Dreamer by L.E. DeLano

Author:L.E. DeLano
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

22

A Series of Unlikely Events

Ben texts.

I stare at the phone and make a face at Ben’s text. Then I look up and realize Finn is watching me make a face. Ugh.

Finn turns back to his vantage point near the window.

“I don’t know what you think you’ll see out there,” I grumble. “It’s not like Eversor’s going to stand in the backyard with an assault rifle.”

“I have a gut feeling about her,” he retorts. “And don’t snap at me just because your dear Ben is behaving badly.”

“He’s just not comfortable around you. I think that’s understandable.”

“He’s been bloody unreasonable from the moment he met me.” He looks back out into the yard again. “I don’t think you should go to work.”

“I’ll be in a crowded supermarket with Christmas shoppers all around me,” I remind him. “It’s five days to Christmas, and they asked me to pick up an extra shift. I can use the hours since I had to miss last weekend for the field trip, and a three-hour shift isn’t going to kill me.” I glance down at my phone again. “Speaking of which, if you’re going to walk with me, we’d better get going.”

Finn is totally annoying when we get to the store, hanging outside the employee entrance to the back room as Mr. Kellar, my manager, gives me my promo materials.

“I know we normally put you over by the bakery,” Kellar says, “but we had a customer spill a gallon of cooking oil over there just a little while ago and it’s still slippery, so we had to section it off. We’ve got you back in the corner by the deli.”

“The corner?”

“Right at the end of the cases—that alcove where we usually put the extra condiment stand. It’s all set up—you’ll see it.”

“Got it.” I tie my apron in the back, pick up my cooler full of frozen pizza puffs, and head out to the floor. Finn falls into step right behind me, and of course, just my luck—Mr. Kellar walks out right behind him.

“I have to work now,” I tell Finn as I pull out and step behind the giant cardboard facade they set up around my wooden display table. “Go find someplace else to be.”

He folds his arms, leaning against the edge of the deli case across from me.

“Finn, I mean it,” I say. “My boss is watching.” I risk a glance over at Kellar, and he’s definitely not liking me having a fan club.

Finn gives me a resigned look and slowly, very slowly starts to circle the floor near produce, looking over at me as I finish my setup. I start heating up the toaster oven, and I look for my food service gloves, frowning when I can’t find them. They must have run out again. A glance at my display confirms it—there’s an extra-large pump bottle of hand sanitizer right on the table. Great. That stuff dries out my hands so badly and I’m going to have to use it after every batch. The customers start coming as soon as the first batch is done, and I’m barely keeping up with demand.

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