One Midnight (ONC 2024) ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Two - Broken Heart

2019

The light to my dad's piano store is on, but I don't see anything unusual. Nicolas peers into the window. 

"Maybe the app made a mistake," I say. 

I push the door open, the familiar Fur Elise sounding over the speaker.

"Hello?" I ask. "Is anyone here?"

"There's no one here," Nicolas says.

There is a faint noise coming from the back of the store. I slowly approach the door and open it, my actions slow and precise.

"Who's there?" he calls out, standing to attention.

I blink several times, squinting my eyes. "Inaki?"

"Corrie?"

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Oh, I'm doing some last minute work for your dad. He asked me to come in for him, he forgot to do some inventory on some of the new pianos that came in.

"Oh," I say, scratching my head. "That's weird, Dad is usually pretty good about inventory, but okay. I got the notification that the front door was opened so we came over. But my dad gave you the job?"

Inaki nods. "Yeah, he pretty much hired me on the spot. Sold someone a piano on the spot. Hey, that's your friend, right?" He points over to Nicolas, who greets him with a slight head nod.

"Hey, that's your friend, right?" He points over to Nicolas, who greets him with a slight head nod.

"Hola," Nicolas says, but his expression is guarded.

"I am sorry about your flute, man," he says, frowning. "It was stupid of me."

"It's all right," Nicolas replies. "You gave it back to me anyway. So you work here now? Que interesante."

"Yeah, it's been rough, you know with Mariposa and all that, but Corrie's dad's been a good boss in the week that I've started working here."

"That's good," I say. "Well, if you're just doing some inventory work, I guess we'll just go. It's not a problem. Does my dad know you're here, though? Cause he has the same app I do and you're working over hours."

"I texted him before I came here," he says. "I promise, Corrie. I ain't lying to you."

I furrow my brow, but ignore it. I'm too tired to deal with it right now, and quite frankly, I feel like an idiot for even coming here when my dad told him to not worry. I glance over at Nicolas and he gestures for me to follow him into the main store.

"You ready to go?" I ask, gesturing for the door.

Nicolas crosses his arms against his chest, and upon looking the other way, I can't help but notice what seems like concern on his face.

"Hey," I say, touching his shoulder. "Everything okay?"

He looks down, and the back up at me. "I'm not so sure about this. Who does inventory at midnight?"

"Hold on. Let me call my dad."

I whip out my phone, still hating the fact that my screen is cracked to oblivion, but hey, at least it still works.

"Hello?" my dad asks, music playing in the background. It's jazzy, and I' hearing the clinking of glasses. He must be at a bar.

"Hey, dad. I'm here at the store. Did you hire Inaki Leblanc?"

"Oh, yeah. I did. Did you get the notification on your phone? I meant to call you earlier, but forgot. Inaki is doing some extra work for me while I'm gone. Inventory and stuff."