Free The Arrangement 5 by H. M. Ward

head. “No, same guy as last week.”
    “Well, that should be good, right?” Marty looks at Mel and then back at me. “Someone fill me in if it’s not good.”
    “It’s awkward, that’s all,” I say, and poke my salad.
    Mel glances over at me. “ Wanna do something after work? I need some chillaxing time with my girls.” Mel tilts her chin up toward Marty and adds, “That includes you too, fruit cup.”
    He gives Mel a girly grin then lifts his glass. “I wanna bring my new nightie!”
    Mel rolls her eyes and looks over at me. I haven’t said anything. “So, you up for it?”
    They’re both looking at me. I need to lie really good and I suck at it. My brain flashes my blank preference sheet at me. The words are rolling off my tongue before I can blink. “I’ll have to take a rain check. I’ve got an all-nighter, so I doubt I’ll be back until morning.”
    Mel smiles at me and nods. “Good for you. That’ll be good money, Avery. You’re back on track. No distractions.”
    Marty grins. “I think she had a bit of a distraction when we were shopping the other day.” I blink at him. If he knows and tells Mel, I’ll kill him.
    Mel’s gaze is burning a hole in the side of my face. “I told you to stay away from him! Avery, damn it. Do you need a helmet? Are you that mentally impaired? Fuck girl, I—”
    Marty flinches when he sees Mel’s reaction, and cuts her off. “Back off, psycho. I was just kidding. The saleslady thought me and Avery did it in the dressing room. As if.” He makes a super gay gesture and winks at me, like it’s the most preposterous thing he’s ever heard.
    Mel’s still tense. She snaps at Marty some more. I can’t stand the two of them fighting, not when I feel so strung out. I slip out of the booth and throw some money on the table. “I need to go get ready and if I don’t beat Amber back, she’ll lock me out of the room. I’ll catch up with you on Sunday. We’ll do IHOP.”
    Mel grins and rubs her hands together. “Pancakes!”
    “You are such a pancake whore.” Marty giggles at Mel and she winks at him. They both start laughing as I walk away from the table.
    _____
     
     
    I dress quickly before Amber gets back from dinner. The little red dress makes me feel exposed. I run down the back staircase and push out the back door before I look around for Gabe. He’s picking me up until I figure out what to do about transportation. I don’t have any credit and I don’t have enough money to buy anything. Black told Gabe to pick me up in the meantime.
    When I push out the back door, I walk into the parking lot and stop in my tracks. I blink once, hard.
    My car.
    I blink again, rapidly, and walk towards it. I haven’t seen it since the accident. It wasn’t running and the front was smashed up. But, I’m looking at it now and the car looks the way it did before the accident. I glance and see Gabe pull into the parking lot. I walk towards my car quickly, holding up a finger for him to wait. I peer inside and see an envelope on the seat. I open the door and grab it.
    Standing outside my car, I rip it open and read.
     
                  It’s not new, so it doesn’t count as a present.   -S
     
    I smile and shove the note into my purse, before jumping into the back of Gabe’s car.
    “Good evening, Miss Stanz.”
    “Hey Gabe.”
    He looks at me in the mirror as he pulls out of the parking lot. He jumps onto the parkway and drives west, towards the city. He gives me the rundown. “Same guy as last week. I’ll be overseeing your meal. Don’t get returned again and you should be off her shit list, for a while anyway.”
    I slip my bracelet around my ankle and then lean back in the seat. “I’m always on her shit list.”
    “That’s a bad place to be.”
    “Can I ask you something?” Gabe grunts and looks at me in the mirror. “How long do girls do this? I mean, how many clients do they see before they quit?”
    He shakes his head. “Most get fired.