Ten Below Zero(24)

I walked away then, towards my bedroom, leaving them with the mess. It was immature, sure. But I didn’t want to face them, to hear their questions – unspoken or otherwise.

I slammed my door, hard enough that it rattled it on its hinges, and collapsed on my bed.



When I awoke around noon, I had a text on my phone. It was a picture of my car.

Everett: Want this back?

I chewed on my lip for only a moment, my finger hovering over the reply button. Instead, I hit the button I knew I should: Delete.

I logged into my email and registered for fall semester classes at the local college before shooting Mira a quick email. Mira and I, though different in appearance and attitude, shared the same thought about phone calls: no thanks. The only way we communicated was via email.

MIRA,

I’M STARTING FALL CLASSES IN TWO MONTHS. DO YOU WANT TO MEET FOR LUNCH AT PAULIE’S SOMETIME?

PARKER

Clearly, I was as loquacious via email as I was in person.

While I pulled my hair into a ponytail, Mira’s reply came through.

MOUSE,

NO CAN DO. I’M OUT OF STATE. I’LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I’M BACK IN CALIFORNIA.

M

Mira was the closest thing I had to a friend, though we never connected the way two women engaged in a normal female friendship did. We didn’t go to the movies or to dinner. We played with knives and tried kicking each other’s asses. But it’d been a long time since we’d done either.

So I couldn’t help the tiny drop of disappointment. Instead, I embraced the annoyance. It furrowed my brown, straightened my lips. I wore annoyance really well.

I closed my email and stood, walking to the window to look out. My car was missing from its usual parking spot. I’d have to figure out what to do about that. Call a tow, probably. I sat on the bed, facing the window and fell into memories from the night before.

While I stared out the window, I heard a knock on my door. Before I could call out, the door opened and Carly stepped into my bedroom. “Hey, Parker. Can I come in?”

“You already are,” I replied, matter-of-factly.

Carly looked at me confused, so I rolled my eyes and gestured with my hand for her to come all the way in. “What?” I asked.

Carly shut the door behind her and approached my bed, wringing her hands together over and over. “Are you okay?” she asked, hesitantly sitting on the corner of my bed.

I shrugged. “Yeah.”

Carly tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear and looked at me. She looked unique. Her mother was Swedish and her father was Chinese, lending her a really different look. Asian features mixed with green eyes and freckles on her nose.

“I feel really bad about earlier. Jasmine was drunk.”

I rolled my eyes again and stood up, crossing my arms in front of my chest. “If you’re excusing her from her behavior because she was drunk then she must be drunk all the time. That wasn’t anything unusual for her, Carly. She’s a selfish bitch. She sees me as toy.” I suddenly felt like I’d said too much. And judging by the look on Carly’s face, she agreed.

She slowly stood up from my bed and looked down at the ground. “Well, I’m still sorry.”

“Don’t be. I made the mess.”

“I cleaned it up,” she offered, looking at me hopefully. Sometimes she looked at me like she was a puppy desperate for attention or affection. I think that’s why Jasmine had such a hold over her. Jasmine was a leader, and Carly was very much a follower.

“Well then I’m the one who’s sorry,” I replied.

“Jasmine refused.”

“That’s shocking,” I deadpanned.

Carly threw back her head, sending curls in every direction as she laughed. “I know, right?” she said between laughs. She smiled at me and left my room a moment later.





I wallowed in my room the rest of the day. I alternated sitting on my balcony, but found no enjoyment in my usual activities. My thoughts kept drifting to Everett, but I kept my phone off, so I could avoid the temptation of seeing if he texted.

The following morning, I was working my shift at the restaurant. Doris was especially grumpy, so I did my best to stay out of her way. I ducked behind the counter, behind the cooks, anything to avoid her wrath.

There was something about me that deeply bothered Doris. Her husband had interviewed and hired me himself and ever since she’d made my cheap nametag with her label maker, Doris had made it her mission to watch me. Waiting for me to slip up.

I was ringing up a customer’s check when Misty, the hostess for that day, walked up to me.

“Who’s the babe at table ten?”

“What?” I asked, not really paying attention. I had to apply a discount to a portion of the customer’s bill and the computer didn’t seem to have the option I was looking for.

“He asked to be seated in your section. Tall, dark, scarily handsome? Ring any bells?”

I whipped my head up so fast that I felt a pop in my neck. My eyes scanned the tables until they landed on him, sitting at table ten and staring at me with his icy eyes. His journal was sitting on the table in front of him and he was wearing his trademark black clothing.

I couldn’t help the heat that warmed my core at the sight of Everett. Knowing what had happened when I’d last seen him, my heart skipped a couple beats and my mouth went dry.