The Hazards of Skinny Dipping (11 page)

He set up his laptop. “You’re not a morning
person, are you?”

“Not at all.” I put my head in my hand. “I’m
guessing from your chipper mood, you are a morning person.”

“I like morning and night.”

“Aren’t you special,” I grumbled.

He laughed. “Do you drink coffee? Maybe that
would help.”

“Yes. I didn’t get home—I didn’t get a chance
to get some this morning.”

“Oh no. I caught that. You didn’t get home in
time to get one. Were you with Dylan?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Maybe not, but for curiosity sake, how are
things going?”

“They’re going well.” There was no reason to
say anything else.

“Yeah? Did he take you somewhere nice last
night?”

“Why does that matter?”

“He didn’t, did he? I thought we’ve gone over
this…”

“It just happened. He was pissed at me when
he got back in town—” I glanced down at my book, wanting to look
anywhere but Reed’s face.

“Why was he pissed? What could you have
possibly done?”

I was spared having to answer when the
professor walked in. I sat back in the uncomfortable desk chair and
waited for the professor to start his lecture about the home front
during World War I. I glanced around the room. Almost everyone
zoned out, but I was actually enjoying it. Reed was as well. At
least, he listened and took notes. That was more than the majority
of the class did.

The professor finished right on time at ten
fifty.

Reed packed up his stuff. “I need to run
somewhere at four. If I give you the keys, can you open up
tonight?”

“Seriously? What happened to not trusting
me?”

“I’ll make an exception this time.”

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Great. Here.” He took a ring of keys from a
larger keychain.

“Okay… but what time will you be back?”

“I’m not sure, but in time to get stuff ready
for the actual customers.”

“All right, boss.”

“Thanks, Annie. See ya.” He waved before
walking away.

I couldn’t help wondering what he had to do
instead of work, but I lost my opportunity to ask.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Hey

Dear Amy,

Don’t worry, I’ll figure it all out. Are you
having fun yet?

Your Strong and Independent Cousin,

Juliet

I unlocked the door to Al’s right at
four-thirty. I turned on the lights and looked around. I got to
work pulling down the chairs and setting up the tables. I’d never
actually been there to watch Reed set up, but I just did the
opposite of what we did at closing. Twenty minutes later, I set up
my laptop at the counter, determined to start writing my paper.
Before I could even open the blank Word document, the phone
rang.

I got up to answer it, hoping it was a wrong
number. When I’d agreed to open, I’d assumed I’d just be sitting
around. I hadn’t signed up to actually do anything. “Hello.”

“Hi. Who is this?” a deep voice replied.

“You called me, remember?”

“Actually, I called my restaurant.”

Oh geez, it had to be the owner. “Oh. Sorry.
I’m Juliet. Reed hired me.”

“Is Reed there?”

I let out a deep breath, hoping I wasn’t
about to get Reed in trouble. “No. He said he had to go
somewhere.”

“Oh. So he left you by yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting.” He paused. “I called to give
Reed a heads up that I was coming in today.”

“Oh. What time?”

“Now. I’m in the car.”

“I guess you’ll get to meet me then.”

“I guess so.” He laughed. “You said your name
was Juliet?”

“Yes.”

“Nice. I’ll see you in fifteen.”

“Bye.”

Fifteen minutes? The owner was going to show
up in fifteen minutes? I shut down my laptop, stuffing it in my bag
before stowing all of my stuff in the back. I texted Reed an SOS
message, but he didn’t reply. I looked around, trying to remember
how Reed prepped everything. I managed to turn on the ovens when I
heard the jingle of the door. I smoothed down my t-shirt, glad this
one fit appropriately.

“Hello?” a male voice called.

I plastered a smile on my face and came out
from behind the counter. “Hi.”

“Hi, Juliet. I’m Al.” A man who couldn’t have
been much older than thirty-five held out his hand. He had sandy
brown hair with just a hint of gray.

“It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for the job,
by the way.”

“Hiring is all Reed. I like to leave it to
his discretion.”

“Oh, okay, that’s how he made it sound.”

Al walked around me to the back. “How do you
like working here so far?”

