Page 27 of The Players

I sat down and stuck my fist into the Cheetos bag. “How’d you convince him of that?”

Randy waited patiently until my hand was free before diving in for another fistful of fake cheddar calories. “I told him that my parents would be back any minute, and they wanted to see him working hard if he wanted any chance at being a manager.”

“They’re going to make him manage?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Not on your life.”

“Phew.” I pulled out my phone and scrolled through. I had a DM from Hector that said they weren’t able to find Mills. They’d even gone to his house and his father’s restaurant, and no one there would tell them where he was.

“Shit,” I whispered under my breath.

“What is it?” Randy asked.

“Nothing,” I said, putting my phone down.

Randy put the Cheetos bag down. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t shut me out. We’ve been best friends for over five years. Just because you have these new guys doesn’t mean you stop telling me things.”

Randy looked hurt and I bit my lip, realizing once again that I was not taking care of those around me like I should.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just don’t want to get you involved in this. Things are already rough for you guys with the store in its precarious position. I didn’t want to add to it with my problems.”

“You aren’t adding to anything. Unless, of course, you keep secrets from me and don’t tell me things. Then you’re adding to my troublesbig time. I’ll have to worry about you and probably kick someone’s ass for you, and it’s going to be a whole thing.” She was finally smiling.

I leaned into her. “It’s Mills. He’s missing.”

“Shit,” she said.

I nodded. “There was this game this past weekend. It was pretty fucked up. I had to pick which guy to save first, then second…”

Randy filled in the rest. “And Mills was last.”

“Yep.” I sighed.

“This is the problem of having three boyfriends.”

“It was all working out so well.”

Randy patted my arm. “Keep telling yourself that.”

I grumbled under my breath. “It’s Easton’s fault.” But I sounded unconvinced even to myself.

“And that new girl?” Randy asked.

I nodded. “Savannah. She’s the worst.”

“Is she the one I need to fight?” she said lightly.

I knew she was kidding, but I still nodded my head. “Kick her in her bleached asshole.”

Randy laughed at this, a big, jovial sound that filled the whole stinky breakroom. I started to laugh with her. That one moment of joy in the days of anguish and uncertainty filled me with delight and nostalgia for when things were simpler. When our lives weren’t this tangled mess.

We laughed and patted each other on the back as we choked on the remains of our Cheetos. We would’ve gone on like that for quite a while, but Brendan appeared in the doorway.

Randy looked up. “Brendan, if you’re here, who’s watching the store, bud?”

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