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Sure, if I had the money for a car payment.
“Okay, I’m going to think about that.”
“I’ll be in touch tomorrow with a more accurate estimate.Sorry for the bad news.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
I hang up and set my phone aside, rubbing my hands over my face.I donotwant to use my dad’s money.
But I need a reliable car.The weather is too flaky here to depend on being able to walk.
I’ll just have to pick up a second job and make what I have stretch.
“Shit, it’s cold.”I rush into the coffee shop the next morning, rubbing my gloved hands together.“So,socold.”
“Did you walk here?”Millie asks with a frown.“For the love of Old Man Winter, Erin, you can’t be walking around in that.”
I glance back and see that the snow is fallingsideways,thanks to the wind.
“I had to,” I reply simply and hurry back to change out of my coat and boots and pull on an apron for work.When I return, Millie is slammed with customers, so I immediately jump in to help.
We stay busy through the lunchtime rush, and we switch back and forth between taking orders and filling them.
Finally, when there’s a break, we both take a breath and survey the mess around us.
“Whoa.”I blink at the crumbs, spilled coffee drips, and other debris on the tile floor.“It looks like there was a battle.”
“There was,” she says.“And we won.Good job.”
Just as I’m grinning at Millie, the door opens, and in walks a group of guys.Millie stiffens next to me.
“The asshole tourists,” she hisses, and I feel my eyes narrow into slits.
“I’ve got this,” I assure her.
“We’vegot this,” she replies as the leader of the group—sporting a bright black-and-blue eye—steps up.“How can we help you?”
“Shit, it’s you,” he sneers.
“Yep, it’s me.Now, we can work this one of two ways.Either you and your friends can be nice, or you can go.”
“Me?I’m always nice,” he replies and blatantly looks Millie up and down in the creepiest way ever, then turns his gaze to me.“Now,you’rehot.And not as mouthy.”
I raise an eyebrow before I start laughing.I laugh so hard I have to hold my stomach.“Mouthy?Oh, honey, you have no idea just howmouthyI can be.”
“Let’s just go, man.”One of the guys standing in the back taps the asshole leader on the shoulder.“We can get coffee somewhere else.”
“Fuck that.Now it’s the principal of it.What is it with the bitches in this town being little cunts?”
Without saying a word, I pull my phone out of my back pocket and dial 9-1-1.
“This is Erin at the Bitterroot Valley Coffee Co.We need assistance.”
“Oh, please,” he sneers, but he starts to back up a couple of paces.“Gonnatellon me?Jesus, what a bunch of sniveling babies.I guess you’re not so brave when you don’t have some asshole at the ready to fight your battles for you, are you?”
Several customers are standing, just waiting to jump in if this jerk takes it too far and lays a hand on us.
Which I kind of hope he does because I’dloveto kick him in the balls.
