by Kylie Rae
“Wow, what a dirt bag. I’m sorry to hear that.”
Whitney shrugged and smiled again. “No biggie. I’m here now and I met Kevin. So, silver lining and all that.” She actually believed the words as she said them. There was a first time for everything.
They ate in silence for a minute before Whitney spoke up again. “Your turn. What happened with you and the boss after I left?”
Julie blushed now. “We hooked up.” She waved a carrot stick around and tried to dismiss it like it was nothing.
“Oh?” She sat up straighter and smiled coyly. “Is that all?”
Julie avoided her gaze, but her grin took up her entire face. “It’s been a long time coming... Your first day drink was just the opportunity we needed.”
“So, are you two going to date now?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “It’s technically against the rules since he’s my supervisor. But he won’t be for much longer. So... Maybe.”
“Is he for sure getting the promotion then?”
“Not yet... I mean, I don’t know. Probably.” Julie shifted in her seat, glad Whitney was focused on her plate for the moment while she tried to think of something else to talk about. “So, your friend Robin, is she dating anyone?”
“Oh, Robin’s too ADD to have a relationship.” Whitney laughed. “She gets attracted, has a fling, then moves on. She’s always been like that.” She took another bite of her lunch and there was a lull. After a time, she perked back up. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you, I read in the handbook employees can use the exercise center here?”
“Yeah.” Julie relaxed; glad the subject was moving even further away. “If you scan your ID badge at the door, it will let you in.”
“Good. I’ve been missing my gym back home. It’s been too long since I’ve had a workout.”
“You have fun with that. Definitely not my idea of a good evening.”
Robin joined them a moment later. “Bring it down a notch, sunshine. You’re blinding the people on the other side of the room.”
Whitney giggled. “Sorry.”
Julie leaned towards Robin. “He must have been great in bed.”
“Psh, he didn’t even come upstairs.” Robin rolled her eyes. “Whitney likes to test the waters before she commits to the act.” She wiggled her eyebrows and Whitney sunk lower in her chair, the red in her face creeping up again.
“I just don’t like to get ahead of myself,” she mumbled, but she still had a grin on her face.
“Yeah, yeah. All I know is, you’d better get laid soon so you can chillax a little. It’s been way too long.”
“How long?” Julie asked.
Whitney shot a pleading look at Robin and she laughed. “Oh, just a while.” She changed the subject but veered back to tease about Kevin once or twice more throughout lunch. Julie didn’t press for an answer, but she reveled in making Whitney blush a time or two anytime she mentioned it.
AFTER LUNCH JULIE WAVED to Whitney and Robin before she trudged to the rooms she was in charge of for the afternoon. Once they were out of sight, she sighed. Too soon, Steve would know for sure about his promotion, and the higher ups would come to her to get her to step back into management. And she didn’t know if she could do it again. Being a supervisor in a casino paid the bills, but she wasn’t passionate about it. And taking on the boss’ responsibilities would take away her time to pursue what she really wanted to do. If only she’d hear about her application already, she’d have more solid ground to move forward on. One way or another.
Her eyes focused on the floor as she walked, and Josh paced at the other end of the hallway with his phone in hand as usual. A few seconds later, they collided.
“Oh, shit!” Josh said. His phone fell to the floor, and they both scrambled to pick it up.
“Sorry!” Julie said.
“Where’s your head at Jules?” Josh said, his mouth quirked up to one side.
“Don’t you start with that too!”
“I’m kidding! But seriously, I’ve never seen you so distracted. That’s usually my job.” They stood up and Josh tucked his phone back into his pocket.
Julie smoothed her shirt and shrugged. She tried to appear nonchalant. “Oh, I don’t know. Just a little tired, I guess.”
“Go stand by Whit for a minute and she’ll spread her joy to you. She’s been something else. Makin’ me look bad.”
Julie laughed. “The only person making you look bad is you. But I gotta get to my section.”
“Sure, sure.” He took his phone back out and waved with it as he strolled away.
Julie deflated once he’d gotten halfway down the hallway. She really needed to get her shit together.
WHITNEY GOT HOME AFTER work and changed into her exercise clothes. She needed a solid workout to release some tension. Because Robin was right, it had been too long since she’d been physical with a man. And since she didn’t want to rush things with Kevin, burning calories another way would have to suffice. She did some light stretching in her living room and jogged back up to the casino.
The workout room was almost empty when she arrived. Two middle-aged men jogged on the treadmills, and one younger girl examined the hand weights along the opposite wall. The elliptical stood empty and the leg presses called her name. Whitney turned up her exercise playlist with a smile and began her routine.
An hour and a half later, Whitney reemerged, sweaty and pleased with herself. She tucked her phone into her fanny pack and walked across the parking lot toward home. There were only a few cars on this side of the building, and they would belong to mostly employees at this hour. The security lights towered over the lot and lit up the area like midday. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled.
“Hey!” A shout came from right behind her.
She stopped in her tracks, removed an earbud, and looked around. She stumbled as a gun was shoved in her face. Her eyes crossed and focused on the barrel only inches away. The distance closed and her assailant shoved it into her forehead. The cold metal shocked her hot skin.
