I loathed to admit it, but I owed Caleb for pushing me to work at the bookstore. It was called 18 Straightโa reference to the whiskeys that killed Dylan Thomasโand owned by a lesbian couple who hired me on the spot.
I fell into my work at a dizzying pace. I became a jack-of-all-trades overnight. Cashier, stock clerk, receptionist, bookkeeper. I didn't care, I just liked being around the poetry.
Aside from Caleb, no one at home even knew I had a job, though it was a little unnerving that I could be away for eight hours a day and nobody noticed that I was missing.
Ah, but I loved it. My bosses appreciated my work ethic. By my second week, they were letting me run the place alone. The only issue was my morning commute, easily an hour ordeal during rush hour.
That was how I ended up staying at Caleb's loft one night. I worked a double shift Friday night and had to open up the following morning. His place was nearby and the proximity would afford me a critical extra hour of sleep. I knew he'd be there; he was still firmly in the honeymoon phase with Cortney. He hadn't returned to his dad's house in days.
"C'mon dickhead," I told him over the phone. I was still at work, counting my till. "It's just for the night."
"But I don't have anywhere for you to sleep," he countered.
"You have a couch."
He sighed.
Then Cortney chimed in, so bright and peppy that I swore I could actually hear her turning blonder. "Don't be an asshole Cal!" she shrieked.
"Well, well, well," I laughed.
"Now
I see why you don't want me around tonight."
He started to respond, but there was a brief struggle. A moment later, her voice blasted over the phone with such ferocious pep that my eardrum almost burst. "Hi Olivia!"
"Hey Cortney," I said.
"Never mind your crotchety brother," she said. "He's got a walk-in closet that's the size of a small bedroom, and it just so happens that I have an inflatable mattress in the trunk of my car."
"That sounds awesome," I said. I hadn't met Cortney yet and, honestly, I wanted to see what she looked like, how I stacked up against her.
"I keep the mattress handy because I like to go camping," Cortney went on. "Do you ever go camping? Oh my god we should all go camping..."
And so on, until blessedly, Caleb wrestled the phone away from her and shooed her away.
"Listen to me," he said quietly. "I really don't mind you staying, but Cortney and I are going out for drinks tonight. And afterwardโ"
"Dude, I'm not going to cock block you."
"Can you please just be in bed before we get home?" he asked.
"Obviously I will," I said. "Provided you don't hypnotize me and try to turn this into a three-way."
Caleb stuttered. "Oh, um, well..."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Not a chance, dickhead."