Page 19 of Freshmeet
Bright light flooded the room, and I had to shut my eyes. “Thank God.” Blinking rapidly, my vision adjusted, and I rushed out into Mona’s open arms.
“What happened to you?” She held me close, gently stroking my head and back.
“I came in here to take inventory like the list said, and someone locked me in and scared the shit out of me.” I leaned back and looked into Mona’s dark brown eyes. “They were banging on the walls, and—I thought I was going to die.”
Carter let out a low whistle and said, “They scratched up the outside pretty damn good.”
“Boo!” someone yelled as they jumped out from behind the giant tree, then they started laughing.
“Asshole,” Carter said, slapping his fraternity brother’s chest. “You really scared her.”
Duncan gave me a guilty smile, running a hand over his short hair. “Sorry, Sarah. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”
“I hate you,” I growled, shoving past him as I stomped toward the welcome center. “I’m telling Christie.”
“Aw, come on. It was just a little joke.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the huge gouges that ran the length of the front wall. “Real fucking funny.”
Mona pushed him, making him trip over his big clown feet. “Let’s go.”
“Don’t!” he begged, jogging to catch up with us. “I need this job.”
I shared a look with Mona. “Fine. We won’t tell, but you have to finish our list.”
Duncan glared at us. “That will take all morning.”
“Then I suggest you get started,” Mona said, handing over the master clipboard. “No shortcuts. If you mess this up, I’ll tell Christie everything.”
Carter glanced back at the messed-up door and sighed. “I’ll help you, man. You’re going to have to fix that door.”
The two guys ran off toward the north side of the park.
“Fucking losers,” Mona said, checking her phone. “I say we give them an hour and then tell Christie anyway.”
“But you said?—”
Mona raised a hand. “I lied. That asshole thought it was funny to torture you. The least he deserves is getting fired. We don’t need a psychopath like that working with the kids.”
As we walked back to the welcome center, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.
FOUR
JUST KILL ME NOW
DEIDRA
“Well, shit.” No matter how many times I checked, my phone wasn’t in my purse.
I glanced back at downtown, trying to decide if it was worth walking back to the bar to look for it.
I’ll go back tomorrow.
Wiping under my eyes, I picked up the pace toward my house on Sixth Street. The hospital loomed ahead as I crossed through the abandoned parking lot. Misty rain clung to my dress, providing a little relief from the humidity we’d been swimming in all week.
A car alarm went off, and I jumped. I’d made it a rule to never walk home drunk, but I’d bailed on my date without much thought.
For weeks, Everett had been coming into Kum and Go, flirting with me, begging me to go out with him. Who would’ve guessed that when I finally said yes, it would be a total nightmare?