I followed behind him. “It’s been nice. I
just started this week.”

“This week? Reed must trust you, huh?”

“I guess…or he didn’t have other options. No
one else comes in before eight…”

He checked out all the equipment. “Not to be
too forward, but how did you and Reed meet?”

“At an event my sorority and his fraternity
were having.” That was the simplest explanation.

“Oh. You must have made quite an impression
for him to have offered you a job…”

“Yeah…” I guess Reed didn’t make hiring
random girls a habit. I thought about it. I was the only girl who
worked there.

“Sorry, I’m not trying to embarrass you.”

He walked back out to the counter and took
Reed’s usual stool.

“Have a seat.”

I nervously sat, tugging my skirt down a few
inches first.

He noticed and tried to hide a smile. “You
don’t have to be nervous. If Reed hired you, he had his reasons.
Your job isn’t on the line.”

“Okay, good.”

“You didn’t mention it earlier. How long have
you and Reed been dating?”

I felt blood rushing to my face. “Oh, we’re
not dating.”

“Okay…I guess I read this wrong.”

“We’re friends—one hundred percent
friends.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I have a boyfriend.”

Al smiled. “Good to know.”

“Sorry, you didn’t ask that. I was just—”

“Relax. I try to stop by whenever I’m in
town.” Thankfully, he ended that embarrassing line of
conversation.

“You don’t live in Charleston?”

“My home base is here, but I travel a
lot.”

“That makes sense.”

He smiled again. “Where are you from?”

“Maryland. Outside D.C.”

“What brought you to Harrison? I assume
that’s where you go?”

“Yes. My grandparents have a vacation home
down here, and my cousin went to Harrison.”

“Got it.”

My phone went off—blaring Michael Jackson’s
Thriller
. It was a joke between my brothers and me.

Al laughed. “Aren’t you going to get
that?”

“Yeah.” I got my bag and pulled out my phone.
“Hey, Reed.”

“What’s up? I just saw your message.”

“Al’s here.”

“Seriously?” His voice went into panic
mode.

“Yeah.”

“Be right there.”

“Good.” I hung up.

Al glanced at me. “Reed’s on his way?”

“Yes.”

“Great.” He sounded calm. Hopefully, that
meant Reed wasn’t in trouble or anything.

“Yeah.” I sat back down. This was seriously
awkward.

After what felt like an hour later but was
probably only ten minutes, Reed walked in. “Hey,” he said to both
of us. Reed was dressed in slacks and a button down shirt. I’d
never seen him dressed up before.

Al turned to Reed. “Nice of you to show up.
I’ve just been getting to know Juliet who isn’t your girlfriend
because she has a boyfriend.”

I wanted to hide my head in my hands.

Reed nodded. “Yeah, she’s definitely not my
girlfriend.” What was that supposed to mean? Would he have been
embarrassed to admit it if I was?

Al glanced at me before turning back to Reed.
“If I were you, I’d change that, but I’m not you.”

“Nope. What’s up? I didn’t know you were
around.”

“Your mom wanted me to talk to you.”

“Oh?” Reed looked nervous, like it wasn’t a
conversation he wanted to be part of.

“Yeah. She was hoping you’d come up for
Thanksgiving.”

Reed put his hands in his pockets. “She knows
what my answer is. I don’t get why she keeps asking.”

“We can shut down for the break. We never get
any traffic that weekend. Or why not let Juliet run the place?
She’s doing a great job.” Al grinned at me.

“We’ll see.” Reed looked out the window. He
seemed distant, and I wondered what was up with his family.

“It’s time to stop making excuses. Life’s too
short to hold grudges.” Al got up and patted Reed on the back in a
really familiar way. I was almost positive their relationship went
beyond employer and employee.

“Well, as fun as this has been, I’m going to
leave you two. Pleasure meeting you, Juliet.”

“Uh, you, too.”

Reed followed Al out, and I just stood there.
He returned a minute later. “Sorry about that.”

“Yeah, that was kind of awkward.”

“I had no clue he was stopping by.”

“I figured that much.”

“If it’s any consolation, he liked you.” He
put his bag down behind the counter. It was a briefcase kind of
bag, not the backpack he usually carried.