“Get down on the ground!” the guy behind the gun shouted. His hood covered most of his face, but spit flew from his exposed mouth.
Whitney obeyed at once. She dropped to her knees, her hands up in the air.
“Flat on the ground! On your stomach!”
She did as he said. The asphalt smelled of heated rubber and cigarette ash, but she didn’t dare to lift her head.
Hands groped around her pants, looking for pockets. Then her fanny pack was unhooked and tugged away from her in a jerk that momentarily lifted her hips from the ground. After a moment’s pause while he found her phone and some cash, he took off running.
Whitney stayed where she lay. Her heart hammered against her chest and her breath escaped in shallow gasps. Seconds passed. Or maybe hours. Whitney wasn’t sure if she’d ever move from this spot.
“Are you okay?” A voice asked, and she jumped. “I’m calling the police. He’s gone, you’re safe now.”
Safe. What a joke.
Whitney pushed herself up with shaky arms to roll into a seated position and stared at the old man standing above her. He held a phone up to his ear and he watched her with a knitted brow. Several other people gathered at the edge of the parking lot. She could see a security guard push his way through the crowd. All of this passed through her mind and she retained nothing. The gun. That was all she knew.
“What’s your name, hun?” the old man asked.
She blinked and tried to focus on his lined face. “Whitney Thompson,” she mumbled. Her gaze dropped to his Velcro sandals, and she dimly wondered where he’d found a pair of those ancient things.
“Are you hurt?”
Hurt? Was she? Was that the tightness in her chest and the ice coating her mind?
“No.”
The security guard reached them and held out his hands to help Whitney to her feet. She took them without realizing she’d moved. His palms were rough and warm, and she clu
ng to them. She stood for a moment on her own, but her knees buckled. The guard caught her and held her up. He smelled of old spice and perspiration, and it reminded her of her dad. She held on and tried to remember what it was like to breathe.
“The cops are on their way,” the old man said.
“Thanks,” the guard said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here. They called me to another location to help break up a fight. I’m usually by this door all night.”
Whitney wasn’t really listening. She wished she’d stayed home.
“Do you want to call anyone?” The old man held out his phone.
Whitney stared at it. The old-school flip phone went perfectly with his shoes and for a moment, she couldn’t remember how to use it. She blinked and dialed Robin’s number. The only number she’d ever bothered memorizing.
Four police cars sped down the street. Their red and blue lights flashed and made Whitney dizzy. Three pulled off in different directions to look for her assailant. One drove up to them and the officer leapt out.
“Hello?” Robin’s voice was thick with sleep, and Whitney remembered the phone was up to her ear.
“It’s Whitney.” She wasn’t sure what else to say.
“What’s wrong?” Robin sounded more alert at once, and Whitney heard her blankets shuffle around as she leapt out of bed.
“I need a ride home from the police station,” she managed to say.
“What? Why? What the hell happened? Where are you calling from?” Whitney hung up and handed the old man his phone back. She couldn’t explain. Not now. Not ever.
The cop assisted the security guard, and they eased her into the car.
“We’re going to have you looked at and we’ll take your statement. We want to make sure you’re okay,” the cop said.
Whitney nodded and stared out the opposite window.
Okay? What was that? She’d never be okay again. The gun pressed into her forehead was all she knew.
Chapter Eight
Whitney slouched and hugged herself in a chair with faded and flat cushions. Her eyes were out of focus and stared around the room, taking none of it in. Her chair was next to a desk, but the desk was empty with the computer off and the phone silent. She saw no stray paperwork or anything to identify the type of person who sat here during the day. Across from her sat a row of empty chairs identical to hers, lined up on the wall that ended with a door with a keypad. The light burned red above the numbers. Locked. The officers had disappeared through that door after typing in a code, and the light had turned green. But it shone red again now. Red. Her gaze fell on the light. The red light. Red.
Whitney faced away from the entrance doors and didn’t see Robin run through them. She wore yellow pajama pants and slippers. She spotted Whitney and rammed her leg into the corner of the desk in her haste to get to her and give her a hug.
“Are you okay? What happened?” She held her forearms and inspected her to find a sign of injury.
“I’m fine.” She stood limp in Robin’s grip and had to force out the words.
The keypad door clicked open and the officer from the scene approached them. He handed Whitney a folder and his card.
“Here’s a copy of your statement. We’ll be in touch if we have any new developments.” He turned to Robin. “Take good care of her.”
Before Robin could ask again, Whitney handed her the folder. She moved for the door as Robin scanned over the papers inside. Her face turned red as she spun to follow Whitney.
“You were mugged? Oh, my god! I’ll kill the guy! Are you hurt?”
“Robin please, just take me home.” A numbness had washed over her since the parking lot.
The gun.
But she’d found her voice again. Even if she didn’t want it.
Robin sucked in a breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Her face relaxed and then she really took in the state of her friend and knew this wasn’t the time for questions. “Of course. Hop in.” Robin held the passenger door open and Whitney slumped into the seat. Her legs curled up, and she wrapped her arms around her knees. Her eyes dead-panned out the front window and Robin moved quickly to the driver side.
