Phenomenal X
Page 23

I’m afraid of getting my heart broken.
“Come on, Anna, we’re going to be late. If there’s one thing Andy hates, it’s tardiness, so hurry your cute ass up. You want to make a good impression on your first day,” Quinn calls from her bedroom—our bedroom now.
I finish pulling my hair up into a high ponytail and rush out of the bathroom. “I’m ready.”
She appraises my outfit—black shorts that read “Staff” across the butt and a bright green shirt with “Property of Larry” across my chest. “You look great!”
I tug at the shorts, wishing they were a little longer. “I’m not so sure about this outfit, Quinn. It’s not very me.”
She grabs her keys off the dresser. “Isn’t that the point? I thought you wanted to do the opposite of what you’d normally do.”
I frown. “It is, but it’s all a little much to get used to at one time.”
She wraps her slender arm around my shoulders as we walk toward the front door. “I promise it won’t be so bad. All the girls dress like this. Trust me. You’ll be thanking me when you’re counting your tips.”
Quinn drives us to work in her Honda, and fills me in about the job and what I can expect. I nod in all the correct places, trying to pretend I’m not a complete mess inside. My nerves are in overdrive. Who knew starting a job would make me feel like a crazy person?
We pull into the parking lot of Larry’s, and I stare at the brick building, anxious to get inside while simultaneously wishing I could run away.
Quinn must sense my unease, because she pats my arm. “Don’t worry. You’re going to do great.”
I give her a small smile. “Thanks. I’ll try not to let you down.”
The moment we walk in through the back door, clearly marked “Employees Only” my nose is assaulted with the smell of fried, greasy food. Bodies flit around the tight kitchen so quickly I’m not sure where to point my gaze first. Two guys, wearing green t-shirts with the same slogan as mine, wave to Quinn from behind the grill. I fully expect my cousin to be polite and greet our coworkers, but instead she raises her left hand as we pass and flips them the middle finger.
“Quinn, baby, don’t be like that,” the taller of the two guys whines.
She doesn’t even glance in his direction, and the cook frowns. I’m not sure who he is, but he’s cute with floppy brown hair and boyish good looks.
It appears Quinn hasn’t told me everything about this place.
The blond cook beside the one who just spoke to Quinn allows his eyes to roam over my body, spending a noticeable amount of time on my chest.
“Did you bring us fresh meat, Quinnie?”
“Fuck off, Tyler. Don’t even think about it. Anna is off-limits.” She stops dead in her tracks and directs an evil stare at the brown-haired cook. “That means you too, Brock. You come near her or me, I’ll shank you where you stand.”
Tyler holds up his hands in surrender. “Damn, Quinnie, who pissed in your Wheaties?”
She narrows her eyes at the two men. “Ask your butt-buddy.”
Tyler immediately whips his head in Brock’s direction and gives his arm a small shove. “Did you two break up? A fucking warning would’ve been nice, dude.”
Brock shrugs, like he can’t come up with a better explanation than that.
My eyes widen. She never even mentioned a boyfriend to me before, and by the sounds of things, the breakup was pretty recent. Even Tyler, who seems to know them both appears stunned, like the news is shocking.
“Unbelievable!” Quinn mutters before tearing through the kitchen.
“Quinn, wait!” Brock calls after as he chases her through the door, leaving me alone in the kitchen with Tyler.
He flips the meat sizzling on the grill and shakes his head, a strand of his shaggy blond hair falling in his eyes. “Those two are nuts. I can’t keep up.”
Curious, I ask, “Have they been together long?”
Tyler lifts one shoulder in a noncommittal answer. “On and off for the past couple of months, I guess.” He looks up at me, a flick of recognition flaring in his brown eyes. “You’re her cousin, right? The one from Seattle or something?”
“Portland,” I correct him. “I’m Anna.”
He laughs. “The name I got—right around when Quinnie was warning me to stay away from you.”
I laugh too, feeling strangely at ease with the guy. He seems harmless, and he must be pretty close to my own age. I can see Tyler and me being friends. Working here might actually be fun, and not the terrifying place I expected it to be.
Feeling the need to fill the dead air lingering between us, I attempt to make small talk. “Have you been here long?”
“Close to a year. Quinnie and Brock have been here longer. Brock’s my cousin,” he adds.
“Glad to hear I’m not the only one who had a little inside help getting a job,” I tease.
Tyler rakes his eyes over me again and then shakes his head, an amused smile on his face. “I don’t think you would’ve had a problem without your cousin’s help.”
From out of nowhere a short, balding man smacks Tyler on the back of the head. “No hitting on our new employees.”
“Ouch! Jesus, Andy, I was only being friendly,” Tyler wails.
“Flirt on your own time. You.” Andy turns his attention to me and I hold my breath ready for a word of warning as well. “You’re Quinn’s sister, Annie, right?”