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“This bitch,” I mumbled under my breath as I hastily dropped Ethan’s supplies on the
countertop.
“Are you sure you can afford this?” she asked, trying to sound nice, even helpful, but I
could hear the disdain in her voice.
I produced Ethan’s Amex between two fingers, holding it like I had a cigarette, handing it out to her with a ‘duh‘ look. It didn’t matter how often I’d come in here to get the same things. Honestly, I did Ethan’s necessity shopping often enough with this same lady waiting on me that she should recognize me.
The blonde heifer paused at the name and frowned. “You don’t look like an Ethan.”
“Liz, come on! I come here at least once a month. You know who I am; you know Ethan is okay with this since it is stuff I’m getting for him. Why do you do this every time?”
She gave a tiny sneer. “Poor people shouldn’t even be in the same vicinity as rich ones, that’s why.”
“Well, I’m assuming you’re among the poor–ish since you’re working here. What does that
say about you?”
She clucked her tongue and started begrudgingly ringing up the order. “I’ll require his phone number.”
“Why?”
“To make sure you have his approval to buy these things.”
I rubbed my forehead before settling my chin in the palm of my hand, my elbows resting on the cold, marble countertop. “Fine,” I mumbled, rattling off his digits.
With an ‘I’m way better than you‘ smirk, she dialed his number, but it wasn’t long until that canary–found–the–cream smile turned upside down. “Yes, sir. I understand. No. No, I don’t have a bad memory. I do remember her. Of course, we care. We didn’t call you sooner because-” she trailed off, not finishing her sentence. “I’m a newer employee. I’ve only waited on her a handful of times. I’ve always been suspicious, but I admit I should’ve called you sooner for legitimacy.”
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What an utter, blatant lie, Liz had been with this company for at least three years. I
couldn’t figure out what she was trying to achieve by acting this way.
She paused and shot me a glare before handing the phone over. “He wants to speak with
you,” she practically spat the words out.
I offered her an ‘I’m–not–bothered–by–your–petty–bullshit‘ smile and placed the receiver
against my ear. “Hey.”
“Hey. Everything good?”
I turned partially away from Liz when she leaned forward to eavesdrop. “Now it is.”
“Is this the woman you’ve told me about?”
“Sure is.”
Ethan heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry, Cass. I didn’t know she treated you like this. I’ll speak with management.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m used to it,” I said, twisting my head, and lifting my gaze to make direct eye contact with her. “I’m not trying to get her fired or anything.”
Liz’s cheeks mottled an angry red, but the worry in her eyes before she cast them down made me feel a little better about my decision for Ethan to not speak to the owner. I couldn’t fault someone who needed to work for money. I was in the same boat.
“So I’ll see you tonight?”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, of course! When am I not with you?”
He chuckled.
“My next stop is the grocery store. Any requests for dinner?”
“Mm, something with shrimp.”
“Wow, you’re just loads of help.”
“I trust your judgment,” he paused and I could practically hear the gears spinning in his head. He was cooking something up, something- “Seth should be back at the apartment
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in a little over an hour. Maybe you guys can talk… I mean take advantage of this alone time. I’ve got a few more hours of school and teaching, so I won’t be home until later.”
I frowned when Liz tapped her fake French manicured nails against the countertop as she waited for my signature. “I don’t think I want to talk to him about that, not so soon at
least.”
“Then don’t. Talk about other things. Watch a movie, make out and get ready for tonight, something… anything. I don’t want things getting rocky or uncomfortable between the
three of us.”
“I don’t either. You guys are pretty much all I have.”
“Cass-”
“Ethan, I get it. No rocking the boat on my end, at least not any more than I have to because I haven’t changed my mind.” I bit my bottom lip and continued, “A–are you okay with that? I mean, with what you said earlier, about tonight? You won’t be there so-”
