Read Online The Chick and the Dead by Casey Daniels - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Casey Daniels
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Harmony walked in alone.
I went right inside after her.
I didn't want Harmony to know I was there, so I made sure I kept my distance. I trailed behind her, through the produce aisle, past the canned goods, all the way over to a section of the store that someone who'd never seen the inside of Saks had the nerve to label "Cosmetics." In their dreams, I told myself, and watched around the corner of a display of Puffs as Harmony looked over the ninety-six-cents-a-bottle shampoo and the two-ninety-five nail polish. She glanced toward the front of the store, and when another shopper came by, she reached for a bottle of conditioner and pretended she was reading the label. When that shopper disappeared, she went for the nail polish.
I knew she would.
It was the smallest thing there, and that meant it was the easiest to pocket. Didi was nowhere around. Too bad. I wouldn't have minded a little input on the right way to handle this sticky situation. It struck me that like Harmony, I had nobody to fall back on but myself, and I trusted my instincts and followed Harmony to the checkout.
There were only two registers and one was closed, the lane blocked by a cart full of boxes of cheese crackers. The only way to the door was past a male clerk with a bad overbite and an eagle eye that looked Harmony up and down and stopped at the bulge in her jeans pocket. His thin lips twitched into a predatory smile. He made a move to come around the counter. I was faster.
Before he could step away from the register, I'd already plunked a five-dollar bill on the sticky conveyor belt (I didn't want to think about sticky with what) in front of him.
"Harmony," I said, startling the girl, who didn't know I was right behind her, "let me get that. Remember, I promised I'd pay for your next bottle of nail polish."
Harmony's spine stiffened. She reached in her pocket, pulled out the nail polish and slapped it onto the counter.
"I changed my mind," she said. "This stuff is shit. I don't want it."
"But it's exactly the color you were looking for." I smiled and added the little lilt to my voice that guys always found so irresistible. It worked on the clerk (who was so busy staring at my chest, he hardly paid any attention to what Harmony and I were talking about). Lilt or no lilt, it didn't do a thing to cool the fire that shot from Harmony's eyes when she glanced over her shoulder at me.
"I said I don't want it," she hissed.
"And I said I'll be happy to pay for it for you."
She walked away.
I grabbed my five and followed.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
It was the question I should have asked, but Harmony beat me to it.
"What do you mean, what am I doing?" I was filled with my share of righteous indignation, and when we got as far as the row of gumball machines lined against the wall near the front door, I stopped, my fists on my hips. "I'm trying to save you from a criminal record, that's what I'm doing. Did you think you were going to get away with that?"
Harmony raised her chin and looked me in the eye. "I would have. And now…" She glanced outside. Shayla had been waiting by the door, watching. Her lip curled, she turned and left. All the other kids did, too.
Seeing them walk away, Harmony's shoulders slumped. "She said I could hang out with them." she grumbled, "if I could prove I wanted to bad enough."
It sounded so much like what Tiffany Blaine had said to me all those years before, it made my stomach bunch. "Shoplifting doesn't prove anything," I told Harmony, ignoring the fact that for me, cheating had proved to be my entree into the in crowd. "You're going to get in trouble."
"Fuck off," Harmony said. She turned her back on me and walked away. I had no choice but to follow her out of the store, but I made sure I stayed far behind. When it came to counseling skills, I was a zero; there was no use belaboring the point. I plunked down on the bench outside the front door of the grocery store and watched Harmony head back toward
I went right inside after her.
I didn't want Harmony to know I was there, so I made sure I kept my distance. I trailed behind her, through the produce aisle, past the canned goods, all the way over to a section of the store that someone who'd never seen the inside of Saks had the nerve to label "Cosmetics." In their dreams, I told myself, and watched around the corner of a display of Puffs as Harmony looked over the ninety-six-cents-a-bottle shampoo and the two-ninety-five nail polish. She glanced toward the front of the store, and when another shopper came by, she reached for a bottle of conditioner and pretended she was reading the label. When that shopper disappeared, she went for the nail polish.
I knew she would.
It was the smallest thing there, and that meant it was the easiest to pocket. Didi was nowhere around. Too bad. I wouldn't have minded a little input on the right way to handle this sticky situation. It struck me that like Harmony, I had nobody to fall back on but myself, and I trusted my instincts and followed Harmony to the checkout.
There were only two registers and one was closed, the lane blocked by a cart full of boxes of cheese crackers. The only way to the door was past a male clerk with a bad overbite and an eagle eye that looked Harmony up and down and stopped at the bulge in her jeans pocket. His thin lips twitched into a predatory smile. He made a move to come around the counter. I was faster.
Before he could step away from the register, I'd already plunked a five-dollar bill on the sticky conveyor belt (I didn't want to think about sticky with what) in front of him.
"Harmony," I said, startling the girl, who didn't know I was right behind her, "let me get that. Remember, I promised I'd pay for your next bottle of nail polish."
Harmony's spine stiffened. She reached in her pocket, pulled out the nail polish and slapped it onto the counter.
"I changed my mind," she said. "This stuff is shit. I don't want it."
"But it's exactly the color you were looking for." I smiled and added the little lilt to my voice that guys always found so irresistible. It worked on the clerk (who was so busy staring at my chest, he hardly paid any attention to what Harmony and I were talking about). Lilt or no lilt, it didn't do a thing to cool the fire that shot from Harmony's eyes when she glanced over her shoulder at me.
"I said I don't want it," she hissed.
"And I said I'll be happy to pay for it for you."
She walked away.
I grabbed my five and followed.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
It was the question I should have asked, but Harmony beat me to it.
"What do you mean, what am I doing?" I was filled with my share of righteous indignation, and when we got as far as the row of gumball machines lined against the wall near the front door, I stopped, my fists on my hips. "I'm trying to save you from a criminal record, that's what I'm doing. Did you think you were going to get away with that?"
Harmony raised her chin and looked me in the eye. "I would have. And now…" She glanced outside. Shayla had been waiting by the door, watching. Her lip curled, she turned and left. All the other kids did, too.
Seeing them walk away, Harmony's shoulders slumped. "She said I could hang out with them." she grumbled, "if I could prove I wanted to bad enough."
It sounded so much like what Tiffany Blaine had said to me all those years before, it made my stomach bunch. "Shoplifting doesn't prove anything," I told Harmony, ignoring the fact that for me, cheating had proved to be my entree into the in crowd. "You're going to get in trouble."
"Fuck off," Harmony said. She turned her back on me and walked away. I had no choice but to follow her out of the store, but I made sure I stayed far behind. When it came to counseling skills, I was a zero; there was no use belaboring the point. I plunked down on the bench outside the front door of the grocery store and watched Harmony head back toward
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