Page 5 of Break You

“Cherie and me?”

“Who? No! That girl you were just talking to before, the waitress, or whatever.”

“Are you smoking crack? I don’t even know her.”

“Well, clearly that doesn’t stop you wanting to screw her and vice versa. You’re sporting wood, and I know that’s not for Cherie.”

It was almost comical. I didn’t think I’d ever had a girl take such an instant and strong dislike to me—normally it was at least a few hook ups before they hated my guts. Not this girl. She took out the record for making threats to my life before she’d even looked me in the eye, then when she did, if looks could kill, the gala evening could have doubled as my wake.

“We’ll gloss over the reasons you’re ogling my junk, and go straight to the fact that, like I said, I’ve never met that girl before tonight, and in the limited interactions I’ve had with her, the only thing she elicited in me was homicidal tendencies, so don’t give up your day gig, Detective Dickwad.”

“Save it for someone who believes your feeble lies, Cross, and actually, I came over here to ask what’s happening with Cygnus. We doing this shit, or what?”

The urge to smack the stupid smirk off his face was strong.

“Keep your fucking voice down, you moron.”

“Screw you. I am keeping it down.” He was, but not enough for my liking.

“Yeah, we’re doing it. Gather the guys and tell them to be upstairs in ten. Be subtle, though. If we all start leaving at the same time, we may as well wave a fucking flag and blaze a trail upstairs with a row of flashing lights. I’ll head out first, and the rest of you slowly slip away as and when you can. Got it?”

“I’m not even going to dignify that question with a response, given that I don’t have a brain injury.”

“Whatever. Haul ass. I’ll see you upstairs.”

He gave me a mock two-finger salute, morphing it into flipping me the bird as I headed out of the room.

Rocky

The rest of the night dragged so badly that I could have sworn time was going backward. As much as I’d brazened it out while it was happening, my run-in with Loaded Boy and his girlfriend put me off-kilter for the rest of the gig. If nothing else, I’d had to change shirts after the incident with the canapés, and the cost of laundering the soiled one would be docked from my pay. I almost might as well not have bothered working in the first place.

“Who kicked your kitten?”

“What? Is that some kind of sexual thing, like flicking the pickle?” A look of irritation flashed onto my face.

“Ewww… I hope not. No, I meant why do you look like it’s the end of the world?”

It was the end of our shift at last, and Prinnie and I were getting ready to leave Trinity Hall.

“No reason. I’m just tired, that’s all. I feel like I’ve been on my feet for days.” It was only a partial lie. Keeping up with classes, assignments and my two jobs was really starting to take its toll. Four hours’ sleep wasn’t enough to leave me feeling refreshed and full of the joys of spring when I hauled my ass out of bed each day.

On the other hand, I hadn’t been able to shake the deep funk that had settled over me after the bathroom and canapé incidents, despite not seeing the guy for the rest of the night, and managing to avoid any contact with the girl and her cronies too. Prinnie had taken one for the team and served their side of the room—just one small reason of many that I loved working with her, and being her friend in general.

“Hmm… okay. So, I don’t suppose your down vibe has anything to do with your brush with the hot guy with the tattoos peeking out of his tux and his rich-bitch girlfriend?”

“Hmm. Well, in a roundabout way, yeah.” I tried for non-committal.

“I knew it! Tell Auntie Prinnie.” Her eyes lit up at the prospect of juicy gossip to sink her teeth into.

“Nothing to tell. I’m just pissed that I’m missing out on pay to have that ugly-ass shirt cleaned, is all.”

Prinnie looked like I’d pooped on her ice-cream. “Humpf. Wait, didn’t you say you had something to tell me about the whole bathroom incident, too?”

“Oh that.” I waved my hand dismissively. “It was nothing, really. I needed to go. Tattoo Guy and Rich Bitch were screwing in the staff bathroom, and despite me yelling at them to hurry the fuck up, I nearly peed my pants waiting for them to be done. At one point I was almost considering running out back and squatting in the rose garden. Oh my God, can you imagine?”

We both snickered.

“So that’s it. Nothing else to tell?” I could see her in my peripheral vision giving me the side eye.

---