Page 3 of Marked By Night

“It won’t, but lightning will,” I snap back, which makes him laugh even harder. I reach for my bag as they head for their Jeep, only to realize everything I packed is now soaked. Even my towel.

“Wonderful,” I groan, slamming the pack onto the ground. It’s going to be a very wet and uncomfortable drive home now.

“Here, we brought extra,” Mr. Observant says, jogging the short distance from his Jeep as he hands me a dry one. Blondie follows along behind him.

“Thanks,” I say, then turn around to dry myself, using the cover of the large oak tree to help fend off some of the rain.

“I take it you’re from this area?” Mr. Observant asks, watching me dry myself with his towel. His gaze travels from head to toe, making me shiver.

“Born and raised... unfortunately,” I add under my breath. “I take it you’re not?”

The corner of his lip twitches. “How did you guess?”

“Well, firstly the fact that you hit the pothole. The locals know to avoid it, even in a Jeep. Second, you almost drove off into the lake.” I shrug. “Not to mention you bailed as soon as it started raining.”

He nods, watching me appreciatively.

“What are you in town for?” I ask.

He watches me with heated eyes as he says, “The music festival.”

Actually, now that I’m paying attention, they are both staring at me. I hide my grin as I slowly slide the towel down my body making their eyes dip to my chest and toned legs. I’ve never been one to shamelessly flirt, but for some reason, these men make me want to try my hand at it. So here I am, turning over a new leaf in my life.

“I figured as much,” I say. That’s the only reason that makes sense, but I don’t voice that thought aloud. Instead, I drag the towel a little lower. “Maybe I’ll see you there?”

Mr. Observant laughs, opening his mouth to respond, but his phone rings before he can speak. Something dark flashes across his eyes as he pulls it out of his pocket and checks the caller ID.

“Fuck, I need to take this,” he says with a sigh. “Catch you later, beautiful.” They give my bikini-clad body another long look before they trot back to their Jeep. Mr. Observant answers his phone as they drive away, and I internally smack myself for not getting their numbers. Damn my bad mood.

“You were practically gifted two hot guys and you let them slip from your fingers. What the hell, Sadie?”

And now I’m talking to myself.

Yeah, it’s definitely time to stop procrastinating and get to work.

One more shift before I can immerse myself in the music festival. Nothing too bad can go wrong in one shift, right?

2

Sadie

Iglance down, checking the time on my watch for the millionth time since leaving home, and let out a deep, relieved sigh when I find I have two minutes to spare.

Unfortunately, I’m cutting it close because my lovely piece-of-shit-car-from-the-90’s didn’t want to start when I got back home from the lake to change and get ready for work. Which left me without a ride, and I had to run the entire eight miles from my duplex.

Yeah, I’m totally winning at this whole life thing.

The peeling paint on Harborview’s sign greets me as I walk past the entrance.A fresh taste of the sea; inland.I snort at the idiocy of that statement. How is seafood that’s already prepackaged from a company considered fresh?

Shaking those thoughts away, I yank on the heavy door’s brass handle. The hinges give a loud groan of protest and resist my tug.

See? Even the door doesn’t want me to work tonight.

As soon as I slip inside, the aroma from the restaurant rushes to greet me, and I’m assaulted with the distinct odor of hot grease and fried food with undertones of stale coffee—likely still in the pot from this morning. Old saw blades and fishing nets adorn the cedar walls, giving the place a rustic vibe. Complete with a paneled tin roof, which sucks for cell service.

“Sadie! Get a move on. Lillian isn’t scheduled tonight and Lauren is going to be late,” my boss tells me as I round the corner. I barely hold in my annoyed groan. It’s going to be a long night. “I need you out on the floor—” He cuts off mid-sentence when he lifts his widening eyes to mine. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I had to run,” I respond with a shrug. “My car wouldn’t start.”

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