Page 20 of Broken

For your sake I hope they’re Ben & Jerry

I snort a laugh.

That was actually funny, Mr. James. But no, I’m working at the shelter.

That’s a terrible plan

I’ll have fun. My friends Cesar and Potato are a blast.

My phone rings, and I giggle when a picture of Val Kilmer fromTop Gunflashes on the screen. “Hello?”

“Who the fuck are Cesar and Potato?”

“A basset hound and a corgi. Two of the longest-serving residents at the shelter. They keep me company while I do my rounds.”

“So you’ll be alone there all night?” He sounds grumpy.

“No Cesar and—”

“I’m talking about people, Mel.”

“There’ll be a security guard there too.”

He sighs. “Why the hell are you working on the Fourth of July?”

“Because nobody else wanted to. I don’t get asked to cover often, so I like to do what I can when they do ask. So I’m sorry if you had plans for some Fourth of July date extravaganza to impress the paparazzi with. You’ll have to wait until the weekend.”

He hums, and I wrinkle my nose, my suspicion aroused. “What does that sound mean?”

He mutters something unintelligible, then sighs. “I have to go.”

I can’t help feeling a little dejected, even if I did just blow him off. But it was for a good cause. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you some other time then?”

“Yeah,” he says, but he sounds distracted. “Bye, Melanie.”

He ends the call before I can reply.

“I’ll beat the front desk if you need anything, Mel,” the shelter’s security guard says, before he takes a bite of his jelly donut.

“Thanks, Serge. Everyone’s been fed and is settled. Meds have been administered. I’ll go give some more cuddles in a few hours. We’ll be fine in here watching a little TV until then, won’t we, boys?” I give Cesar a scratch behind his ears while Potato scampers around my feet.

Serge licks the powder from his lips, gives a polite nod, and leaves the small office.

I sink into the armchair and eye the pink box containing my jelly donut. Potato barks at me as though he’s eyeing it too.

“You know donuts are bad for you, right?” I tell him.

He barks and wags his nubby tail while Cesar curls into a ball at my feet. I pick up the TV remote and flick through the free cable channels. I’m still searching for something to watch when Serge pokes his head through the doorway.

“Everything okay?”

“Um…” He runs his fingers over his thick gray mustache. “There’s someone here to see you.”

I turn off the TV. “To see me?”

“Yeah. Told him you were working, but he’s quite insistent.”

I roll my eyes. Please don’t let this be Bryce. “Did he say what he wants?”

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