Stretching her arm into the back seat, she reached for the clean, red Polo shirt with the theater logo. Looking around the dark parking lot, she pulled the red shirt over her head, then shimmied her arms out of the blouse she was wearing, reaching underneath to unbutton the blouse and slide it out from under the theater shirt. Tossing the blouse into the back seat, she grabbed her car keys and purse before getting out of the car. Locking her purse in the trunk, she walked to the front of theater, ignoring the few stragglers coming out of the movies who avoided eye contact with her, as if they’d catch cooties from anyone with the last name Coleman.
Tapping on the door, Ginny waited as the high school student behind the counter came around to let her inside. “Hey, you’re early. You trying to make the rest of us look bad?”
Ginny rolled her eyes at Norah, as the seventeen-year-old high school student locked the door behind her.
“Looks who talking, I thought you were off tonight.”
“I was supposed to be. Jerry called and asked me to work. Nathan’s practice ran late.”
Making a grimace, Norah followed beside her as Ginny made her way to the maintenance closet. The pretty teenager gave her a helping hand by wheeling the large rolling trash can out of the closet.
“I can stay and help if you want?” Norah offered as Ginny lined the trash can with a clean bag. “I’m not doing anything for a couple of hours, and I have all of my homework done.”
Taking another box of trash bags off a shelf, she turned to study the hopeful expression on Norah’s face. Ginny recognized a kindred and lonely soul. While Ginny had been ostracized in high school because of her last name, Norah didn’t fit in socially with her peers. Ginny knew Norah couldn’t relate to their mindset of having fun and dodging responsibilities. By avoiding that behavior, she’d earned a scholarship and early admission to a U of L pre-med program.
“Won’t your parents be expecting you home?”
Ginny could tell she was searching for an excuse to give her parents in order to keep out of trouble if she didn’t arrive home before midnight.
Trying to save her the embarrassment and possibility of getting in trouble with her strict parents, Ginny refused her help. “The last time you were late, your dad came looking for you. You don’t want to get your car taken away again, do you?”
“No.” Norah self-consciously shuffled the toe of her tennis shoe against the carpet. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. Your parents are just looking out for you. You’ve worked hard for that scholarship, and your parents don’t want you to jeopardize your future by handing out with someone… like me.”
“You want to go shopping this weekend?” Norah overrode Ginny. “I need a new pair of jeans. We could meet up at the mini-mall in Jamestown. My parents wouldn’t even know as long as I’m home before they get back from my grandparents.”
“I’m busy this weekend.” Ginny made the excuse without giving any details, saving the friendly girl’s reputation. The townspeople could be cruel when spreading gossip, and they wouldn’t care it was an innocent shopping excursion.
“Norah, have you clocked out? Or am I paying you and Ginny to stand around and talk?”
The teenager jumped like a scalded cat; the manager stood in the doorway.
“I was just showing her where the trash bags are, Jerry.” Norah gave a nervous laugh. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Ginny didn’t bother to deny the lie as she placed the box back on the shelf, then reached for the handle of the vacuum cleaner that she started wheeling out of the room.
“The concession inventory came up short again.”
“Are you accusing me?”
“Are you stealing from me?” he barked.
“Have you asked Nathan, Mark, and Norah that question?” She raised a questioning brow at his intimidating stance in the doorway.
Jerry laid a hand on the doorframe, effectively keeping her in the maintenance room.
“They aren’t Coleman’s.”
“If they were, you wouldn’t be coming up short. Colemans aren’t thieves. We both know why and whose responsible for the losses. Nathan sneaks them to his friends when they come to the movies. You’re not going to blame your shortages on me to protect your nephew’s job.”
“Nathan’s a good kid.”
“I’m not saying he’s not, just that he’s giving a five-finger discount to his friends. If you need to find someone to blame to keep the owner from firing Nathan, I can’t stop you, as long as my name isn’t the one mentioned.”
Ginny reached into her pocket, coming out with her cell phone and making his smile disappear.
“Who are you calling?”
“You’re wife. I’m going to ask her if she knows her nephew is stealing from her and that you’re trying to blame me.”