Beyond Denver

Chapter 13

I think of Meggie. Is she okay? It's all I can think of throughout this craziness. But thinking of Meggie brings me back the memories of her asshole boyfriend. Not even a boyfriend.

I brush any negative thoughts out of my mind as I play with my phone, giving myself a break that I deserve. I still have to mop the floor that hasn't been mopped since last night and stock the counter with more sugar packs. But now I don't care. I have to sit down for a bit.

When I decide to clean up some of the spilled milk, I see someone coming through the door. I run to the cash register. To my surprise is Denver.

"Want some coffee?" I ask him. It is all I can say since the last time I'd seen him was just a few hours ago.

"No," he tells me. I could only assume he would be sleeping at this time. If I could, I'd still be in bed. "I came here to see you."

"Oh." I don't know what to say. I guess I'm taken by surprise. Should I smile? Should I laugh? How am I supposed to react to that? Doesn't he prefer to go home and dream about me instead of being here watching me work? How does he know I work here, by the way? Did he talk to Meggie already?

"I had a great time with you last night. I want to do it again," he appears to be nervous as he speaks. He also appears to be tired, even though his eyes don't lose the intensity.

I am not sure whether or not I am surprised to hear this from him, but I find myself holding my hands together and biting my lips at his comment, "I agree it was fun."

"Danika told me you work here. I hope you don't mind I came without telling you beforehand."

Of course, it had to be Danika who gave out my work address, if not my phone.

"So, is it a yes?" Denver asks after a brief pause. I ignore him a bit, continue to clean up the spilled milk on one of the tables. He grabs a rag from the counter and helps me.

I look at him, "I don't know, Denver. I'm not planning on going out with anyone so soon. I have a camping trip coming up in two weeks. I don't have as many days off as I'd like to."

The garbage bag is full again, and I manage to change again when he stops me where I am.

"What camping? Danika's camping trip?" His eyes are so intense. So dark.

"Yes," I say honestly, removing a strand of hair out of my face so I can see him better.

"She invited me, too," His confession makes me blush.

I know this won't go anywhere—Denver and me. There is a gut feeling telling me not to go further with him. 

"What about meeting me later?" His hands touch the side of my arm, and I flinch. For a moment, I contradict myself by imagining him touching my skin entirely and placing his hands over my breasts and how good that could be. I know this is only a flash in the pan, my physical body asking for physical contact, but my emotions are blocking it from happening.

Blocking him like bricks on the wall.

"Not tonight, Denver."

"Okay. Your choice, and I respect that," he finally says, and I sense a hint of disappointment in his face.

After biding him a proper goodbye, I call him back when he is out the door. He turns to see me, waiting.

"Have you heard from Meggie?"

He shakes his head lightly, "No, but don't worry. You'll hear from her." And before he looks ahead, his body instantly shocks in Scarlet's.

"Sorry," I see him apologizing. She ignores him by coming inside the store, placing large bags from Marshall store. She looks around,  "What the hell, Cassidy? What happened here?"

"I am going to mop now. It has been quite busy."

"Who is that guy? Is he another customer into you?"

"I hope not."

"What does he want then?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"I saw this is the same guy who brought you home last night."

Confusion hits me, "What? How do you know that?" 

"I look through the peephole and my window. The peephole confirmed he only drop you off and never came over to your apartment," she says without even realizing how upset her statement made me. 

"If he is not a customer, he shouldn't be here, and if he is a customer, he shouldn't be at your door. Period. Now let's sit down for a bit so you can tell me what happened last night with him. I'm proud you haven't invited him over to your place to have sex with him." The rain starts falling hard now, and I wonder how wet Denver is on his way home. The wind and the rain blowhard on the glass door, and I can't stop feeling sorry for Denver. 

"Oh."

"It is not that busy anymore, I guess."

"Yeah,  Sophie's dead."

"Of course, she is dead."

I look at her puzzled, "Who is dead?" I do not understand Scarlet's comment.

"Sophie. I mean the real Sophie. The baby who died out of SIDS," she says with a serious tone.

"It is not what I mean, and you know that, Scarlet." Her words shock me suddenly. "I can't imagine how difficult this is for Sylvia."

"Sylvia doesn't seem to bother about that anymore. It was a long time ago. Then she had another child afterward."

"Children are not replaceable for their mothers," I tell her. I check my watch. I'm glad my shift is almost over.

"Don't forget to mop everything before you go," she demands, "If Jeff doesn't do his job, it is your responsibility to finish up for him."

"Is that why you asked me to open this morning and came in later?" Great supervisor. Of course, I don't tell her everything is inside my head. I want to keep my job.

She frowns. I look outside, each drop of rain reminding me of Washington estate.

Each drop of rain reminding me of Chelan.

She approaches while I count the money, "Talking about Jeff...have you noticed the amount of weight he gained in the past couple of weeks?"

I shake my head no, my eyes on the money. I can't count the change while someone talks next to me. Besides,  I don't want to engage in gossip. 

"He doesn't do anything besides watching cartoons, playing his video game, and smoking pot. Have you ever seen an older man carrying grocery bags up to the third floor? He does that maybe once a week?"

"No. I might not have paid attention to."

"How come you'd never seen him?" she is impatient, "That's his poor dad enabling Jeff's behavior." She grabs a paper and pen to start doing the inventory. "If you think I'm lying, then go ahead and take a look at the dumpster outside in the parking lot. It is loaded with Mountain Dew cans, bags of potato chips, and Pizza Hut boxes he orders often."

I grab the tips from the jar and place them in my pocket. 

"We are supposed to share the tips."

"But we didn't have a single customer after you came in. I cleaned up, restocked, and took care of everything."

"Rule are rules."

"Then you go ahead and mop the floor yourself," I say that to her and leave. 

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