Page 13 of It Runs in the Family

“The new kid has a name. Elijah. And you were just as messy before he started.”

“Nah,” he said, his gaze on his iPad. “The kid before him was messy too.”

I pointed to the mustard stain on his shirt. “And I suppose Elijah did that too?”

He glanced down and shrugged. “Like I said, the kid’s messy.”

“Be careful,” I said, “Jimmy fixed the camera over the register, and he’ll fire you if he finds out you’re eating his hotdogs without paying for them.”

He chuckled. “Amateur. You just have to know the blind spots on the surveillance cameras.”

My head popped up. “How did you find the blind spots?”

Rolling his eyes, he turned off his iPad. “You really are an amateur. You’ve never looked at the surveillance footage?”

Here was the opportunity I didn’t know I was looking for. “No. How do you do it?”

“It’s on the computer in his office. The password is in the desk drawer.”

I propped a hand on my hip. “Why do I feel like you’re settin’ me up?”

He lifted his hands in surrender. “I’m not. I swear. You and I have been here longer than anyone else, so I figure we need to stick together.” He had a look in his eyes that made me wary.

“Hmm…”

“Plus, I figure if I help you out, maybe you can do a guy a favor and go out with me.”

Gross. Mannie was forty-plus years old and still lived with his mother, although I couldn’t really hold the last part against him. Over half the town had multiple generations living under one roof. The difference was, Mannie didn’t help his mother at all financially. He put most of his paycheck into tricking out his old Charger and buying crap for his video game obsession.

“Who’s the guy I’d be doing a favor for?” I asked. It wasn’t lost on me that two creeps had asked me the same thing within a few hours. Talk about a dry spell.

He laughed. “You’re a funny one. Me.”

“I thought you had a girlfriend.”

“I did, but she was all about me spending money on her. When she wanted to go to Cabo, and I told her I was saving up to buy a spoiler for my car, she dumped me. Ungrateful bitch. You give them Arby’s once a week, and this is how they repay you.”

“Big spender,” I murmured.

“I know!” he said in outrage.

I drew in an exaggerated breath, then pushed it out. “Look, Mannie, while flattered, I make it a policy to never date someone I work with.”

“I’m sure you could make an exception for me,” he said with what he probably thought was a devilish grin. It just made him look creepier.

I placed a hand on my chest. While there was no way I’d go out with him, I didn’t want to hurt his feelings either. “And when you break my heart, how will we work together?” I shook my head. “No. Better to just stay friends until one of us stops working here.”

A huge grin spread across his face. “Good to know. See you tomorrow, Iris.” He picked up his iPad and walked out the back door.

Surely, the fool wouldn’t quit a job he’d been working for two and a half years because he was hoping for a date with me.

The auto part plant rush hit around 11:20 and lasted longer than usual. While ringing the guys up, I kept an eye on the parking lot, relieved when I saw Garrett pull into a space and wait in his car until the crowd dwindled.

The store was empty when he walked up to the counter and put two dollars on the counter. I gave him a questioning look.

“For the giant cup of coffee I’m about to get.”

I shoved it back at him. “I’m about to pour the pot out anyway. Just grab a cup.” I told him what Mannie had said about the surveillance cameras, including that the password was supposedly kept in the desk drawer.