Page 81 of Dangerous Games

Nate snickers. “My bad self and I have a date.”

“With a baddie?” I laugh. He couldn’t handle one even if he tried. They would walk all over him.

“No.” Nate playfully frowns as he winks. “Maybe the next one.”

The man is a serial dater.

“Or maybe this one could be the one you date for a while.”

“Nah,” Nate says as he punches his employee number into the register to clock out. “I’m not getting that vibe.”

“Then why are you going out with her?”

“Because it’s Monday?”

I playfully roll my eyes. “Goodbye, Nate. I can’t wait to hear all about your date tomorrow.”

“You know I’ll come with the tea. Later, girl.” Nate waves as he pushes the front door open and strolls out.

I shake my head. He’s something else.

Two more hours of this and then I can go home. Gio didn’t mention anything about picking me up, but that doesn’t mean he won’t show up unannounced. I’ve come to learn never to assume things with him. Gio wouldn’t know what a routine was if it smacked him in the face.

By the time there’s thirty minutes left until closing, I’ve already done everything I needed to do except count down the register. I could do it now, but last time I did that someone came in last minute and I had to do it all over again. It was like karma giving me the finger.

The bell on the front door chimes while I’m in the back room. “Welcome to AFK,” I call out as I walk out of the back room to greet them. “Is there anything you’re… Dad?”

I stop in my tracks, taking in my dad standing in front of me. I’ve seen him after coming off a two-week bender. I’ve seen him after a month of living at a slot machine. And I’ve seen him after living on the streets for months. But this? None of those times compared to this. The area around his eyes is sunken in, as if he hasn’t eaten since the last time I saw him in my apartment. Deep dark purple and blue circles surround his eyes. They look past the point of being tired and more like someone gave him two black eyes.

I stand there gaping at him. I’m at a loss for words.

“There’s my girl,” he croaks out through a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

Something is wrong here. Very fucking wrong.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, not moving from my spot.

“What? I can’t come by and see my favorite girl?”

My heart aches and my gut clenches as I internally flinch. It feels like he’s slapped me. I’ve never been his favorite girl no matter how hard I tried, and I know now that it will never happen. He’s here because he wants something. That’s all he sees me as, his personal ATM.

“How did you find me?” I ask as I move to tuck my hands into my back pockets and roll on the pads of my feet.

My hand hits my phone, making me think of Gio.

Dad moves his head back in disbelief, the smile still in place. “What kind of dad would I be if I didn’t know where my girl is working?”

You see, that’s the thing…he doesn’t know where I’m working or where I’ve ever worked because he’s never asked.

“I mean, you’ve never asked or shown any interest in what I’m doing with my life,” I answer his question. I know it’s rhetorical, and he’s trying to win an Oscar for his role of caring father, but I’m so fucking over the bullshit.

“I-I don’t remember when I asked,” Dad stumbles over what to say as I take the time to really study him. It’s then I notice that he’s shaking. They’re not massive, visible shakes like he’s cold. It’s a small, barely noticeable continuous shake. “But I know you’ve brought it up in conversation before.”

But I haven’t, though.

I’ve said I’ve had to work, but he’s never asked and I never offered the information. He knows there’s a job that he thinks gives him access to money when he needs it. Well, that stops today.

I wish Gio were here. He would be so proud of me for finally standing up for myself.