Synthetic Darkness (MFM)

Chapter 13: The End Of The Booty Calls

"You look here, little man. That girl adores you. Has since she first stepped foot in this store."

Kale scoffed at her words, but she plowed on.

"All I am saying, is she doesn't deseve to be treated like a piece of shit on the bottom of your shoe. You think she comes here on a semi-daily basis for the selection? No. She comes on your scheduled days so she can try and get to know you. Since you repeatedly decline every invitation for coffee, lunch, or whatever. She comes here. To spend time. With you." Her finger punctuated her words. Pushing into his ribs and making him wince. "Not me, not the inventory. You." Another deathly poke. "So pull your head out of your ass and get out of whatever funk it is you're in."

"Well, thanks Ms. Professor on Life and Love, enjoyed the lecture, truly, but if all you're going to do is tell me what I have to do, you can go back to doing the job you're paid to do."

Kale slammed the display case closed and stormed off without locking it. He was not in the mood to listen to Raven nag him. She didn't know what was going on inside his head and he wasn't about to tell her. All that would cause was more lectures on how much he had fucked up his life.

His feet carried him to the office. Finally, peace and quiet.

"What's up, Kale?" Alan turned his desk chair around and looked Kale up and down.

"Oh, sorry, didn't know you were still here. Nothing, just taking a quick break."

Alan nodded and turned back to the spreadsheet full of numbers. The kid looked bad, that he had noticed first thing that morning. As the day wore on, his attitude and appearance didn't change. It worried Alan. Raven would never let him hear the end of it if she heard him say it, but Kale was his best employee. Never missed work, always came in when he was needed on a day off, had a wonderful customer friendly personality. Seeing him out of sorts, was unnatural. Alan spun around again and watched Kale.

His head was tilted up, looking at the ceiling, black fringe bangs covering half his face. He had his arms at his side, but his hands kept flexing and unflexing. One leg bent up behind him and his foot planted on the wall. He looked distraught.

Kale noticed Alan's quiet inspection and muttered an apology.

"Kale, when's the last time you went home early?"

"I don't think I've ever have."

"Today marks a first for you then kid. Because today, you are."

Kale went to argue, but Alan just held his hands up. It was pointless, so he shut his mouth and nodded.

"Thanks." He grabbed his car keys from his cubby and went to walk out the door.

"Whatever is that's bothering you, I hope you can resolve it. If you need to, you know you can always talk to me."

Once again, Kale just nodded. He spotted Raven making her way towards him on his way out. He gave her the stank eye and walked towards the front doors.

He unlocked the car and got in. His fingers shook as he pulled his phone out and texted Jason. Whatever it was that had him tied in knots, Jason might be able to pound out of him. He checked the time on his phone. 6:48 p.m. Jason would be getting off work in tweleve minutes.

He tucked his phone in the small hole where the door handle was and started his car. The setting sun shone through the trees that lined the street. He stopped at a red light and waited for it to turn green. The silence in the car became apparent when his phone's ringtone for Jason went off.

"I'll keep you my dirty little secret 

Dirty little secret  

Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret