“Maybe.”
“I’m not blowing smoke up your ass.”
“Well, that’s a relief, because that just sounds uncomfortable.”
Addie smirks. “Right? I don’t understand that expression.”
We laugh and glance at the door as Riley comes inside and looks back and forth between us. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Just me trying to talk some sense into her,” Addie says.
“Did you lose your sense?” Riley asks. “Because I can help.”
“She thinks that Landon’s just biding time with her.”
“That’s not exactly what I said,” I reply, glaring at Addie. “I said it all makes me nervous.”
“Girl, he looks at you like you’re an ice cream cone and he wants to lick you all day long.”
I purse my lips. “He is good with his tongue.”
“Atta girl,” Addie says, giving me a high five. “Is he good with the other stuff too?”
“Why does this feel icky?” Riley says, her face pinched like she smelled something gross.
“Because it’s Landon and he’s like a brother to us,” Addie says. “But, he’s her man, so we have to still ask the questions.”
“He’s good at all of it,” I reply. “Better than anything I might have daydreamed about over the years.”
“That must be good because you’ve had a lot of time to daydream,” Riley says, smiling. “I’m happy for you. And I know you. Don’t overthink it. Just enjoy him. Take it one day at a time. Don’t worry about what might happen, because you’re not a psychic. You don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“That’s a lot of advice,” I reply. “And how is it that you all knew I overthink everything and I didn’t know it?”
“Because we’ve known you forever,” Addie says. “And we love you.”
“We pay attention,” Riley agrees.
“I have one more thing,” Addie adds. “If you love him, tell him. Life’s short, and sometimes even the girl who doesn’t take risks needs to make the leap. Just be honest.”
“I’ll think about it,” I reply. “Thank you.”
“Can we have chocolate now?” Addie asks hopefully.
“We can always have chocolate.”
I go to the safe and pull out the deposit bag for yesterday. Each evening, the last waitress and bartender on shift close out the tills, put the cash and credit-card receipts in this bag, and stow it in the safe. I reconcile it the next day.
Riley and Addie are chatting about going shopping for baby clothes and Addie wants us to come over later to help her design the nursery. I’m listening with half an ear as I count the money for the fourth time.
It’s still short by eighty dollars.
I frown and count it again, still coming up eighty dollars short.
“What’s wrong?” Riley asks.
“The bar till is short eighty dollars.” I glance up at the girls, then back down at the cash and receipts on my desk. This is weird. The numbers always add up. We may be a dollar short here and there, but never this much. “It’s so odd. This is the fourth time this week. I’m losing it, guys. I can’t even balance the damn daily till. I’m supposed to be the numbers girl, and all I am is a big, giant mess!”
“Take a deep breath there, tiger,” Addie says, and stands to come look over my shoulder. “Want me to count?”
“Sure, a second pair of eyes is never a bad thing.” I stand so she can take my chair and add all of the money, coming up with the same conclusion. “Seriously, what’s wrong with me? My personal life may be in chaos, but the numbers always add up. I’m losing it.”
“You’re not losing it,” Addie says as she counts the money. “You’ve been working your ass off, and we’re only doing as well as we are because of you.”
“She’s right,” Riley adds. “Take a deep breath and give yourself a break.”
“Is it always the same amount?” Addie asks.
“No, but it’s never big. It varies from forty to a hundred.”
“You don’t think the new girl, Leah, is stealing from us, do you?” Addie asks with a frown.
“Maybe she doesn’t know how to count back change?” Riley asks diplomatically.
“I don’t know, but we should talk to Kat about it,” Addie says.
“Leah’s here now, so I’ll text Kat to come in here,” I reply, thumbing out a message to Kat. A few seconds later, she walks through the door and we tell her what we’ve found.
Kat’s eyes narrow. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this right now. I won’t tolerate this in our place.”
She stomps away, out the door, and we all look at each other, then hurry to follow her into the bar.
There are no customers right now. We haven’t opened for lunch yet.
“Leah,” Kat says as she walks behind the bar toward the petite blonde. “Are you stealing from me?”
Leave it to Kat to just lay it all out there.
Leah’s eyes widen in shock. “What? No!” She glances over at us, then back to Kat. “I would never do that.”
“Cami, can you please tell Leah what you found?” Kat asks, her eyes pinned to the girl’s. Leah’s reaction seems sincere.
“The tills have been short after you’ve been on shift,” I say, and show her the reports from each day, how much there should be, and how short it is. “Do you know where the money could have gone?”