Night Shift (Book 1, the Night Shift series)

Chapter Thirty-one

Daniel paced the floor of his hotel room, rubbing the back of his neck raw. There was no way to contact them, no way to know if they were all right, no way to know if they needed him for anything.

He'd been off the last few shifts. None of the guards, not even Mr. Oliver, worked every night. Still, when he didn't see his name on the schedule, his anxiety had been building. If he called the store, whoever was working security that night would answer, but what would Daniel ask them about?

"Say, any screaming coming from Ladies' Fashions?"

"By any chance was there a mannequin lying broken in a tangled heap at the bottom of the grand staircase?"

His sleep was sporadic, filled with nightmares of Mary hanging from the rooftop by her fingertips or being caught moving by one of the guards, freezing her in mid-scream...forever. Each time he woke up sweaty and twisted in the sheets.

Then there were the other dreams about Mary. He ignored every instinct that told him what he wanted was impossible. It was unnatural, he tried to convince himself, it was bizarre, and it scared the hell out of him. He even tried to replace her face and body with Monique's, but it was useless.

If he was this worried being apart from them for only two days, how would it feel when he left for good?

Daniel arrived earlier than usual for his next shift. He opened his locker and stared at the crumpled blue gift bags with the golden W. It would be a waste, he reasoned, and they are friends, in a weird sort of way. Friends can give other friends gifts, right?

He took out the Willard's shopping bags, and then shoved his backpack inside. In the middle of the staff room, a group of clerks were chatting excitedly around the information board. Clipped from the morning paper was a picture of a smiling Mr. Hadley in front of the store.

Willard's Announces Fashionable Contest

Mr. Hadley, manager of the luxurious department store, announced Willard's will host a prestigious contest for a select group of fashion design students. The front window displays, famous for lavish depictions, will be given over to the young designers to show off their best creations.

The winner of this influential event will have their design showcased at the Waldorf-Astoria in September as part of Couture Fashion Week, and be awarded a summer fellowship with the illustrious design firm Giorgio Armani.

A familiar face appeared by Daniel's side, pulling him away from the group. "So," Monique asked, with an edge to her voice, "guess who managed to squeeze into the contest even though she just started design school?"

Daniel didn't have to think too hard about this one—Monique's tone and rigid posture gave it away. "Shifty Stacey?" he guessed. Monique clicked her tongue in a satisfied way, as if to say, "told ya."

"By the way," she said, her thinly shaped brows knitted together. "Are you coming down with something? You were all distant and weird on the phone the other night."

Daniel coughed into his fist a few times. "No, not really," he said. Their phone conversation hadn't lasted long, and he couldn't remember much of what she'd said.

She looked at him with apprehensive eyes. "It's happening again, isn't it? Night shift is creeping you out. Maybe you can switch to day shift," she suggested. "Then we'll get to see each other more often! We can have breaks together in the Matinee Room! I love the cappuccino with the W in the foam. And after work we can catch the train..."

"Uh-huh," Daniel said. He kept nodding, but her voice wasn't reaching his ears. Across the room, Sean entered from the lockers, dressed in jeans and a windbreaker. He caught Daniel staring, and started to walk toward them. Monique squeezed his arm, trying to get his attention.