The Haunted - Jessica Verday [76]
“Thanksgiving,” I heard someone say. Then I realized it was coming from me. “You dropped some papers off for my uncle, and I took them from you.”
“Ahhh, yes.” He extended a hand. “I’m Vincent.”
I hesitated for a moment, but didn’t want him to see how much I didn’t like him, so I capitu-lated. He reached past my hand and slid his fingers down my wrist before shaking. The sensation made me feel queasy, and my gut reaction was to immediately let go.
But he held firm.
“You won’t hold my earlier behavior against me, I trust. And I won’t hold it against you that you left me out in the cold.” He flashed a perfect white smile, but all I could see were sleazy car salesmen ads, infomercial hosts, and bad come-on lines all rolled into one. I was so not going to be another notch on his bedpost.
I pulled my hand free and resisted the urge to wipe it across my shorts. That could wait until he left. Instead, I stood up. “It was nice to meet you, Vincent. I have to go help Aubra now.”
He stood up too, in one fluid motion.
“I guess I’ll see you later, Abbey,” he said, pausing to flash me another smile. I followed him out, and watched as he stopped to talk briefly with Aubra, who was back behind the counter. She shook her head once, and then gave him a hug, all smiles again.
As soon as he left, I wanted to ask Aubra what had happened, and why she was with someone who was such a jerk. But she pinned me with a steely, slightly red-rimmed glare.
“This will be our little secret, right, Abbey?” She glanced away and went to go flip the CLOSED sign back around. “It better be. I wouldn’t want to see you accidentally “misplace” some money from the register drawer.”
So that’s how it’s going to be? Ignoring her, I went to gather up the cleaning supplies I’d left on the table. I should have known.
At ten after five Mom rolled up to the door, and I headed back to Uncle Bob’s office to tell him I was leaving. And that I wasn’t coming back.
After Aubra’s little boyfriend break, she’d given me even more of the cold-shoulder treat-ment and left me to clean up a huge pile of puke on the floor after some overeager kid had told his buddies that he could eat ten scoops of ice cream in a row.
He’d been wrong.
Uncle Bob was sitting at his desk, and he looked up as soon as I entered. “Mom’s here, so I’m gonna head out, and…” I lost my nerve for a second, but then looked down and saw puke remnants on my shoes. “I’m not going to be able to…” He held up something and pointed to it. “Look what I still have.” It was the WORLD’S
BEST BOSS mug I’d given him for Christmas last year. “I use it every day. It’s my favorite.” All my thoughts of telling him that I was quitting instantly vanished, and I gave him a feeble smile. “Glad to hear it, Uncle Bob. See you on Wednesday.” He beamed at me and I turned to leave, telling myself that no matter how desperate someone acted, in the future I was going to just say no.
Out in the car Mom asked me how my first day went. I flopped wearily onto the passenger’s seat. “Long. Never-ending. With an eternal time suck in the middle of the day.” As I said it, I couldn’t help but think of Caspian, who had nothing but time on his hands.
Mom patted my knee. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”
“You’re right,” I said. “It was worse.”
She turned the wheel and pulled away from the store. “I know what will make you feel better. The library is having a book sale. You can get one to bring with you for next time.” I perked up. That actually wasn’t a bad idea, and I knew someone else who could probably use some new books to help pass the time too.
The Haunted
Chapter Seventeen
A FORGOTTEN DATE
Fain would I pause to dwell upon the world of charms that burst upon the enraptured gaze of my hero…
—“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
The rest of the week passed by in a blur of science sessions and long hours at Uncle Bob’s, until Saturday finally came. I’d only gotten to see Caspian once during the week, stopping by the cemetery to explain my prolonged absence,