Free Absolute Zero by Lynn Rush

business is a lot harder than it looks,” Georgia said, as she mopped up the floor. “How’s Scott do it all by himself?”
    “He’s got Jasmine helping him a bunch now. But before I was his free labor.”
    “But all this money and counting down the drawer stuff. Ugh.”
    “We’ll just leave it all for him when they come home.” I glanced at my watch. “They should be landing in Minnesota about now, right?”
    Georgia stopped and pulled out her phone. “They’re two hours ahead, right?”
    “Until Daylight Savings ends, then it’s only one. They’ll call when they land.”
    “Where’s Zach been all day? I thought for sure he’d stop by and hang with us.”
    “He’s in a living prison at his house or work. But you’re right, he hasn’t returned my text from earlier. Wonder if he got Ms. Snooty home okay last night.”
    “What’s up with her, Mandy? Seriously.”
    “She’s nuts.”
    “But going to PCC, too? She didn’t go there because of Zach, did she? I mean, she’s not that nuts is she?”
    “Man, I hope not, because I don’t want to get all up in a cat fight with her. But Zach did seem a little squirrely around her last night.”
    “You noticed, too?”
    “Crap. I was hoping it was my imagination.”
    “Nope. Sorry.”
    My gut sank to the floor as I wiped down the counter. “You know what? I’m going take out the trash before the evening rush, okay?”
    “There’s another rush? Feels like we just got done with one.”
    “It’s the weekend, people come in waves. Deal with it.” I flicked a little slush from my finger in her direction. She zapped it with some fire before it hit her face.
    I flung my soggy rag onto the counter and spun on my heel toward the prep area. I grabbed the three garbage bags and a couple boxes and headed out toward the back dumpster. Yeah, a little bit of heavy lifting would shake Zach from my mind. Something nagged at me about him and Samantha.
    I kicked the back door open and stepped out into the murky day. The desert gave us nearly three hundred clear days a year or more, but boy, when the clouds took hold of the sky those few random days, it sucked major.
    I moseyed up to the gate surrounding the big, green dumpster. Strangely it was propped open. Scott was meticulous about that thing. I pulled it open with my fingertip and stepped away. Something dark busted out, brushing against my leg.
    My bags went flying and the boxes tumbling as I jumped to the side. A cat’s meow and a hiss trailed the dark feline. My heart shot up in my throat, and my skin prickled.
    Stupid cats.
    I stepped into the area and saw the cat’s destruction. Shards of paper and cartons littered the ground.
    Where did that thing go? If I saw it, I’d spray it down good with some cold water.
    I flicked the lid open and threw my stuff in. I squatted down gathering up the mess and tossed it in. More trash stuck out from beneath the side. I glanced down and saw more junk. I looked around, then lifted up the side of the dumpster and snagged a cardboard box.
    How the heck did that get under there?
    I let the dumpster down with a bang and shut everything up, working to stuff the dread that was thickening in my stomach.
    One glance around showed me nothing but the usual. I’d taken the trash out hundreds of times, but today, something felt off. Like I was being watched.
    I dug out my phone from my jeans pocket and clicked it to life. No text back from Zach. I opened a new message.
    How are you?
    I grasped the phone and sauntered to the picnic table in front of the store. Just a quick break while I waited for Zach to text back.
    If he did.
    I plopped onto the tabletop and propped my feet on the bench. My phone clock read four o’clock, that’d be six o’clock in Minnesota, so I clicked a text message to Scott.
    You landed? Find out anything?
    I looked skyward and sucked in a deep breath but coughed on the smell of smoke. I shot a quick glance around, but the parking lot was empty and just a