Beauty and the Assassin

I just smile. I don’t want to tell him, because he was talking about applying for the internship. He’ll probably be annoyed that I got it but he hasn’t—if he had, he would’ve bragged about it for sure. And I don’t want to deal with him being passive-aggressive for the rest of the day. “It won’t happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t. Or your ass is out the door.”

I just give him an “ooo-kay” look and go to the employee room to put on an apron. What’s up with him today? A fender bender on his way to work? Or maybe somebody called him Erik with a K. It’s seriously irritating he’s acting like he’s the manager when it’s his mom who’s really in charge.

I clock in. The café’s not too busy, but I wait until every customer has their order

to text Maggie. I let her know about my new job and that I’ll be quitting Coffee Heaven.

–Maggie: I wish you’d told me you applied when we talked. It’s a pain to hire somebody just to have them quit right after you train them.

She can’t possibly mean she had to train me. Eric showed me how to use the register, but I already know how to make all the fancy drinks on the menu and do latte art. I even made one with a flower for her during our interview, which she absolutely loved.

–Maggie: Luckily, a few baristas have asked for more hours. I’ll see who I can move around so you can start your important internship ASAP.

She ends the text with an eye-roll emoji. Okay, fine. She’s just irritated about redoing her schedule, but she doesn’t have to act like a martyr. It isn’t like she wouldn’t have done what I’m doing if the situation were reversed.

–Maggie: But I might need you to come in for a few hours on weekends for the next two weeks, so do send me your internship schedule.

I don’t really want to, but since I’m feeling just a tad guilty about leaving her in a lurch, and Roy’s probably going to lie low for a while, I decide not to argue.

–Me: Okay. I’ll do that.

I contact Mina at the hotel catering service and give her my notice, too. She’s much more gracious about the whole thing.

That done, I text Rhonda to let her know I can start tomorrow.

–Rhonda: Yay! I’ll have your HR paperwork ready.

I smile at her enthusiasm. I have a feeling I’m going to love working with her. Nothing from Tolyan, though.

The rest of the shift is uneventful. No deliveries, except for some specialty coffee beans from our supplier.

We have a surge of customers between three and four, and once they’re taken care of, it gets sort of quiet and boring.

Sean and Eric are on their phones. I check mine, too. Nothing exciting there, of course. I have no real friends other than Courtney, and I have no social media feeds to look at. Tolyan still hasn’t texted me or anything. I thought he’d at least say, “Congrats,” after seeing my note. Maybe he’s just busy. I shouldn’t let it bother me.

A little after five, Eric is tapping on his phone when he suddenly yells, “What the fuck?”

I glance over. A few of the customers are looking at him as well.

Eric tears his eyes from the phone. He glares at me, his face bright red. “You got an internship at the Pryce Family Foundation?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Tolyan

I shut down my laptop at five o’clock sharp.

“Heading home?” Rhonda says as she’s packing her stuff up.

“Yes.”

“How’s your son doing at Berkeley?” she asks, being her typical chatty, friendly self. “Adjusting well?”

She always maintains a certain level of friendliness. When she fails to hit it, I know something’s wrong in her personal life. Makes my job of monitoring people at the foundation easier.

“As well as expected. How’s your daughter?” It’s good to show interest in her child, even though I already know exactly what her family members are up to. A reciprocal interest in a longtime colleague’s offspring is expected.