatever cologne he favored wrinkled her nose, and she could practically feel his gaze skimming over her as she tried to focus on Step 22 of the diagram.
Jesus. Why was he still there? Didn’t he have something to take care of inhisdepartment?
Like Andy, Aldon was an assistant store manager. He’d hired on as such during the holiday rush last year. Their boss Dave had put him in charge of the HomeCave Department, and when Aldon had quickly sold a bunch of TVs, he and Dave had become fast friends.
Andy didn’t think it was such a big feat to move home theater during Christmas.
Try selling a ten-person pop-up tent in the middle of winter.
Yup, Andy had skills.
The OuterCave Department was her baby, and she sure as shit did not require any assistance putting together a bug spray display.
Finishing off the task, Andy reached for the shipment of repellent so she could stock the standee. The box was right in front of Aldon’s knees, and he didn’t shift out of the way. “S-sorry,” she mumbled as her hand inadvertently brushed his jeans.
“No problem,” he responded jovially.
Yes, actually. There was a problem. The man was invading her space again. Andy didn’t like it. He didn’t do it a lot. Just enough for it to be annoying.
Maybe not as annoying as, say, erasing perfectly good pictures of a Henry Cavill doppelgänger from one’s phone, but nevertheless, the hovering thing was still irritating.
“Is there something I can helpyouwith?” Andy managed while dragging the heavy box her way.
Aldon chuckled. A little awkwardly. Like he was going for something sheepish as he settled down on the floor next to her and proceeded to stock two cans of spray. With the labels facing the wrong way. Andy immediately righted them as Aldon went for more cans.
“Listen,” he said, shoving product haphazardly in the display, “I wanted to give you a heads-up about something.”
Andy dragged the box to the other side of her body. “A heads-up?”
He nodded. “I didn’t want you to hear this from someone else. I’m applying for store manager.”
What?
Andy stopped what she was doing and turned to face the man. “You're applying for Dave’s spot?”
