“You have always been like a daughter to me. You know that, right?”
I nodded. He’d always protected me. He knew my father was gone most of the time, so he became a pseudo-father figure to me in many ways.
“You’re the only one here I’m ready to talk to about this. I’m going to retire, Roxy.”
Retire? He’s going to retire? What about the bankruptcy?
“I’m ready to let this place go. I’m ready to travel the world with Judy.”
I nodded. “You deserve it, Barry.”
I had about a million and one questions, starting with what the hell was going to happen to Vintage and its employees, but I stayed quiet. It wasn’t the time for me to admit what I had seen, but Barry was retiring and leaving Vintage in the lurch since clearly there was no money left to maintain it.
ten
Every single day, the monotony of folding t-shirts caused my thoughts to wander to the possibilities ahead of me. Was it really possible for me to buy this place? I looked around the store. The café did well, for sure. I already knew I’d add in a larger menu. As an employee, I knew the store fairly well, and I knew what it was missing. Pizza, for one thing.
We sold a variety of music memorabilia, and as I looked at my surroundings, I realized how little I actually knew. I had no idea who supplied the items we sold. I didn’t know how to manage the weekly schedule or how to assign bathroom duties or who managed money.
Truthfully, I hadn’t the first clue about how to run a business.
But I was dying to learn so that I could save Vintage.
I had to.
It was my first true love, the first thing in my life that had always been there for me. It owned a piece of my soul, and I didn’t have it in me to stand by and watch it crumble because Barry was retiring or filing bankruptcy or whatever was going on.
I was brought out of my thoughts by the jingle of my cell phone signaling a new text message.
I checked around me to be sure there weren’t any customers before taking my phone out of my pocket to read the text.
It was from Parker.
Three more days. I don’t know how I’m going to get through them.
I smiled down at my phone before firing off a response. Any time tonight for Facetime? Or maybe phone sex?
Can’t we combine the two?
I blushed at the thought even as I realized how much I loved the idea.
Phone sex while we were watching each other? It felt forbidden and naughty. And kind of perfect.
Parker texted again before I had a chance to respond. We’re on the bus tonight. But that doesn’t mean I can’t watch you.
How did a simple text turn into that?
Maybe. I miss you.
I miss you, too.
How are things going?
A customer was snaking his way through the aisles, so I stuck my phone back in my pocket.
“Do you have this shirt in a medium?” he asked, holding up a black t-shirt.
I always tried my best to be friendly with customers. This one had a sort of eerie sense about him, though. He was tall and well-built. He wore black pants and a black shirt under a black leather jacket. His hair was greased back, and he wore sunglasses over his forehead—not on his eyes and not on top of his head—like a douche. “All of our stock is on the floor, but I can help you check the pile.”
“I don’t need it. I just needed an ice breaker.”
I looked up sharply at him. In the back of my mind, I wondered where Tim was. Aside from Heather in the café, who was focused on blending something quite loudly in a blender, just Tim and I were working the afternoon lull. Tim tended to work in Barry’s office during our down time.
“An ice breaker?”
“Are you Gideon Price’s daughter?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“I have a message for someone named Roxanna. Your nametag tells me you’re Roxy, which could be a nickname for Roxanna.”
A shiver ran through my blood. This was the first sign I’d seen of him since I’d been back, and I suddenly felt very alone.
“Who is this message from?”
He was silent.
I masked my fear as well as I could manage under the circumstances. I tried a different approach. “What’s the message?”
“He knows the engagement is fake. And you’re both fair game.”
“Get the fuck out of my store,” I said, my voice breaking like a teenager in puberty.
I didn’t want to show him my fear, but I couldn’t hide it.
He spun on his heel and walked to the exit. With a quick flick of his wrist, he lowered his sunglasses to his eyes.
I stood in place, shaking.
“You okay?” A voice pulled me out of my trance and I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I spun around and my eyes met Tim’s.
I shook my head, unable to speak.
“What’s going on?”
I drew in a shuddering breath before attempting to answer. Tim waited patiently.
“A man came in and threatened me.”
“What?”
“My dad’s got an enemy. That’s all. It’s okay.”
Tim sighed. “It’s not okay. I should’ve been out here with you.”
“Why? It’s not your fault. You’ve never felt the need to be out here before.”
His face cooled slightly from the warmth he usually directed toward me. “Are you okay now?”
I nodded and turned back to the shirts I’d been folding before Randy’s crony came into my store, losing myself in my thoughts.
My dad was married to someone who he stole from Randy.
It only made sense that Randy would be after me because he had some twisted need for revenge on my dad.
Randy’s closest connection to me at the moment was his ex, the former porn star Jadyn Snow. And I still didn’t trust her.
Randy was after me—and according to the message, apparently Parker was on his radar, too.
An eye for an eye. My dad hurt Randy when he stole away someone who Randy loved, so Randy was going to hurt someone my dad cared about for revenge.
My dad and Randy had a history that surely went back further than my dad stealing Randy’s girl.
My dad had called it a “need to know” basis, and I felt like it was about time I was in the know.
Tim was up front at the register. “I’m going in back for a break,” I yelled, and without waiting for a response, I headed into the break room to call my dad.
“Hey CC,” he answered on the second ring. He sounded tired.
“Dad, some guy just came into the store with a message.”
“From?”
“Didn’t say.”
“Fuck.” His voice was a low growl. “What did he say?”
“That he knows the engagement isn’t real and that Parker and I are both fair game.”
He paused and drew in a sharp breath. “I think you need some time off.”
“I was just off for a month while I was on your tour. Remember? I can’t take more time off. They’ll fire me.”
“Then let them fire you. You don’t need that job.”
“Do you even give a shit about what I want?”
“Of course I give a shit. But I won’t take unnecessary risks with your life.”
“Isn’t that a little dramatic?” I was hoping he’d say that yes, he was being very dramatic. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject.
“Where the hell was Bruno?” he asked. Bruno had been following me pretty much everywhere in Parker’s absence.
“He looked like a customer. There’s no way he would’ve known.”
“It’s his job to know. I’ll talk to George.”
“Dad, it’s fine.”
“No, it isn’t. If it was fine, you wouldn’t have called me.”