Stand Off
Page 7
“You have all kinds of money. You work in a fucking bank.” The nasty was beginning to come, just like it always did when Renee didn’t get her way.
“The bank’s money isn’t mine to use to save your ass,” Casey stated coldly.
Casey didn’t discuss her finances with her mother for good reason. Her mother had always considered any money she made also hers until Casey had given her a strict limit.
She went to her car, pushing the button to unlock the door.
“You’re going to leave me hanging? That rich ass boyfriend of yours has plenty. If you used those tits and ass you inherited from me, both of us would have enough cash to buy what we wanted.” Subtlety was useless to Renee. She had told Casey over and over when she was growing up that, unless a woman asked for what she wanted, she stood as much of a chance of getting it as an ugly man getting pussy for free.
Casey stared at her mother. “Take the clothes back.”
Renee’s mouth pouted. “I’ll talk to Mugg. If he wants me to take them back, I will tomorrow. I’ll show him the panties and bra set I bought, and that’ll convince him to let me keep them. That and a blowjob works wonders on him.”
Casey winced. She was used to her mother’s bluntness in discussing sex, but it still was information she preferred not to hear.
“I’d cook him dinner, too. I don’t think you can return intimate apparel,” Casey advised, opening her car door.
“I’ll stop and get some takeout on the way home.” Renee smiled. “Don’t forget, we’re having Mugg’s birthday party this Friday night.”
“I won’t. I’ll see you then. Bye, Renee.”
Renee gave her an airy wave as she got inside her car. Her mother was incapable of holding a grudge. She only wanted to surround herself with beauty, which was why she was addicted to the constant shopping sprees that were slowly destroying her marriage.
Casey started her car, driving home in the heavy traffic while battling exhaustion. She was relieved to pull into her apartment building, bringing her car to a stop.
She unlocked her second-floor apartment door, going inside and closing it behind her. She took her shoes off by the door as she went to her bedroom. She wanted a shower but didn’t have the energy. She managed to shed her clothes and pull on an oversized T-shirt before lying down on her bed. Sinking into the soft mattress, she closed her eyes, barely remembering to set her alarm before she fell asleep.
It didn’t feel like long before the blaring of the alarm clock woke her. Groggily, she turned it off and stumbled toward her bathroom. The cold water from the shower brought her out of her haze. Hurriedly washing her hair, she rinsed off before getting out.
She dressed in the quiet apartment. Casey had thought about taking a roommate yet had eventually decided against it. When she had been growing up, Renee had constantly kept a full house of visitors: either her current husband, boyfriend, or friends. A couple of her husbands also had children from previous marriages. Casey had often found herself sharing her room during those times.
Once dressed, she grabbed a change of clothes, as she would be going to the bank when her shift ended at the convenience store.
Yawning, she grabbed her purse then headed out into the dark night to her car. Thankfully, she didn’t live far from the store and arrived with a couple of minutes to spare.
As she closed her car door, she saw a lone bike sitting in the parking lot. Shrugging, thinking they would soon be gone, she went into the store.
“Thank God you’re here,” Myrtle said, rising from the stool behind the counter.
“Long night?” Casey questioned.
“Long day and night. I pulled a double. The only thing I want right now is a cold beer and my bed,” the woman said grumpily.
Casey sympathized with her. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into her own bed.
“Mike is going to have to get some new people hired, or I’m quitting. I’m too old to be pulling double shifts.” She pulled her purse out from underneath the counter.
Casey ran the cash register total, and they both signed off on it.
Myrtle stopped at the door before she pushed it open. “That biker’s been sitting there for twenty minutes. If he doesn’t leave soon, call the cops to come by and run him off.”
“I will,” Casey assured her as she went out the door. She began doing her nightly cleaning routine. She didn’t mind the hard work. It kept her from getting sleepy.
After she finished stocking the cooler, a couple of customers came in to buy snacks. When she saw their car pull out, she looked out the front window and saw the biker still sitting outside. Casey pulled open the door, walking across the small parking lot to face him.
“Why are you watching the store?”
