Prey Drive by Jen Stevens
Chapter 24
the lamb
an email notification, and I turn away from the counter at Old Soul so the people working at the table across from me don’t see me on it. It’s an invitation for a phone interview at Lancaster Tech, a cyber security company based in New York. I don’t remember applying there, but that isn’t saying much. It’s hard to keep track of every company I send my resume to when I’m applying to hundreds of positions a week.
I quickly type out a reply, letting them know when I’m available to call, and then shove my phone back into my pocket.
“I saw that,” Rosie admonishes, and I jump, sending a frother clattering to the ground. She laughs out loud, shaking her head.
Okay, so I’m still a little jumpy after the other night with the mystery man and the crass way he spoke to me.
“What has you so on edge today?” Rosie wonders. She grabs a rag from the sink and starts wiping down the workspace that I should be cleaning, and I bend over to pick up the frother, taking the opportunity to get my heartbeat settled back into my chest.
I don’t want to tell her about what has happened and risk having her judge me. If I'm being completely honest, I’m still embarrassed that I allowed him to touch me. I wish I had called the police. Or maybe, I could have stabbed him and ran. At least that would make me look like I fought a little. Instead, I played a game with him, then let him wash me and eat me out. And when he came back for more, pretending to care about me like some guard dog, I didn't even chase him away.
Who does that?
“I’m just tired,” I mumble the weak excuse into my chest, knowing she’ll see right through it.
Instead of bringing him up the way I think she will, Rosie stops wiping and turns to face me, lines of worry etched into her forehead. “You’ve been working your ass off lately. Maybe it’s time to take a personal day.”
I’m immediately shaking my head, dismissing the thought. “I can’t afford a day off.”
“Well, you can’t afford to run yourself into the ground, either. If you don't slow down, your body will force you to. Take the afternoon and relax. I’ll cover your shift here.”
My eyes lift to find hers, questioning whether she's serious or not. Rosie is my friend, but she’s a hardass for a boss. She’s the last person I would expect to let me off early.
But I could use a break.
“Are you sure?” I ask with a mountain of insecurity, waiting for the shoe to drop.
She twists the rag and whips it into the air at me, smacking my ass with the tip. I howl, grabbing the spot she just assaulted. The people sitting across from us scowl our way, but Rosie just laughs at me.
That shit hurt.
“Yes. Get out of here before I change my mind. I had a date with my vibrator later that I'll have to postpone now because of you.”
Chuckling, I lift off my apron and scurry out the door before she can reconsider. When I’m settled into the driver’s seat, I check my email and find a reply from the hiring manager at Lancaster Tech. She wants to chat with me tonight. Thankfully, my schedule just opened up.
I type out my message, then shift into drive, ignoring the headlights that seem to stay behind me the entire way.