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In the case of Hayley here, I’m not exactly sure who summoned her, whether I was at fault, or doting Dad had more than just Nick on his mind all along. Either way, whatever’s gonna happen next... I was sorely tempted to quit my job and never find out just to stave away the awkwardness that was bound to envelop the entire premise.

Harry caught the look on my face, and before I could deter him with a warning whisper, he casually glanced behind him, and they saw each other, and just like that, it was all over.

It was almost frightening how visible it was seeing the smile being robbed from Hayley’s expression. I’ve only ever known her cheerful and sly, and so this tenseness, this coldness gradually filling the look in her eyes... I know Harry had already gone on and on about how much she hated him... but actually seeing it still kinda caught me off guard to know just how much it really was.

Hayley began to slowly walk over toward us, walking the walk that was not the springy, lively Hayley I knew. Then just as stiffly, Harry whirled back around to the front, suddenly looking a whole lot lesser inside his lavish suit, his eyes just staring blankly forward without a word.

“Hey, morning,” Hayley greeted me, wearing a smaller smile now as she strolled on over behind the counter. “Wasn’t expecting you here today considering last night. I wouldn’t have minded getting a text saying you’ll be too busy puking down the toilet all morning.”

Did my boss just tell me that I had the all-clear to skimp out my job? Shit, what the hell was I staying up all morning for, then?

.....

“Well, considering Nick, I didn’t think I’d have a job after today if I hadn’t come,” I replied, a little surprised at how normal I sounded. “So I’m making do with just puking down the staff toilet instead.”

“Okay, scary Nick, that makes sense... and he wonders why we don’t get more people wanting to work with him, seriously...” She shook her head, then brazenly veered her gaze over at the sight of all the filled tables. “A hangover, and you still manage to hang on with all this? Know what? Maybe, perhaps, a raise is in due.”

Despite being literally inches apart, Hayley acted as if the stool in front of us was completely empty, like Harry only existed permanently in her blind spot. And to be fair, it was not like he was also doing much to amplify his presence. Harry kept his head down, shrinking smaller and smaller in his seat by the second, and if not for the breath he was still drawing, I’d have thought he had frozen stiff into a statue.

“Sorry you had no backup on the shift, must have been pretty hectic this morning, huh?” Hayley continued to act casual. “But the good news is now you got yours truly to help you out here! So you can sit back, relax, and leave all the hard work to-”

“Um, Hayley...”

At once, Hayley stopped speaking. In her eyes, I could see her flinch in blinks. She couldn’t see him still, but I knew then that she definitely had heard him. There was no hiding that. Yet she recovered quickly, nonchalantly picking up where she left off with another smile.

“Actually I think I’m gonna go ready up a bit more in the back first,” She said, stiffly patting me on the shoulder. “Be strong for just a little longer, alright?”

Then before anyone could do anything else, Hayley shuffled past me and instantly vanished into the doorway. Seeing her disappear, Harry let out an audible gasp of breath, he sounded deeply disappointed... and it might just be my imagination, but he also sounded a little relieved.

“Saw the way she looked at me just now?” Harry asked me, sipping his drink and collecting his composure. “That’s my everyday every time I try to settle things with her. Still, I can handle that. But being ignored though, pretending I don’t exist... that... that hurts the most.”

“Well, you keep showing up like this, she can’t ignore you forever,” I said.

“Inconveniencing her is not going to earn me any favors. If she doesn’t want to see me, then...”

“Then you’ll just stop?” I interrupted. “You looked at her, and only spoke once, and barely at that. C’mon, you didn’t even try yet.”

“I did try,” He said. “Yesterday, I asked to meet with both of them, and I-”

But he was stopped before he could elaborate any further. He heard it, and I heard it, those large stomping thuds growing closer and closer. By the time I glanced back at the doorway, Nick was already standing there filling the wide gap, an uncanny familial resemblance showing in the shape of his large brooding eyes.

I guess Hayley must have snitched back there, and the filial son over here quickly came running.

“Dad,” Nick spoke, sounding gentle and less like his usual gruff and tough self. “What are you doing here? Its work hours, you know Hayley’s here, you’re not supposed to-”

“Oh right, yeah... slipped my mind,” Harry briskly brushed it off, and immediately he was laxer, more chipper, at the sight of his other kid. “Anyway, I just wanted to see my son hard at work, and maybe you know...” less-than-subtly, he nudged the present further across the counter. “...try and get a surprise look out of him. I was planning on doing this at my own pace, but... I suppose this shall do too.”

If Harry was expecting a cheerful gasp, Nick to jump for joy, or even the slightest smile, then he didn’t get it. The young giant of a man pursed his lips, a visible strain etched atop his furrowed brows, and with an air heaving than his usual, he turned towards me.

“Go home,” He said.

“Go...?” I nearly dropped the cup I was wiping to pretend I was doing something. “I still got three hours left in my shift though.”

“And I’m telling you to spend them elsewhere,” He replied impatiently. “Hayley said you should take a step back. I’m convinced. Fill out the leave form, take your stuff, and go. I’ll take care of things from here.”

None of what he was saying sounded like the Nick I knew at all. If I’m breathing, I’m working, that was his life motto... so it was obvious this was just a brazen attempt to keep me from getting tangled in whatever the hell was about to go down now.

And while I understand wanting to keep private affairs private... that didn’t stop me from wanting to stay anyway.

“Better get a move on, then, part-timer,” Harry said to me, giving me a peculiar look. “It was nice chatting... let’s hope we can do so again some other time, huh?”

I knew when to read between the lines, and while quite ostensibly stubborn time I usually was... this one time here, I decided to back off.

“Won’t say no to less work,” I muttered, placing the cup down. “Right, I’ll take you up on that offer. I’ll just hop in the back, find the form, and...”

“Actually, never mind about the form,” Nick hurriedly said, before I could walk a single step to the doorway. “I’ll... I’ll fill it out myself. You can just go. The sooner you can rest, the better.”

Look at that, I’m not even allowed in the back room no more. Why, what would I see if I entered?

Images of Hayley pacing, fuming there, wearing a silent simmering expression of utter disgust filled my imagination, and the kind of things he had said to Nick upon seeing her dad at her premises. But as for confirming my suspicions... I backed off on that too.

“Just out the door then?” I asked.

“Yeah...” Nick muttered, no longer looking at me, staring dead in the eye at his old man. “Out the door with you.”

Subtle.

I waved to Harry as I strolled past him, whispered a bit of good luck that I didn’t think he heard over the sound of roaring laughter from the other patrons. He waved back, smiled, and that was where I left him as I pushed open the front door.

Whatever will happen will happen... and whatever does happen... I hope I’ll get to find out sooner rather than later. But for now, though... I suppose I better go pick up my costume for the movie shoot starting soon.

According to Amanda’s text that I’ve left unread, I’m supposed to be at the abandoned building we had scouted over the day before. Not really looking forward to wandering those decrepit empty halls again... but you gotta do what you gotta do, I suppose.

Let’s find out if my Chester-acting skills had gotten rusty.