On the run

Sixteen

I'd kept myself busy the entire day, even finding something over lunch I wanted to talk to Alice about. It was nothing in reality but I told him I needed to talk to her about an upcoming meeting and we grabbed lunch out which I knew for a fact he was waiting for. Me alone in his office was exactly what he wanted today. I could see his frustration getting worse and worse as the minutes passed, me ignoring every one of his calls and texts, begging me to come into his office. I hadn't reminded him I had work tonight, nor had I told him what I was working. As I'd left the office at 5 I said I'd see him tomorrow and the way his jaw had clenched filled me with such a giddy pride I couldn't stop smiling the whole drive home.

A quick change and I was immediately driving to the pub, getting here just before six to an essentially empty workplace. A few stragglers in the back corner but otherwise empty. It had picked up over the past 5 or so hours, not massively though, it was still a quiet Monday night. I'd spent most of the night just sat with Dean chatting about his husband and whatever the hell argument they were having this week. I'd met Harry a few times, he popped into the pub once a month or so. He was lovely and I got on with him the same way I did with Dean.

"You're quiet tonight Pen." I looked up from the piles of napkins I kept folding, knowing we'd probably have enough here for the next week but I still kept folding.

"I have got a lot on my mind." I gave him a little smile, flicking my eyes up to him for barely a second.

"Well, I'm all ears." I sighed. "Personal or work?"

"Work."

"Here or the office."

"Kind of both."

"Oh." I put down the cloth giving me his full attention.

"I have been offered a significant pay rise."

"That's good right? How significant?"

"Like over double what I was making." He looked as shocked as I was. "I know. Turns out Lord Douche may not be as douchey as we first thought." I rolled my lips together. "He was here on Saturday night, from like 10 onwards so he saw everything and he didn't like it, says I'm not safe and wants me to quit."

"I want you to quit. Only reason I've not fired you is because I know you need the money and you might end up elsewhere." I nodded. "So, are you going to take it?"

"I don't know. It's a hell of a lot of money Dean. My job isn't that important, that wage doesn't make sense. I have a feeling that he's doing it for another reason and I dunno." I shrugged.

"What do you mean another reason?" I raised my eyebrows and stared at the napkins in my hand, shuffling uncomfortably. "Are you sleeping with your boss?" I bit my lip and looked up at him as he laughed. "Jesus Christ. How many times?"

"A few." I giggled, looking around the empty bar. "No one can know Dean."

"No, obviously. That's major though. You've not seen anyone since you started here."

"I don't have time."

"Is that why he wants to pay you more? So, you'll have more time for him?"

"That's what I'm worried about. But he's offering me 70k Dean. How the hell do I say no to like 4 grand a month?" His jaw dropped. "And he offered me that yesterday morning after forcing me to nap because he had seen me here and worked out how little sleep I've been getting. He just showed up 2 hours early. You know how good I am at not saying things I don't want to but he just dragged it all out of me like I'm an open book."

"Wait, you told him? About whatever you won't tell me?" I nodded.

"So, like, how do I know he's offering me this money because of the job, because I work hard and I deserve the wage and not because of whatever else."