Page 38 of King

“I have a long-sleeved shirt for you.” She throws her finger towards one of the velvet chairs in front of her. Her eyes are quick to turn back to the laptop on her desk.

My boots squeak again, moving towards the chair. Cindy looks over at them before shaking her head, going back to whatever she’s doing.

Reaching for the shirt, I notice my last name on a file on her desk. My nose wrinkles, getting a closer look. Freezing, my heartbeat picks up when I confirm what I'm seeing.

An employee file wouldn't be surprising but the first initial isn’t mine.

It’s my mom’s.

Eleven

Cindy looks up, following my gaze to the file before tucking it under her laptop. “Run along, Jo, you’re already late.”

I’m not letting this go. “Is there something going on?”

Cindy sits back in her chair, crossing her legs in her powder blue suit. “Excuse me?”

“Do you know something about my parents?”

“The Archibalds? They’re wonderful people dear.”

“No. My real parents.”

Her lips purse before she speaks, “Why would I know something about your parents?”

“I saw my mother’s name on your desk.”

“Darling, it was yours.”

I know what I saw. “No. It wasn’t.”

“As someone who partakes in cannabis smoking, I’m sure you’re mistaken. Looped up.” She moves her finger in the air like a corkscrew. "I should have you fired but I like to see the better in people. Not like my husband." Cindy sits up, tucking the file further under her laptop. “You’re already twenty minutes late. If you don’t stop pestering me with your silly questions I’ll take it out of your pay.”

Something is going on and I need to know. “Cindy I—”

“That’s your first hour docked. Now get out of my office Miss Rowland and get to work.” She gets up from her seat and points at the door. “That’s if you still want a job.”

I do as she says, and leave her office, pushing the bathroom door open with force. I'll drop it for now but I'm not letting this go.

No way.

My shift is mellow and I’m starting to get the hang of all the equipment. Between learning the menu and cleaning out coffee grinds, my mind wanders. How am I going to find out what Cindy Huang knows about my parents? Without getting fired that is.

Cindy leaves a couple of hours before closing, says she has dinner with friends and tells me to lock up. While I hope Zane isn’t outside this time, right now he’s the least of my worries.

What do the Huangs know about us? What is there to even know about my family? Before my parents' death, Willow and I came from a pretty boring life. Beanloaf on Mondays, a trip to local theatre shows when my parents could afford it. Hell, we hardly even went on vacation. We wouldn't have vacations if it wasn't for our annual camping trip.

Cindy’s smart enough to lock her office door but locks don’t usually stop me. Getting my damp backpack from under the cash, I rummage around for a bobby pin. There's one buried at the bottom and once I have it, I head to Cindy’s office door. Sticking it in the lock, I jimmy it around for a release.

"Come on," I mutter.

“What are you doing Medusa?” Damien’s voice is a low whisper in my ear and it makes me jump, goosebumps rising to the surface of my skin. I pull the bobby pin out and turn around to meet his stare, my head against the door. He smirks, “Isaac told me you were a spy.”

He's here after what he did to me earlier? Unbelievable.

“I’m not so sure I’m the spy.” I walk back to the main room and notice the time. “We’re closed.”

He follows me out of the hallway, leaning against the wall. “Why were you snooping in Cindy Huang’s office?”

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