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“Yeah,” he said, hanging his head in some facsimile of remorse. “Don’t be mad, okay? I’m sure I won’t get it. You’ve been here much longer, and you’re great with the customers, and, of course, you’re a…” He paused, slate-gray eyes flashing with something Andy couldn’t decipher before he blinked it away. “You’re an excellent assistant manager.”
True, but that hadn’t been what he was about to say. Andy was certain of it.
For once, she allowed herself a moment of open scrutiny. What the hell was he up to? The entire staff knew how hard she’d been working for this promotion, and everyone, including Aldon, had seemed supportive. So why was he making a play for it now?
As if he could read that why in the sliver of her eyes, Aldon sighed. “Look, it’s nothing personal. I’ve just got a lot of student loans to pay back, and I could really use the pay raise.”
Andy was tempted to point out that he probably would have been able to pay off those loans quicker if he hadn’t just bought himself a Camaro over Memorial Day weekend. The same sporty orange model their boss had purchased last summer.
“Look, I’m sure you’ll get the job, Andy. You know this store inside and out. But I at least have to try—”
“When is your interview?” Andy wasn’t the least bit interested in the man’s platitudes. She just wanted to know what she was up against.
“At eleven.”
Fantastic. Andy’s meeting with Dave wasn’t until the end of her shift. Which meant she got to stew in a well of anxiety for hours while Aldon got his interview over with now. Considering her anxiety level was increasing by the second, her coworker had a distinct advantage.
“Actually” — Aldon glanced at the giant sun clock hanging amidst the mountain mural that bordered her department — “since it’s twenty till, I think I’ll go hang in the break room to prepare.” He rose and laid a hand on her shoulder. “You’re good here, right?”
She gritted her teeth as his fingers did some rubby thing on her upper back, a gesture that was probably meant to be conciliatory but really just came off as cringey and weird. While Andy didn’t have a major aversion to people touching her, she did despise the sort of whispery caress Aldon was doing now.
“I’m fine,” she bit out, shifting out of his reach to shove more cans into the display. Aldon strode off, finally leaving her to her stocking in peace. Well, maybe it wasn’t so peaceful now that she was feeling a whole ’nother level of agitated.
Damn it. How had she not seen this coming? Aldon had been cozying up to Dave for months now. Always doing coffee runs for him, or chatting with him in the back office, or hanging with him in HomeCave while they watched football on one of the big screens.
Of course the dude had been making a play for the store.
And now it seemed a real possibility he might get it. Because Dave really liked Aldon. And Aldon sold a lot of TVs. And TV sales were probably a lot more impressive on quarterly reports than pop-up tents.
Andy needed some air.
Finishing up, she quickly broke down the shipping boxes and carried them to the back exit of the store. A breeze greeted her when she stepped outside. One that might have calmed her significantly if it had also been accompanied by the sound of the ocean and the sight of her favorite surfer gliding over sparkling waves.
But no. Here she was, strolling up to a dumpster on the verge of a panic attack.
Perversely, Andy wanted to blame all of this on her favorite surfer’s mean-ass friend.
If the dude hadn’t been such a jerk on Saturday, shewouldhave gone to her secret spot Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and — most definitely — this morning. And those visits would have calmed her.
Because that was the thing. Going to her secret spot wasn’t just about scoping out some superhot guys doing amazing things on surfboards. It was also about having a moment of true peace. A moment where she didn’t have to wear the mask. A moment where she could relax, daydream, be happy, and justbebefore having to switch on for an eight-hour customer service shift. And an interview she was now really stressed over.
Yes, to Andy’s current way of thinking — irrational though it might be — it was Mr. Freaky-deaky’s fault her morning had gotten off to a bad start, and it was also indirectly his fault she was going into this interview with a competitive disadvantage.
Tossing the flattened boxes onto the heap in the recycle bin, Andy paced, swore, paced some more, then strode back the way she’d come. Inside, she glanced up at the clock.
Aldon would be starting his interview soon, and he probably wasn’t the least bit nervous about all the questions Dave was going to ask him.
Not like Andy. Her confidence from earlier in the week was shot. She needed some way to gain just an ounce of it back.
Scanning the store, Andy pulled a small tin from her pocket and popped an Altoid. It wasn’t much, but maybe it would help. Although, the man interviewing her always reeked of stale coffee and cigarettes, so he probably wouldn’t notice—
Her searching gaze paused on one of the guest bathrooms as her coworker Pablo emerged from it with a mop bucket. An idea formed as she watched him steer the bucket in the direction of the employee break room.
The bathroom in there was next to Dave’s office. Dave always kept his door cracked because he was a heavier guy and liked the airflow.
Andy bit her lip. If she could hear the questions Dave asked Aldon, she would know what he was likely to ask her later, and that would be huge. That would boost her confidence so much more than a breath mint.
Yes, her plan was sneaky and underhanded. But Andy suspected Aldon’s little “heads-up” hadn’t been all that innocent either.
