Pride to Pack

  ***

  Midnight comes quick and fast. It feels like no time has passed when Misty rings the bell to take last orders. As the last customer leaves, I head to the office to get my bag, realising a little too late that I haven’t organised anywhere to sleep tonight.

  Misty enters the office and hands me an envelope with some cash in it. “That’s for tonight’s shift. If ya enjoyed it, I’d love ya to come back same time tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, that’d be great. Thank you,” I answer, placing the envelope in my bag. “You don’t know any hostels that will be open at this time, do you? I came straight in here off the bus without organising anywhere to sleep.”

  She looks me up and down, weighing me up. “No they’ll all be locked up now. Ya can stay at mine for the night if ya want?”

  “Really? That’d be great. Thanks. I’ll go straight to the hostel in the morning.”

  “No worries. We’ll sort it out. I saw you chatting to Theo. It looked like you got on well.” She seems excited at that thought. I’m guessing she’s a bit of a matchmaker.

  She shows me out of the office, locking the door behind us.

  “Yeah, he seems like a nice guy, not to mention easy on the eyes.” We both giggle as we leave through the fire exit at the end of the corridor.

  There is a top of the range purple VW Beetle parked in the deserted alley. How come it didn’t get stolen or stripped for parts during the shift? It’s not as if this alley is a high traffic area.

  As we approach the car I feel that sensation of dread again, which answers my previous question... WARDS.