“Because Max is making me waste my time.” At least the biker didn’t try to deny the obvious.
“You’ve got five minutes to leave, or I’m calling the cops. Tell Max to butt out of my life.”
Casey saw a car pulling into the parking lot and went back inside. It didn’t take long to wait on the young couple. After they paid and left, she took out her cell phone, making good on her threat.
She mopped the floor automatically, waiting for the cops to show up and make the biker leave the parking lot. One never came. Just as she was about to call again, the headlight of another bike pulled into the parking lot, and Max soon filled the doorway, staring at her grimly.
Casey quit mopping, her hands tightening on the handle. Whenever she saw Max, he always had that good ol’ boy attitude, but she had always been able to see the lethal menace he successfully hid behind his cheerful façade. Tonight, he made no attempt to hide his anger.
“You called the cops instead of me?” he demanded.
“I gave him plenty of time to leave,” Casey defended her actions.
“He’s not going anywhere until you give this piece of shit job up.”
Casey stiffened angrily, dunking her mop back into the mop water then wringing it out before slamming it back down on the floor, continuing to clean.
“I think it’s funny that you put down a job that pays an honest wage. When’s the last time you held down a job, Max? Not since I’ve known you.” She deliberately let the dirty mop splash against his boots.
Max strode forward, jerking the mop out of her hands. “I work every fucking day.”
“Doing what? Running drugs or making sure someone else gets a free pass in this town?”
Max’s lips tightened at her insult.
She refused to struggle with him over the mop, so folding her arms across her chest, she stared at him angrily.
“Woman, if anyone else talked to me the way you just did, it would be the last words out of their mouth. Don’t think you know everything about me just because your mother can’t keep her big mouth closed.”
“I don’t want to know anything about you, Max. Never did, never will, and I’d like you to return the favor and keep your nose out of mine. Think you can manage that?” Casey snapped.
Max handed her the mop back. “If you want to put your life in danger working here, fine. I don’t know why I gave a damn in the first place. If your own mother doesn’t give a fuck, why should I?” He turned on his heel, angrily pushing open the door and leaving the silence of the store to engulf her hurt emotions.
“The bank’s money isn’t mine to use to save your ass,” Casey stated coldly.
Casey didn’t discuss her finances with her mother for good reason. Her mother had always considered any money she made also hers until Casey had given her a strict limit.
She went to her car, pushing the button to unlock the door.
“You’re going to leave me hanging? That rich ass boyfriend of yours has plenty. If you used those tits and ass you inherited from me, both of us would have enough cash to buy what we wanted.” Subtlety was useless to Renee. She had told Casey over and over when she was growing up that, unless a woman asked for what she wanted, she stood as much of a chance of getting it as an ugly man getting pussy for free.
Casey stared at her mother. “Take the clothes back.”
Renee’s mouth pouted. “I’ll talk to Mugg. If he wants me to take them back, I will tomorrow. I’ll show him the panties and bra set I bought, and that’ll convince him to let me keep them. That and a blowjob works wonders on him.”
Casey winced. She was used to her mother’s bluntness in discussing sex, but it still was information she preferred not to hear.
“I’d cook him dinner, too. I don’t think you can return intimate apparel,” Casey advised, opening her car door.
“I’ll stop and get some takeout on the way home.” Renee smiled. “Don’t forget, we’re having Mugg’s birthday party this Friday night.”
“I won’t. I’ll see you then. Bye, Renee.”
Renee gave her an airy wave as she got inside her car. Her mother was incapable of holding a grudge. She only wanted to surround herself with beauty, which was why she was addicted to the constant shopping sprees that were slowly destroying her marriage.
Casey started her car, driving home in the heavy traffic while battling exhaustion. She was relieved to pull into her apartment building, bringing her car to a stop.
She unlocked her second-floor apartment door, going inside and closing it behind her. She took her shoes off by the door as she went to her bedroom. She wanted a shower but didn’t have the energy. She managed to shed her clothes and pull on an oversized T-shirt before lying down on her bed. Sinking into the soft mattress, she closed her eyes, barely remembering to set her alarm before she fell asleep.
