Free 30 Nights by Christine D'Abo Page A

surprisingly dense. This was the first big get-together of the year and people were all fresh from their holidays and excited to see one another. The smell of grilled hamburgers and buns mixed with the scent of charcoal. Laughter and talking overpowered the buzz of music playing from what must have been someone’s phone.
    I should have brought my Bluetooth speaker, because that was going to get annoying.
    “Glenna!”
    I was super proud of myself that I didn’t groan, wail, or cry as Sasha marched toward me, a flimsy paper plate in hand and a Cheshire cat grin on her lips. Current president of the Social Committee, Sasha had this way of getting you to do things that you really didn’t want to do, and feel completely guilty about the whole thing in the process. She only talked to me when she wanted something.
    I was so screwed.
    “Hi, Sasha. The party looks great.” Please don’t ask me to flip burgers. Please don’t ask me to flip—
    “I know you just arrived, but can you take over from Rachelle? She needs to step out for a phone call for twenty minutes and you’re the only other person who I know won’t burn the hamburgers. All that practice you had as a student working fast food, I know you wouldn’t let it go to waste.” She actually batted her eyes at me.
    No, I make more than minimum wage now! “Sure, no problem. Same spot as last year?”
    “Yes. You’re a doll.” And then she strode away.
    My stomach growled as I walked past the table that held an array of salads on my way to the grill. Poor Rachelle was coughing as a plume of smoke blew in her face. “Dammit.”
    “I heard you needed a backup.” I held out my hand for the spatula. “I’m here to save the day.”
    I didn’t know Rachelle well, but I was more than aware of her problems at home. The look of relief was genuine. “You’re a saint. I have to call Matthew’s school. He’s gotten into a fight already.”
    “Family always comes first. Go. I’ve got this.”
    Any chance that I was going to be able to sneak away and talk to Eric was now officially gone. Not wanting to ruin my outfit, I grabbed a discarded apron and covered up before going down the line flipping the burgers. There weren’t any pockets in the apron either, so I had to settle for putting the cards on the table beside me.
    Who thought working fast food didn’t give you the opportunity to garner important life skills? Two undergrad degrees and one master’s and my most sought-after skill was hamburger slinging. As soon as the burgers were cooked, I pulled them off and put them in a chafer to keep them warm before starting on another batch. It was weird, but one moment I was completely focused on not burning the food, and in the next I knew Eric was watching me.
    It should have been far creepier than it actually was, me having this awareness of him. If he knew, he’d probably be terrified. Well, maybe not. I straightened and looked over my shoulder toward where I felt his gaze. He was standing with a beer in hand talking to a few professors, one of whom must have been new. When his gaze met mine I had to fight the urge to look immediately away. There was no reason to be ashamed. Instead I shrugged and turned my attention back to the burgers.
    My servitude lasted well past my promised twenty minutes. When poor Rachelle came back she was clearly in no shape to be tied to a grill. “Go get a beer and relax. I’ll cover this.”
    I’ve never seen someone look so relieved before. “Glenna, you’re far too sweet.”
    Thankfully, I was only flipping burgers for an additional thirty minutes before Sasha officially freed me. “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this. There’s still lots of food left for you so help yourself.”
    “Thanks.” My stomach growled its approval.
    “Oh, what are these?”
    The next moment happened in slow motion. The second Sasha picked up the sex cards, I grabbed for them. Of course, she held on to the paper clip, which caused me to