The Hazards of Skinny Dipping

Chapter Twelve

To: amy_monroe@mail.com

From: juliethegreat14@mail.com

Subject: Hey

Dear Amy,

Don't worry, I'll figure it all out. Are you having fun yet?

Your Strong and Independent Cousin,

Juliet

I unlocked the door to Al's right at four-thirty. I turned on the lights and looked around. I got to work pulling down the chairs and setting up the tables. I'd never actually been there to watch Reed set up, but I just did the opposite of what we did at closing. Twenty minutes later, I set up my laptop at the counter, determined to start writing my paper. Before I could even open the blank Word document, the phone rang.

I got up to answer it, hoping it was a wrong number. When I'd agreed to open, I'd assumed I'd just be sitting around. I hadn't signed up to actually do anything. "Hello."

"Hi. Who is this?" a deep voice replied.

"You called me, remember?"

"Actually, I called my restaurant."

Oh geez, it had to be the owner. "Oh. Sorry. I'm Juliet. Reed hired me."

"Is Reed there?"

I let out a deep breath, hoping I wasn't about to get Reed in trouble. "No. He said he had to go somewhere."

"Oh. So he left you by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Interesting." He paused. "I called to give Reed a heads up that I was coming in today."

"Oh. What time?"

"Now. I'm in the car."

"I guess you'll get to meet me then."

"I guess so." He laughed. "You said your name was Juliet?"

"Yes."

"Nice. I'll see you in fifteen."

"Bye."

Fifteen minutes? The owner was going to show up in fifteen minutes? I shut down my laptop, stuffing it in my bag before stowing all of my stuff in the back. I texted Reed an SOS message, but he didn't reply. I looked around, trying to remember how Reed prepped everything. I managed to turn on the ovens when I heard the jingle of the door. I smoothed down my t-shirt, glad this one fit appropriately.

"Hello?" a male voice called.

I plastered a smile on my face and came out from behind the counter. "Hi."

"Hi, Juliet. I'm Al." A man who couldn't have been much older than thirty-five held out his hand. He had sandy brown hair with just a hint of gray.

"It's nice to meet you. Thanks for the job, by the way."

"Hiring is all Reed. I like to leave it to his discretion."

"Oh, okay, that's how he made it sound."

Al walked around me to the back. "How do you like working here so far?"

I followed behind him. "It's been nice. I just started this week."

"This week? Reed must trust you, huh?"

"I guess...or he didn't have other options. No one else comes in before eight..."

He checked out all the equipment. "Not to be too forward, but how did you and Reed meet?"

"At an event my sorority and his fraternity were having." That was the simplest explanation.