That night I sleep at Daphne's. We stay up late, watch the first four Harry Potter movies, and drink two bottles of wine.
I don't tell her about what happened with the photos, and I don't tell her about Kane or Weston. It's not because I don't trust her, even though we're new friends she definitely feels like someone I can trust. I also believe she wouldn't judge me. I just am not ready to talk about it, or what it means.
She can obviously tell something is wrong when I ask to stay over, but all she asks is if it's about Kai. When I shake my head, she leaves it at that, and I really like that about her.
We go to work together since we're working the same shift and my car is still in the shop. I make a mental note to ask Kai about when it would be ready to pick up. I make a second mental note to get a new phone.
"Hey Raina, pop by my office before you head out on the floor," Neil requests from the doorway to the staff locker rooms.
"Sure."
Daisy, one of the girls who works downstairs visibly shivers in disgust.
"You okay?" I ask quietly, so no one else can overhear.
She turns to me with a surprised expression. "I'm fine, why?"
"No reason, you just looked kinda uncomfortable."
She glances over her shoulder before leaning in. "There are some nasty rumors going around about Neil."
I cringe. "What kind of rumors?"
"The girl you replaced? She left suddenly with no notice. She really liked working here and she needed the job, so it didn't make sense. There is a rumor that Neil.. you know... took advantage of her," Daisy shrugs. "No one knows what really happened, she didn't report anything, but that's what people are saying."
"Who'd you hear that from?" I ask casually.
"Isla," she whispers, nodding toward the blonde across the room. "But don't tell her I told you okay?"
"We don't even talk. Don't worry about it. Has anyone ever come forward with accusations?"
Daisy shakes her head. "Not that I know of. As I said, they're rumors. But everyone knows he's kinda creepy, and rumors always start somewhere..."
I feel uncomfortable when I step into Neil's office. He's never necessarily crossed a line with me before, but my conversation with Daisy puts me on edge.
Neil stands from his desk when I arrive and crosses the room to close the door behind me.
"I hear you've been doing really well. How are you liking your job here?" He leans back against his desk.
"I love it so far. Everyone has been really welcoming." I smile awkwardly, eager for him to get to the point of this private conversation.
"Great. Good to hear. We're happy to have you. I'd like to finish up your training tonight, are you able to stay late? I need to teach you how to close up. It's unlikely you'll have to do it often, but I like everyone to know how, just in case."
"Oh, yeah no problem."
"Great!" He moves past me and opens the door, allowing me to leave. "Good luck on the floor."
I smile and nod as I leave the room.
I go over our short interaction in my mind, searching for anything even remotely unprofessional in his demeanor but come up with nothing. He was direct and appropriate from start to finish.
I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt until he gives me a reason not to. God only knows what kind of rumors Isla is spreading about me, and I know for a fact none of them are true.
If I hear the accusations from the girl herself, or someone close to her, I'd believe it in a heartbeat... but Isla? I'm obviously hesitant.
The first half of my long shift is slow, as it typically is on a weeknight. A couple of regulars keep me busy, but other than that, Daphne and I spend most of our time talking.
I notice it's the first time in a while that I don't feel like someone is watching me. There's no sign of Kane or any of his friends. I'm not sure whether I should feel relieved or on edge.
Up until today, I had assumed that feeling was because of Kane's seemingly constant eyes on me, but after the photo incident... I'm not sure of anything anymore.
The more I think about it, the more I come to the realization that it couldn't be him. It doesn't make sense. Not that any of his motives make sense.
Kane's approach seems more direct. Whatever he is doing, it doesn't feel like he is trying to hurt me or scare me. And those photos were terrifying.
He has already made it unapologetically clear he could and would get into my apartment if he wanted. It doesn't seem like his style to send that message with unexplained photos.
I truly believe Kane could stalk me without making it blatantly obvious if he chose to. He chooses to let me see him.
When I return from my dinner break, halfway through my long shift, Kai is polishing glasses behind Daphne's bar.
His whole body tenses when I approach him, but other than a quick glance, he ignores me completely.
"Where's Daphne?" I ask after a few long moments of awkward silence.
"Rooftop." He keeps his eyes on the gleaming martini glass he is overpolishing.
"Why?"
He shrugs and turns his back to me, in search of a better distraction. Clearly, I am the problem.
I exhale a frustrated huff and glare at his back. This ridiculous passive-aggressive attitude is stressing me out.
"Okay, what's your problem, Kai?"
He rolls his shoulders but keeps his back to me, ignoring me as he busies himself with a fresh tray of glasses.
