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Fourteen
Liv
“Has anyone seen Jonesy?”
Darryl’s reedy voice interrupts me, Ariel, and Marcus as we’re zipping ourselves into our coats after a particularly gross post-shift Sunday cleanup.
“He left about fifteen minutes ago,” I say.
“Well, darn it!”Darryl says.“Mrs.Wickenwarg left these for him earlier, and I forgot to hand them over.”He holds up a red-and-green plaid cookie box.
Ariel laughs.“Again?What’s this, the second year in a row?”
“Third,” Darryl says.“I think it’s sweet.”
A quick search of my memory confirms that Dorothy Wickenwarg is an eighty-year-old woman with papery, powdery skin and a gap-toothed smile.“It is sweet!”I say.Ask me how I’d feel about it if she were a twenty-something platinum-blond bombshell bringing him cookies though.
Darryl frowns down at the box.“I guess I can hold on to them until tomorrow.”
“I can drop them off on my way home,” I blurt.
He gives me a gummy smile.“You don’t mind?”
“Of course not.Anything for a coworker.”I take the box from his hands, ignoring Ariel and Marcus’ knowing looks as I grab my phone so Darryl can give me Jonesy’s number.
“Mm-hmm.A coworker,” Marcus says.Ariel snickers and digs an elbow into his ribs.
“Just a coworker,” I repeat, hoping my cheeks aren’t turning pink with the lie.
“Speaking of coworkers,” Ariel says, “you’re coming to the staff holiday party next Saturday, right?”
“I was planning to, yeah.Why?”
“That’s how Ariel and I got together,” Marcus says with an adoring glance up at his curly-haired girl.
“Cuties!”I say brightly, wondering what this has to do with me.
“Aaaaand Jonesy said he might stick around all night this year.He usually bails early for whatever he does on his Saturday nights.”Ariel gives me a shit-eating grin.“Weird that he’s choosing this year to hang out with everyone.”
“Uh-huh,” I say vaguely.It’s clear what they’re alluding to, but I hate being the focus of coworker gossip, especially when they also made it clear that Jonesy doesn’t mess around with his coworkers.I beat a hasty retreat with the cookies, not willing to dream about staff parties that turn friends into lovers while I have an audience.When I get to CJ’s car, I set the cookies in the passenger seat, take a deep breath, and send a cheerful text.
Hey, it’s Liv!A customer left you some cookies and Darryl asked me to drop them off for you.Is that cool?
It’s close enough to the truth, and his reply seems to take forever, especially given how short it ends up being.
sure, yeah
He sends me his address with zero drama.Also zero excitement, but hell, I’m committed now.I text CJ before putting the car in gear.
Dropping by Jonesy’s with cookies.I couldn’t explain it if I wanted to.
Her reply is way too eager.
Get it!!!!!
His place is only six minutes from Verdant, and I’m drowning in curiosity by the time I pull up to the curb.It’s a duplex with blue siding and single-car garages that meet in the middle of the double driveway.Jonesy’s is on the right, the one with hedges and the winterized flower bed.
I flip down the mirror on the visor and do a quick check of my reflection.My lipstick’s mostly gone, but my lips still have a hint of the dark pink I’d applied that morning.My hair’s lying nicely, and my mascara stayed put on my lashes.I’m as cute as can be expected after a day helping feed the citizenry of Beaucoeur.I dig through my bag for the lotion I threw in there to keep my sandpapery winter hands at bay and smooth it on the parts of me visible under my coat.