“Who is he?”

“Al. The owner of this place.”

I leaned back against the counter. “That’s
not what I meant, and you know it. Who is he to you?”

“My uncle.”

“Oh.”

“I lived with him for my last few years of
high school.”

“Oh, cool.” I wanted to know more, but at the
same time, I didn’t want to be rude. What I really wanted to know
was where he’d been.

“You’re dying to know where I went today,
aren’t you?”

I laughed nervously. “How’d you know?”

“It’s the look on your face. It’s a total
giveaway.”

“I’ll try to be less obvious next time.”

“I volunteer at a school downtown. They had a
mock debate today, and they wanted me to judge.”

“Really?”

He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing an Al’s
Pizza t-shirt underneath. “Yeah.”

“That’s—”

“Wait, let me guess. You think it’s cool.” He
tossed his dress shirt on top of his bag.

I laughed. “Yes. I think it’s cool.”

“Other than Al, did anything happen in the
hour I left you here?”

“Unless you count that order for twenty-five
pizzas, no, nothing unusual.”

“Good to know. Well, feel free to get work
done or whatever. I’ll take care of the rest of the prep.”

“Thanks.” I pulled my laptop back out and
opened Word.

“What are you working on?” he said from right
behind me. I guessed he was looking at my screen.

“The first assignment for my writing
seminar.”

“Yeah? It doesn’t look like you’ve gotten too
far.”

“Very funny. I have no idea what to
write.”

He sat down next to me. “What’s the
assignment?”

“It’s supposed to be easy, an analysis of our
favorite book.”

“Where’s the problem?”

“I don’t have a favorite book.”

“Because you don’t read?”

“Of course I read. I just don’t have a
favorite.”

“Just pick a book you like.”

“But that’s like saying one’s better than
another.”

“They’re books, not people. You know that,
right?” he said really slowly. “Here, try this.”

“What?” I asked as he moved behind me.

His hands covered my eyes. “Name a book.”

“What are you doing?”

“Name a book.”

“Why?” If I had any doubt before, I now knew
his hands were strong. They felt strangely comfortable on my
face.

“Just do it, Juliet.”

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

He removed his hands. “There you go.”

“That’s not my favorite book.”

“Then why’d you name it?”

“Because you’re acting crazy, and it’s a book
about crazy people.”

“It is not a book about crazy people…it’s so
much more than that, but I’ll let your comment slide.”

I turned around to look at him. “I take it
you’re a Ken Kesey fan?”

“Wow, you know the author. That settles it.
Get out of here, find a copy, and write the paper.”

“Like, go to the library?”

“Yes. Ever hear of it? I’m giving you a few
hours off—to do work. Not to hook up with Dylan. Oh, and if you can
get back by nine, that would be great.”

I ignored the Dylan comment. “Thanks. That’s
nice of you.”

“You helped me out earlier.”

“Okay, I’m off to the library.” I grabbed my
stuff.

Two hours later, I was halfway through the
book. I was also ridiculously hungry. I texted Reed to see what he
wanted for dinner. I was starting to get used to how things worked
at Al’s. I worked with Reed until eight or nine when a few other
employees came in. I basically did nothing and got paid. All in
all, it was a good system. Reed said he’d eat anything, so I picked
up burritos on my way back.

“I hope you like chicken queso.” I handed
Reed the bag.

“Love it. Good choice, Annie.”

“Would you please stop calling me that?” I
unwrapped my burrito. Smelling it the whole walk over had been
torture enough.

“Does it really bother you?”

“Yes. I keep thinking you don’t know my name
or something.”

“I know your name, Juliet.”

I used a napkin to wipe up a few drops of hot
sauce that had spilled onto the countertop. “Good.”

“How about if I call you Oakley? Does that
bother you?”

“Not really. At least it’s not another girl’s
name.”

We’d just finished dinner when Justin and
Danny walked in. Those guys seemed to work every night, which made
sense because they only worked four or five hour shifts. They were
the ones who usually made the pizzas. I took the orders and brought
the food out to people if they didn’t want to stand around and
wait.