One and Done - S. Briones Lim Page 0,42

I wasn’t about to stick around at the risk of pissing Rocky off even more. Lord knows how much she probably already hated me. I cleared my throat and eyed the stockroom, looking to make an escape. “I guess I’ll be heading back to work. Nice seeing you again, Steph.”

“Yeah, nice seeing you.”

I walked away, ignoring the fact that I could hear both girls murmuring behind my back. It was obvious they were chatting about me, but no way in hell I wanted to hear those catty remarks. I pushed my way back into the Dungeon and caught Maurice staring at me curiously.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Just wanted to give you some advice about Rocky.” Noticing the suspicious look on my face, he added, “You and Steph talk kind of loud. Bro code, dude. I won’t tell my cousin anything.”

Relenting, I slumped forward and rubbed my temples. “Okay, fine. Whatcha got?”

“If you want to get back on her good side, you just need an opportunity to remind her that you’re company worth keeping.” He picked up a huge box and heaved it onto his shoulder, eyeing me warily. “From what I’ve heard, you really haven’t done much to prove yourself to her.”

“Prove myself…in what way?”

“Just don’t be a jerk. Don’t hurt her again.” Without warning, he chucked the box across the room as if it weighed nothing. There really wasn’t a reason for him to do so, so I assumed it was a brotherly warning for me to watch my back. Throwing me a side glance, he repeated, “You just need one opportunity.”

***

Well, that opportunity presented itself in the form of three sick employees and a longer than usual line out front. I mean, you could almost hear the desperation in Rocky’s tone as she practically begged for help over the store intercom system. Though I knew I had more than enough experience from my years working at Tyler’s Tavern to help her out, I decided to keep my mouth shut. I didn’t want to risk pissing Mr. Rossi off and ruining what little progress I’d made so far. So, imagine my surprise when he approached me.

“Um, Jesse?” Mr. Rossi shifted uncomfortably, as if the very act of asking me a favor hurt him deeply.

“Yes, sir?” I asked cautiously.

“Has Rocky taught you how to handle the registers, yet?”

When would she have had the time, given that I’m always back here?

I shook my head. “No, sir.”

“Rats—”

“But I’ve handled it before in my old job at Charleston,” I explained quickly.

Mr. Rossi tried hard to hide his surprise, but he failed miserably. His upper lip twitched as he fought back a smile. “Oh? So you can handle the old computer we have in front?”

“Pretty sure,” I agreed.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go!”

At his urging, I practically ran to the front. However, had I known what a piece of meat I’d feel like, I would have stalled a bit longer. Seriously, it felt as if I was walking the catwalk—or at the very least a live action version of those dating/rating apps you’d find for your phones.

Swipe left.

I gulped and hurried toward the register, reddening as I felt females undressing me with their eyes. To my disappointment, Rocky wasn’t one of the oglers. Her eyes were dipped low, making her appear as if she were glaring at the computer screen.

Barely looking up at me, she snapped, “Um, you’re not trained to handle the register.”

I rolled his eyes and stepped up beside her. “Trust me; I’ve handled plenty of registers before. It doesn’t take a genius to swipe barcodes over a scanner.”

“There isn’t anybody else back there?”

God, did she hate me that much?

Fighting through the pangs of hurt, I managed to say, “They all called in sick. I’m your last hope. C’mon, do you really think your dad would have sent me out here if there was anybody else who can help you out?”

“Fine,” she shot back through gritted teeth. “Just keep up. This line is long enough as it is.”

“Whose fault was that?” I blurted out, and immediately felt a sharp pain in my shin. She actually kicked me. Holding back an amused laugh, I remarked, “Still a little spitfire, huh? Well, why don’t you try your best to keep up with me?”

To my surprise, her lips curled up. Seeing her smile again caused the rush of electricity that I’ve missed so much, instantly waking parts of me in a jolt.

“Fine. Bring it on.” Her tone came out breathy, causing my dick to twitch