your business,” I replied, counting the bills he had handed me.
“Here.” I passed the bundle to him and shoved the money in my bag. “Thank you for your business.” I leaned on a counter, waiting for him to leave first.
He took a step closer. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to kiss you,”
“Deadly. Touch me, and I’ll kill you,” I said without wavering my voice.
“I’ve been patient with you, but I can see that my slacking is giving an advantage to Caleb. Are you two hooking up?
“Out. Get out so I can get out, too. I’ve gotta get back to class.” I crossed my arms over my chest, hands close to my pocketknife. The room felt claustrophobic. Andrew’s grin was replaced by a smirk.
“Come on, Luna, I know you’ve got a thing for me.”
He was delusional. “The drugs are messing with you, Andrew. Lay off. Early onset dementia is common amongst junkies.” Yeah, I realize my advice wasn’t good for business but at the end of the day, it did give me a perverse sense of peace to know I had informed my clients of the obvious: Drugs are a curse that will ultimately destroy you.
Yeah, it was a bit self-righteous of me. No, I didn’t feel hypocritical.
“A kiss, Luna. A free sample of what you’re missing. And you’ll forget Caleb’s pathetic attempts to hook up with you.” He took another step toward me. His hooded eyes zoomed in on my boobs, and I noticed a bulge at his groin. Shit, I had to leave before things got out of hand, and I lost one of my best clients. But the door screeched open and instead of pulling my knife out, I snaked my arms around Andrews’s neck and pulled him to me. The punishment for making out in the closet was certainly lesser than dealing drugs. Andrew knew the deal and slid his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to his body.
“What the hell, Luna?” An angry voice resonated in the small room. It was Caleb.
Relief and dread flooded my chest. Before I could react, Caleb grabbed Andrew’s arm and yanked him away from me.
“Wow, lover boy, it’s not what you think,” Andrew smirked and added, “Unfortunately.” He glanced at me and winked.
“Asshole.” Caleb’s right hand balled into a fist, and the other bunched up Andrew’s shirt. The muscles on Caleb’s shoulders rippled in tension.
“Caleb, no.” I held his closed fist with both my hands. “Please, let him go,” I said, voice pleading. The last thing I needed was a scene to attract attention.
Caleb released his vice-like grip on Andrew.
“I’m out, love birds.” Andrew glanced at me and said, “Till next time, Luna.” With a small salute, he stepped out of the room.
Caleb paced the small space, reminding me of a rescued dog inside a kennel. “Are you with Andrew?” he asked, stopping in front of me. His hands were on either side of me, his teeth clenched.
“No. That’s our cover. When you opened the door, I thought we were being caught, and so we pretended to be making out.”
“So you make out with all your… clients, or whatever the hell you call them?” he asked and pressed his lips into a thin line. The veins in his neck were throbbing. I had never seen someone so angry.
“No! I seldom get caught.” Voicing those things made them grotesque and real.
He grunted, turned his back on me, and put his clenched fists against the door. I suspected he was wondering if I was worth the aggravation. The realization that he might discover I was unworthy of him hit me like a powerhouse punch.
He smacked the door.
The noise startled me. I wanted to plead my case, say something clever to compel him to forget what happened, to forget I sold drugs. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier. I wanted to tell him to kiss me senseless. Instead, the unthinkable happened. Tears rolled down my face. Immediately, I wiped them off, but they kept streaming down.
Caleb turned, ready to say something when he caught sight of my tears.
“I’m sorry, I…” My words
“Here.” I passed the bundle to him and shoved the money in my bag. “Thank you for your business.” I leaned on a counter, waiting for him to leave first.
He took a step closer. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to kiss you,”
“Deadly. Touch me, and I’ll kill you,” I said without wavering my voice.
“I’ve been patient with you, but I can see that my slacking is giving an advantage to Caleb. Are you two hooking up?
“Out. Get out so I can get out, too. I’ve gotta get back to class.” I crossed my arms over my chest, hands close to my pocketknife. The room felt claustrophobic. Andrew’s grin was replaced by a smirk.
“Come on, Luna, I know you’ve got a thing for me.”
He was delusional. “The drugs are messing with you, Andrew. Lay off. Early onset dementia is common amongst junkies.” Yeah, I realize my advice wasn’t good for business but at the end of the day, it did give me a perverse sense of peace to know I had informed my clients of the obvious: Drugs are a curse that will ultimately destroy you.
Yeah, it was a bit self-righteous of me. No, I didn’t feel hypocritical.
“A kiss, Luna. A free sample of what you’re missing. And you’ll forget Caleb’s pathetic attempts to hook up with you.” He took another step toward me. His hooded eyes zoomed in on my boobs, and I noticed a bulge at his groin. Shit, I had to leave before things got out of hand, and I lost one of my best clients. But the door screeched open and instead of pulling my knife out, I snaked my arms around Andrews’s neck and pulled him to me. The punishment for making out in the closet was certainly lesser than dealing drugs. Andrew knew the deal and slid his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to his body.
“What the hell, Luna?” An angry voice resonated in the small room. It was Caleb.
Relief and dread flooded my chest. Before I could react, Caleb grabbed Andrew’s arm and yanked him away from me.
“Wow, lover boy, it’s not what you think,” Andrew smirked and added, “Unfortunately.” He glanced at me and winked.
“Asshole.” Caleb’s right hand balled into a fist, and the other bunched up Andrew’s shirt. The muscles on Caleb’s shoulders rippled in tension.
“Caleb, no.” I held his closed fist with both my hands. “Please, let him go,” I said, voice pleading. The last thing I needed was a scene to attract attention.
Caleb released his vice-like grip on Andrew.
“I’m out, love birds.” Andrew glanced at me and said, “Till next time, Luna.” With a small salute, he stepped out of the room.
Caleb paced the small space, reminding me of a rescued dog inside a kennel. “Are you with Andrew?” he asked, stopping in front of me. His hands were on either side of me, his teeth clenched.
“No. That’s our cover. When you opened the door, I thought we were being caught, and so we pretended to be making out.”
“So you make out with all your… clients, or whatever the hell you call them?” he asked and pressed his lips into a thin line. The veins in his neck were throbbing. I had never seen someone so angry.
“No! I seldom get caught.” Voicing those things made them grotesque and real.
He grunted, turned his back on me, and put his clenched fists against the door. I suspected he was wondering if I was worth the aggravation. The realization that he might discover I was unworthy of him hit me like a powerhouse punch.
He smacked the door.
The noise startled me. I wanted to plead my case, say something clever to compel him to forget what happened, to forget I sold drugs. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier. I wanted to tell him to kiss me senseless. Instead, the unthinkable happened. Tears rolled down my face. Immediately, I wiped them off, but they kept streaming down.
Caleb turned, ready to say something when he caught sight of my tears.
“I’m sorry, I…” My words
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