"Seriously? Since when did you turn into a toddler."
He spins on his heel and slaps his palms on the marble counter. "I'm really not in the mood right now, Rae. Get back to work."
His warm eyes flare with irritation. This isn't the Kai I know. I've never seen him this pissed off before, let alone directed at me.
"Is this about what I said on facetime yesterday?"
"I'm serious, Raina. I'm your supervisor tonight. Get back to work." His tone is sharper than I realize this golden retriever of a friend is capable of. It also happens to piss me the fuck off.
"Unbelievable. Fine." I turn my back on him and stomp over to the only occupied table in my section tonight.
It's clear the two middle-aged gentlemen are having some sort of private meeting and need nothing from me. I curse the weeknight gods and search for anything to distract me from Kai's unbearable mood.
The next hour avoiding Kai is so insufferably slow. I can feel his gaze on me and by the time I run out of things to keep me busy, I am all fired up and ready for a confrontation.
"Enough of this petty bullshit, Kai. Spit it out." I hiss, leaning on the bar.
"Petty," he scoffs, laughing humorlessly before leveling me with a direct stare. "Where were you last night Raina?"
The underlying hostility in his tone takes me by surprise for a moment. "How did you–"
"I stopped by last night. I wanted to apologize for how I acted on the phone, but you weren't there." There is no mistaking the accusation.
"That's why you're pissed? Sorry I wasn't home last night. But again, I don't owe you an explanation, Kai."
Ironic that he is telling me he came over to apologize for possessive boyfriend behavior when he is actively exhibiting the exact behavior I have a problem with.
"I came by again this afternoon to pick you up for work, but again– you weren't there."
Shit. My defiant face falls as soon as I realize where I've fucked up. He sees the realization hit me and rolls his eyes.
When my car got taken in for repair, Kai offered to drive me to and from work until it was fixed. He even swapped a few of his shifts so they would line up with mine.
"Then I saw you getting out of Daphne's car."
Guilt churns my stomach. Any remaining irritation I feel towards him evaporates. Kai's frustration is completely justified. I should have called.
"Shit. I'm so sorry, Kai. I slept at Daphne's last night and we rode in together. I would have called but–"
"Save it," he waves his hand through the tense air between us and dismisses me with a scowl. "I don't wanna hear it."
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. "I forgot, I completely forgot and I'm sorry. I should have called."
My explanation goes over his head. His rigid back is already turned and we are back to ignoring each other for the rest of the shift.
I am in a terrible mood by the time closing comes around. It's just Kai and I on our floor and the tension is like a dense fog. I've never experienced him like this so I have no idea what I could possibly do to break him out of his foul mood.
I apologize, give him space to cool off, try brushing it under the rug and chat like we normally do. No bite. I am met with a blank stare and flat one-word responses if any.
I contemplate reminding him I don't need a ride home, but honestly, the offer is so far off the table it's pointless.
The second the bar is packed up and the last counter is wiped he is out the door without a second glance.
Strong women actively practicing their newfound independence don't rely on their moody guy friends for rides home.
That's what Uber and Lyft are for.
The whole club is deserted and dim by the time Neil finds me upstairs. His usual perfection is mussed and exhaustion frames his face.
"There you are. Let's get this closing done, shall we? The team downstairs already took care of the vacuuming and the bar, so all we need to do is take out the trash and start locking up."
"Alright, no problem," I reply, pushing my lingering irritation as far down as possible.
"I'm going to finish up the balances in my office while you do the trash. Find me when you're done and I'll show you how to lock up." He instructs, turning to head down the corridor towards his office.
My feet are killing me by the time I haul the heavy trash and recycling from every bar, from the rooftop to the ground floor.
I prop the back door leading to the alley behind Poseidon open with a crate and start hauling the painful process of hauling the stacks of garbage bags out into the dumpsters lining the alley.
It's dark, damp, and eerily quiet, immediately setting my nerves on edge. Unease trickles down my spine as I glance around, my vision struggling to pierce through the shadows.
My intuition tells me I'm not alone out here, but the silence is thick, not a sound besides my own shallow breathing.
I haul the last of the bags into the dumpster, cringing at the echoing impact with each toss.
I glance over my shoulder constantly, seeking any movement or sound besides my own.
"Fuck this." I exhale under my breath, darting back into the dim hallway and kicking the crate away from the door.
I watch as the heavy exit swings close, expecting a hand to dart out and catch it before it can automatically latch upon closing.
I exhale in relief as my paranoid visions remain safely in my twisted mind. I'm all alone down here.