As they drove across town, Robin snuck glances over at her, but she’d shut down. The silence was eerie, and Robin had to resist the urge to turn on the radio. Any topic of conversation she thought of felt weak and impersonal.
Back at the apartment, Whitney dragged her feet up the stairs. Her legs shook with the effort of putting one foot in front of the other, and Robin stayed a few steps behind her to catch her if she fell.
“I’ll stay over if you want,” Robin said, hovering near Whitney’s elbow once they’d reached her door.
Whitney hesitated with her key in the lock, but at last she said, “Okay.”
Whitney collapsed onto the couch and curled into a ball with her gaze on the floor. Robin shuffled around, then decided on making coffee. Never mind what time it was, she wasn’t going back to sleep. She filled her cup to the brim and added milk to Whitney’s and joined her on the couch.
They sat in silence and sipped their coffees. After an hour or so, Whitney relaxed into a normal sitting position. Robin took her hand and squeezed it. After another hour had passed, Whitney spoke.
“I thought he was going to kill me,” she said. She choked on the words and tears slid down her cheeks.
Robin didn’t know how to respond. The idea of someone killing her best friend shook her to her core. She put her arms around Whitney as she cried it out and let her own tears fall. And wrapped together on the couch was how they eventually fell asleep.
Robin’s alarm woke them at 9:30 am. They pulled apart and stretched their stiff limbs. Whitney rubbed her eyes and stared around her living room as though she wasn’t sure where she was. This unfamiliar room filled with her possessions still didn’t feel like home.
“I can’t work today,” she said after a moment.
“Of course not. Here, use my phone to call your boss. I’ll make coffee and I’ll call in when you’re done. I’ll spend the day with you.”
“Okay.” Whitney took the phone and stared at the screen as Robin got busy in the kitchen. She had to search for the number for the casino and then ask to be connected to Steve’s office. “Hey, Steve. It’s Whitney.” She said weakly when he answered. “Um, I won’t be able to come in to work today.” She gripped the phone tight in her sweaty palm and her mind raced at how to put what happened into words.
“Yes, of course!” Steve said. “They brought me the security guard’s report when I arrived this morning.”
“Okay, thanks for understanding.”
“No problem. Are you doing okay? Do you need anything?”
“I’m alright, I think. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up without waiting for him to respond. She couldn’t handle small talk right now.
Robin leaned against the wall with a cup for each of them. “He knew already?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, my turn.” Robin traded a cup for the phone. It buzzed before she dialed and a text message popped up on the screen. “Well, damn.” She held out the phone for Whitney to see.
-Don’t even think about calling in today. Buyer’s meeting at 11am. Don’t be late.
Whitney managed a small smile. A surprise so soon after the paralyzing fear that had consumed her. “Guess someone told your boss too.”
“Well... I can still be a little late. I’ll make you breakfast and I’ll be there in time for the meeting.” She went back into the kitchen and banged pans onto the stove and dug through the fridge for eggs.
Whitney dragged herself to the bathroom and avoided the mirror. She knew she looked like hell, because that was how she felt. A visual confirmation wasn’t needed. She didn’t want to, but she climbed into the shower to wash away her thoughts and memories. She turned the water as hot as it would go and hoped the steam would melt it all away.
“IS SHE OKAY?” JULIE asked Steve, her hands knotted together in her lap. She�
�d brought him the report herself. She’d grown very attached to the new girl and had was genuinely upset to hear about the incident.
“She said she was, but she sounded pretty shaken up. We’ll keep an eye on her. She said she’d be here tomorrow.”
“Okay, good.” Julie fidgeted in her seat and Steve came around his desk to sit next to her.
“What about you? Are you okay? You said you needed to talk to me about something?”
“Yes, um...” Her eyes moved over his chest and she resisted the urge to pull the buttons off his shirt to run her hands over his muscles. She bit her lip and stared at the floor.
Steve put a gentle hand under her chin to steer her gaze back up. “Is it about the other night? Did I over-step?”
“What? No! That was great!” Julie blushed and looked away again, but his touch had not helped her relax. She took a deep breath and dug her nails into her palms to focus. “It’s about my job... I can’t step up after you get promoted.” She paused and gathered her courage to finish. “I didn’t tell anyone, but I got my degree in journalism last year and I’ve been accepted as an intern at a magazine. I have to stay as a slot attendant, so I have time to pursue it.”
“Hmm.” Steve took Julie’s hands and gave them a squeeze. “That’s fantastic.”
“Really?” Her heart jumped into her throat. She’d been so scared to talk about this. No one had believed she could do it. Not even her own family.
“Yes. Absolutely. Follow your dreams.” His eyes shown with sincerity.
“But you’ve been planning for me to take your spot.”
Steve pulled her close and kissed her to break off her argument. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll figure something else out.” He brushed his lips against hers again and pulled her into his lap, and she giggled like a schoolgirl. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I don’t know... I guess I wanted to be sure it was a real thing before spilling the beans.” Kind of like whatever is going on between us now, she added to herself. “Kind of like... if I failed, no one would ever find out, so it would be like it didn’t actually happen.”