a food group."
Karly feigned a look of horror. "And I suppose you'll tell me next that a Bloody Mary doesn't count as a vegetable either."
"No, I'm pretty sure it's a vegetable. Tomato, celery, olives. It's like a salad in a glass." They both chuckled. "I'll get this. Both of these together," Ally told the girl at the register, thrusting forward a debit card and waving away Karly's money.
"I wasn't asking for a handout," Karly said. Outwardly, she frowned but breathed an inward sigh of relief. The five dollars in her hand was all she had for the rest of the week. "I can pay for my own coffee."
"I know that. Just shut up and let me pay. You can buy next time. The way things are going right now, I'll be broke by then." Ally rarely showed any emotion, but upon closer inspection, Karly saw lines of strain around her friend's mouth and eyes.
"That bad, is it?" They slid into a booth at the back of the café. “I thought business was good. You had a huge crowd the other night.”
"That was just one night, and they’re getting fewer and farther between. We need a hundred nights like that one to dig us out," Ally said with a sigh. “We found out today that there’s a lien on the building for back taxes. David still owns the building, and I guess he forgot to share that little tidbit with us. And to make matters worse, one of our guys was hurt in a fight a few weeks ago. He went to the hospital so, of course, we had to pay for that, and the guy he bounced is suing us for emotional distress or some kind of bullshit."
"I’m surprised Randy let things get out of control." Karly traced a finger in the brown sugar dusting the muffin. Ally raised an eyebrow at the mention of Randy. Karly blushed. "I mean, you're always telling me how Randy has a handle on things."
"He’s been a little distracted lately. Problems with his ex and their kid, I think. I don’t know. He’s not very forthcoming most of the time." Ally's paused and quickly changed the subject. "So how, exactly, did you burn your neck with the curling iron? Because it looks like a love bite. And I noticed one very similar on Randy’s neck yesterday. Coincidence? I think not, Ms. Eriksson.”
The heat in Karly’s cheeks ignited. “Okay, so maybe we got a little busy the other night. It was nothing.”
“Let’s see. He towed your car to the garage and spent all day working on it, takes you to and from work, and makes out with you. Sounds like he really doesn’t like you at all.” A playful smile lit Ally’s features as she buttered a muffin and tore a piece off with her fingers before popping it into her mouth.
Karly snorted and rolled her eyes. Her feelings were still a little raw. "Right. He likes me so much that he didn’t speak to me at all yesterday and avoided me after class.” She shook her head in denial. “He was only being nice.”
“Randy’s a nice guy, but he’s not that kind of nice guy. He doesn’t do favors for just anyone.” It was Ally's turn to stare into her coffee. She set her coffee mug on the saucer and began to play with the edge of her napkin. “I’m sure it’s none of my business, but…" Ally's voice trailed off and she bit her lip as if unsure whether or not to continue.
"But what? Spill it, Taylor."
"Well, he had some girl over there yesterday. Blonde, leggy. I think her name’s Amber. He doesn’t really seem into her, and I don’t think he invited her, but she keeps coming around."
At the mention of Amber, Karly's stomach took an unpleasant dip. Maybe Amber was the reason he’d left so abruptly the other night. He had feelings for someone else. For Amber. She scowled and took a drink of her coffee. He said there was nothing between him and Amber, but maybe he was playing them against each other. Working two girls at once and hedging his bets? The depth of her disappointment caught her by surprise. This kind of behavior made like all the other jerks in her life, and she wanted to think better of him.
“I’m
Karly feigned a look of horror. "And I suppose you'll tell me next that a Bloody Mary doesn't count as a vegetable either."
"No, I'm pretty sure it's a vegetable. Tomato, celery, olives. It's like a salad in a glass." They both chuckled. "I'll get this. Both of these together," Ally told the girl at the register, thrusting forward a debit card and waving away Karly's money.
"I wasn't asking for a handout," Karly said. Outwardly, she frowned but breathed an inward sigh of relief. The five dollars in her hand was all she had for the rest of the week. "I can pay for my own coffee."
"I know that. Just shut up and let me pay. You can buy next time. The way things are going right now, I'll be broke by then." Ally rarely showed any emotion, but upon closer inspection, Karly saw lines of strain around her friend's mouth and eyes.
"That bad, is it?" They slid into a booth at the back of the café. “I thought business was good. You had a huge crowd the other night.”
"That was just one night, and they’re getting fewer and farther between. We need a hundred nights like that one to dig us out," Ally said with a sigh. “We found out today that there’s a lien on the building for back taxes. David still owns the building, and I guess he forgot to share that little tidbit with us. And to make matters worse, one of our guys was hurt in a fight a few weeks ago. He went to the hospital so, of course, we had to pay for that, and the guy he bounced is suing us for emotional distress or some kind of bullshit."
"I’m surprised Randy let things get out of control." Karly traced a finger in the brown sugar dusting the muffin. Ally raised an eyebrow at the mention of Randy. Karly blushed. "I mean, you're always telling me how Randy has a handle on things."
"He’s been a little distracted lately. Problems with his ex and their kid, I think. I don’t know. He’s not very forthcoming most of the time." Ally's paused and quickly changed the subject. "So how, exactly, did you burn your neck with the curling iron? Because it looks like a love bite. And I noticed one very similar on Randy’s neck yesterday. Coincidence? I think not, Ms. Eriksson.”
The heat in Karly’s cheeks ignited. “Okay, so maybe we got a little busy the other night. It was nothing.”
“Let’s see. He towed your car to the garage and spent all day working on it, takes you to and from work, and makes out with you. Sounds like he really doesn’t like you at all.” A playful smile lit Ally’s features as she buttered a muffin and tore a piece off with her fingers before popping it into her mouth.
Karly snorted and rolled her eyes. Her feelings were still a little raw. "Right. He likes me so much that he didn’t speak to me at all yesterday and avoided me after class.” She shook her head in denial. “He was only being nice.”
“Randy’s a nice guy, but he’s not that kind of nice guy. He doesn’t do favors for just anyone.” It was Ally's turn to stare into her coffee. She set her coffee mug on the saucer and began to play with the edge of her napkin. “I’m sure it’s none of my business, but…" Ally's voice trailed off and she bit her lip as if unsure whether or not to continue.
"But what? Spill it, Taylor."
"Well, he had some girl over there yesterday. Blonde, leggy. I think her name’s Amber. He doesn’t really seem into her, and I don’t think he invited her, but she keeps coming around."
At the mention of Amber, Karly's stomach took an unpleasant dip. Maybe Amber was the reason he’d left so abruptly the other night. He had feelings for someone else. For Amber. She scowled and took a drink of her coffee. He said there was nothing between him and Amber, but maybe he was playing them against each other. Working two girls at once and hedging his bets? The depth of her disappointment caught her by surprise. This kind of behavior made like all the other jerks in her life, and she wanted to think better of him.
“I’m
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