The Devil Calls Me Sweetheart

13

     "Is our manager still not here?" I put my tray of food next to Elise. It was around noon already, the cafeteria was full of people in business attire chatting.

Elise looked up from her soup. "Nope," she said, popping the 'p'. She eyed my tray and gave me a disgusted frown. "You chose a sandwich?"

"What's my wrong with my sandwich?" I took a bite out of it, a bit insecurely.

"That's so plain."

"You're missing out. The chicken sandwich here is phenomenal." I closed my eyes, moaning jokingly at the taste when I bit into it.

"Such big word for an undeserving food." She shook her head disapprovingly. "There's a stack of papers waiting for Ethan, but he's been MIA for the last 48 hours. He isn't answering his phone, nothing."

My face crumpled, twisting my body so it faced hers. "No message, nothing?"

"It's weird, right? It's like he just disappeared suddenly." She blew on her soup, cooling it down. It was definitely odd that he hasn't shown up to work since yesterday. It was even more odd that he hasn't contacted anyone at all. It worried me a little, from an employee's point of view.

There was a thought at the back of my mind telling me there was more to it than a simple two day vacation. Was I wrong?

"I overheard the higher ups talk about involving the police," said Elise.

I widened my eyes, chocking a bit. "Police? Is it that serious?"

"I'd consider our manager not showing up to work and not responding to any of our calls since yesterday pretty serious, yeah." Elise stood up with her now empty tray in both hands. "I'll tell you if there's any other updates." I stare at her back as she walked away, her nude heels clacking with every step and sway in her hips.

-

"2 scoops of strawberry and 2 scoops of mango. Medium, both." I smiled at the teenager behind the cash register.

"That'll be 5,67$ please."

I handed him a ten-dollar bill. He gave me my change and went to scoop the ice cream out. Meanwhile, I looked around the parlor. It was small, nothing huge or fancy. It seemed like a nice hang out place for high school students, considering the fact that the employee looked himself like a seventeen-year-old.

"Here you go, miss!" He grinned as I thanked him and joined Astel at the booth he chose.

"Mango for you." I handed him the ice cream.

"So why ice cream?" he asked, grabbing a chunk of it with the miniscule spoon they gave.

"Wanted to change the scenery a bit," I answered. "Also, to stop thinking about some things."

Astel leaned forward, both arms on the table. "What's bothering you, sweetheart?"

"My manager still hasn't come in to work," I blurted. "I have this gut feeling it isn't just a coincidence."

"Him not being at work has nothing to do with you," he said harshly, slumping back in his chair.

I glanced behind me at the employee, whom I ended up making eye contact with instead as he stared at Astel and I in curiousness. I turned back to Astel. "They're going to involve the police," I said in a hushed tone. "For Christ's sake, I'm probably the person who's seen him last!"

"That doesn't mean anything." His expression hardened. He threw the empty cup into the trash can angrily, messily pushing back his hair in frustration.

I just stared at Astel for a moment. Scrutinizing him before something just clicked in my head. I wish that it wasn't true, pray that the thought that crossed my mind was ridiculous. "You know something, don't you?"