Page 9 of In His Veins

“I’ll be fine. Just tired. I’ve got to run to Brianne’s now, but I’ll see you later, yeah?” He starts to say something, but he’s pulled away to take a large order.

Paige is talking on the phone when I pass her and she waves her hand at me as I go. I feel guilty, but I’m relieved I don’t have to talk to her. I’ve been overstimulated for hours, and Paige’s energy isn’t what I need right now.

* * *

I’m a few minutes early to my shift at Brianne’s, so I recline the driver’s seat and close my eyes for a moment. A painting begins to take shape behind my lids. Hands reach from behind her face and use their thumbs and index fingers to pry her eyes open. She’s grinning even as her eyes water. The mental sketch blurs and fades as I settle deeper into my seat. For the second time that day, my heart jolts as my internal clock warns me that I’m almost late, making me clamor out of my car and race into the store.

My manager, Anna, comes into the break room as I grab my headset and radio. There’s no doubt she’s seen me, but she doesn’t so much as look at me. I decide to take the higher road and speak first, although I’m confused as to how I upset her.

“How’s it been today?” She’s opening her locker and withdraws a tube of lip gloss, applying it generously before tucking it into her pocket.

“It’s been fine,” Anna replies, strings of sticky gloss connecting her lips as she talks. “The dressing rooms are full. I need you to start with that and then start consolidating to make space for more fall clothes coming to the women’s department.”

I nod in understanding, clearly not getting any answers regarding her mood. I’m sure she’ll find another time to corner me and complain, but I walk out of the break room before she can say anything else.

Working two jobs wouldn’t be so bad if not for Anna. I never know which version of her I’ll get, and today she seems determined to be miserable. As exhausting as a shift at The Sable House may be, I can always trust that I’ll come in to see Lauren or Marie smiling.

When I enter the dressing rooms, it’s clear that Anna has been letting the clothes accumulate all day. The return rack is overflowing, and there are piles of discarded garments in each dressing room. Clearing these out will take me hours, if not my whole shift. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths before wheeling the return cart back onto the floor.

Barely 30 minutes later, I hear Anna’s voice over the radio. “Okay everyone, since Ava’s here now, I’m heading out. See you tomorrow.” She’s leaving an hour earlier than scheduled and pinning me with all this work, but I’m glad to be spared the chance of running into her. I catch a glimpse of her exiting the building and I exhale in relief. The store’s entire atmosphere shifts and the others in my closing crew, Sarah and Erin, start chatting over the radio.

They’re discussing a new movie when I see him. He’s trying on a jacket in

front of a mirror. I can’t see his face, but his shoulders flex as he tests the jacket’s ability to cover his form. He’s 20 feet away, but I swear I can smell the chlorine that clings to his skin. He removes the jacket and turns, scanning the area. Finding me, he holds up the jacket.

“Is there a price checker nearby?”

I weakly gesture to the self-check on the far side of the men’s department. The man looks puzzled, but thanks me before following my directions. I race back to the dressing rooms and lock myself into the first vacant one I see.

Not him.

I force a breath and remind myself again.

Not him.

I hear the buzz of voices over my headset and cling to the sound.

“I just finished recovering the shoes if you need some help, Ava. I’m sure Anna left a mess for you.” The obvious dig at our boss makes me smile and I take a few deep breaths before leaving the dressing room. I hold down the button of my headset, activating my mic.

“That would be amazing, Sarah. Want to meet me in the men’s department and help me with these go backs?”

We spend the next 2 hours sorting through mountains of clothes. Sarah’s easy to talk with and I could imagine a world in which we could be friends. She’s 22, in college, and has a ‘take no shit’ attitude that I covet. When they made me a keyholder at Brianne’s, I couldn’t fathom why Sarah wasn’t the one promoted. No one can navigate situations with angry customers like she can.

“I’m going to pull the drawers and count the deposit. You okay to finish this up?” She waves me off.

“Whatever gets us out of here the soonest. I’m ready to go home.”

I walk around the store and lock all the exterior doors. It’s already dark outside, and my own reflection in the door startles me more than once. After I finish in the cash office, the closing girls are already in the breakroom taking off their vests.

Sarah grins at me as I open my locker. “It’s like clockwork, Ava. I love closing with you.”

“Yeah, Anna doesn’t usually get done until 10:45 and she doesn’t even help us on the floor,” Erin complains. I smile as I put away my radio.

“I try my best. You two ready to get out of here?” We walk to the main entrance and I unlock the door before setting the alarm. The girls start wandering to the curb as I lock the door from the outside.

They both start walking to the left side of the parking lot and we say our goodbyes. I parked in the right lot and the entire mall parking is deserted. Streetlights are staggered along the sidewalk and throughout the lots, but many aren’t lit, and the few that are working cast strange shadows.

I cross into the road and turn my head left and right to look behind me. My heart jolts as I see a man standing on the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. He’s wearing dark pants and a dark sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head. I can’t see his face, but I know he’s watching me. I walk faster and trip over the top of my shoe. Regaining my balance, I race to my car, making sure to keep an eye on him from behind.

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