It didn’t feel like long before the blaring of the alarm clock woke her. Groggily, she turned it off and stumbled toward her bathroom. The cold water from the shower brought her out of her haze. Hurriedly washing her hair, she rinsed off before getting out.
She dressed in the quiet apartment. Casey had thought about taking a roommate yet had eventually decided against it. When she had been growing up, Renee had constantly kept a full house of visitors: either her current husband, boyfriend, or friends. A couple of her husbands also had children from previous marriages. Casey had often found herself sharing her room during those times.
Once dressed, she grabbed a change of clothes, as she would be going to the bank when her shift ended at the convenience store.
Yawning, she grabbed her purse then headed out into the dark night to her car. Thankfully, she didn’t live far from the store and arrived with a couple of minutes to spare.
As she closed her car door, she saw a lone bike sitting in the parking lot. Shrugging, thinking they would soon be gone, she went into the store.
“Thank God you’re here,” Myrtle said, rising from the stool behind the counter.
“Long night?” Casey questioned.
“Long day and night. I pulled a double. The only thing I want right now is a cold beer and my bed,” the woman said grumpily.
Casey sympathized with her. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into her own bed.
“Mike is going to have to get some new people hired, or I’m quitting. I’m too old to be pulling double shifts.” She pulled her purse out from underneath the counter.
Casey ran the cash register total, and they both signed off on it.
Myrtle stopped at the door before she pushed it open. “That biker’s been sitting there for twenty minutes. If he doesn’t leave soon, call the cops to come by and run him off.”
“I will,” Casey assured her as she went out the door. She began doing her nightly cleaning routine. She didn’t mind the hard work. It kept her from getting sleepy.
After she finished stocking the cooler, a couple of customers came in to buy snacks. When she saw their car pull out, she looked out the front window and saw the biker still sitting outside. Casey pulled open the door, walking across the small parking lot to face him.
“Why are you watching the store?”
“Because Max is making me waste my time.” At least the biker didn’t try to deny the obvious.
“You’ve got five minutes to leave, or I’m calling the cops. Tell Max to butt out of my life.”
Casey saw a car pulling into the parking lot and went back inside. It didn’t take long to wait on the young couple. After they paid and left, she took out her cell phone, making good on her threat.
She mopped the floor automatically, waiting for the cops to show up and make the biker leave the parking lot. One never came. Just as she was about to call again, the headlight of another bike pulled into the parking lot, and Max soon filled the doorway, staring at her grimly.
Casey quit mopping, her hands tightening on the handle. Whenever she saw Max, he always had that good ol’ boy attitude, but she had always been able to see the lethal menace he successfully hid behind his cheerful façade. Tonight, he made no attempt to hide his anger.
“You called the cops instead of me?” he demanded.
“I gave him plenty of time to leave,” Casey defended her actions.
“He’s not going anywhere until you give this piece of shit job up.”
Casey stiffened angrily, dunking her mop back into the mop water then wringing it out before slamming it back down on the floor, continuing to clean.
“I think it’s funny that you put down a job that pays an honest wage. When’s the last time you held down a job, Max? Not since I’ve known you.” She deliberately let the dirty mop splash against his boots.
Max strode forward, jerking the mop out of her hands. “I work every fucking day.”
“Doing what? Running drugs or making sure someone else gets a free pass in this town?”
Max’s lips tightened at her insult.
She refused to struggle with him over the mop, so folding her arms across her chest, she stared at him angrily.
“Woman, if anyone else talked to me the way you just did, it would be the last words out of their mouth. Don’t think you know everything about me just because your mother can’t keep her big mouth closed.”
“I don’t want to know anything about you, Max. Never did, never will, and I’d like you to return the favor and keep your nose out of mine. Think you can manage that?” Casey snapped.
Max handed her the mop back. “If you want to put your life in danger working here, fine. I don’t know why I gave a damn in the first place. If your own mother doesn’t give a fuck, why should I?” He turned on his heel, angrily pushing open the door and leaving the silence of the store to engulf her hurt emotions.
