gauges in her lobes. The purple and pink I was smothered by is her hair. Hair. I’ve never seen anything, or anyone, quite like her.
And I know her?
Her face puckers up; her lips squishing together makes the piercing on her upper lip do a strange wiggle thing.
“Do I know you?” I finally choke out. Her hands are still on my shoulders, an odd look on her face, and then she looks at Tyler before looking slowly back at me.
“You don’t remember?”
I shake my head. Remember what? Her? Uh, no. She’s pretty unforgettable
She bites her finger nail which has a skull and cross bones painted on it. She’s … odd. And then she looks at my dress and makes what appears to be an expression on her face that probably mirrors mine.
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t.”
“Oh, shit. Adam said you’d come back to work when you remembered everything. I just assumed since you’re here.”
“I work … here?” My eyes glance all over the coffee shop as she nods. It’s far from a Starbucks. It’s local, that’s for sure. Artwork of the mountains is interspersed on the walls with posters for bands and open mic night at … Hooka Joe’s?
I work at a place called Hooka Joe’s. I snort.
“Yes, and you love it. We’re like best friends. Well except for Adam and Kelsey of course, but okay, we’re like best co-worker friends. Seriously.”
My eyes get wider and wider with every high-pitched word she says. Best co-worker friends? Those exist?
I look back at Tyler and he’s choking on his drink. Or laughing. Whichever.
“Oh.” Because really, what else do I say to her? “What’s your name? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, I just don’t …”
“Remember.” She cuts me off with a frown. It turns to a smile so quickly I wonder if it existed in the first place. “Adam told me everything. I’m Preston. We were all worried about you, but you’re here!”
And with that final squeal, I’m wrapped in a death grip again, my hands frozen at my sides as she sort of lays half over the leather chair and almost in my lap. Squeezing me. Hard.
I cough and try to push her off and hear Tyler making some strange chortling sound in the background. I flip him off with my free hand.
“So anyway,” she says as she pulls back again. “You don’t remember, yet. And gosh, that really forking sucks. But if you want your job back, we could use the help. Just let me know.”
“Are you the manager?”
She stands to her full height, probably somewhere around five feet tall, and places her hands on her hips. “I’m the owner. You’re the manager, at least during the daytime. I have Benjamin who manages everything at night, but he’s sick today.”
My eyes go wider. I didn’t even know they could grow this big. She’s wearing a black skin-tight shirt with “Hooka Girl” in bright pink across the chest. It looks familiar, and then I remember where I’ve seen it. It’s in my closet. I haven’t worn it yet because I thought Hooka was a band name, or short for Hooker. And that just seems like a weird thing to advertise across my breasts.
“So you’ll call me, right?” Preston says as she walks away with a wide smile. “Get back on the schedule? No pressure, just whenever you’re ready let me know.”
“Yeah …”
Tyler bows his head, his entire body is shaking so hard I think he might be convulsing. I kick his shin.
“Shut up.”
“Who in the hell was that?” he chokes out through his laughter.
I take the last sip of my drink, sorry that it’s empty. She was kind of fun, even if a bit overwhelming. “Preston. My boss, I guess.”
And then we both dissolve into another fit of laughter.
“Do you need a ride home?” Tyler asks me once he finishes his coffee and I sip on a fresh ice water. We’ve been talking for who knows how long, getting caught up. Apparently he bought a place in the neighborhood so he could finally live on his own before he goes to law school in the fall. I would have
And I know her?
Her face puckers up; her lips squishing together makes the piercing on her upper lip do a strange wiggle thing.
“Do I know you?” I finally choke out. Her hands are still on my shoulders, an odd look on her face, and then she looks at Tyler before looking slowly back at me.
“You don’t remember?”
I shake my head. Remember what? Her? Uh, no. She’s pretty unforgettable
She bites her finger nail which has a skull and cross bones painted on it. She’s … odd. And then she looks at my dress and makes what appears to be an expression on her face that probably mirrors mine.
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t.”
“Oh, shit. Adam said you’d come back to work when you remembered everything. I just assumed since you’re here.”
“I work … here?” My eyes glance all over the coffee shop as she nods. It’s far from a Starbucks. It’s local, that’s for sure. Artwork of the mountains is interspersed on the walls with posters for bands and open mic night at … Hooka Joe’s?
I work at a place called Hooka Joe’s. I snort.
“Yes, and you love it. We’re like best friends. Well except for Adam and Kelsey of course, but okay, we’re like best co-worker friends. Seriously.”
My eyes get wider and wider with every high-pitched word she says. Best co-worker friends? Those exist?
I look back at Tyler and he’s choking on his drink. Or laughing. Whichever.
“Oh.” Because really, what else do I say to her? “What’s your name? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, I just don’t …”
“Remember.” She cuts me off with a frown. It turns to a smile so quickly I wonder if it existed in the first place. “Adam told me everything. I’m Preston. We were all worried about you, but you’re here!”
And with that final squeal, I’m wrapped in a death grip again, my hands frozen at my sides as she sort of lays half over the leather chair and almost in my lap. Squeezing me. Hard.
I cough and try to push her off and hear Tyler making some strange chortling sound in the background. I flip him off with my free hand.
“So anyway,” she says as she pulls back again. “You don’t remember, yet. And gosh, that really forking sucks. But if you want your job back, we could use the help. Just let me know.”
“Are you the manager?”
She stands to her full height, probably somewhere around five feet tall, and places her hands on her hips. “I’m the owner. You’re the manager, at least during the daytime. I have Benjamin who manages everything at night, but he’s sick today.”
My eyes go wider. I didn’t even know they could grow this big. She’s wearing a black skin-tight shirt with “Hooka Girl” in bright pink across the chest. It looks familiar, and then I remember where I’ve seen it. It’s in my closet. I haven’t worn it yet because I thought Hooka was a band name, or short for Hooker. And that just seems like a weird thing to advertise across my breasts.
“So you’ll call me, right?” Preston says as she walks away with a wide smile. “Get back on the schedule? No pressure, just whenever you’re ready let me know.”
“Yeah …”
Tyler bows his head, his entire body is shaking so hard I think he might be convulsing. I kick his shin.
“Shut up.”
“Who in the hell was that?” he chokes out through his laughter.
I take the last sip of my drink, sorry that it’s empty. She was kind of fun, even if a bit overwhelming. “Preston. My boss, I guess.”
And then we both dissolve into another fit of laughter.
“Do you need a ride home?” Tyler asks me once he finishes his coffee and I sip on a fresh ice water. We’ve been talking for who knows how long, getting caught up. Apparently he bought a place in the neighborhood so he could finally live on his own before he goes to law school in the fall. I would have
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