Chapter 30.

After I woke up, it didn’t take long for me to realize something was strangely out of place; I had a very unsettling feeling.

“Rise and shine sleepy head.”

Instinctively, my back straightened up as a bolt like electric current coursed through my body and down my spine. My instinctive assumption was that it was Adele, but I quickly realized the voice didn’t match hers. When I turned my head to the side, a figure I’d recently become more familiar with came into view.

When I realized who it was, I confusedly asked the intruder, “Boss?”

“What’s wrong? Have you forgotten who your beautiful magnificent boss is?”

“Of course not, but why are you here?”

“Why am I here?”

“Yes, why are you here?”

“Because it’s almost time for work. Why else would I be here?”

“No. The real problem is. Why are you in my car?”

“Oh that? You were careless and left your door unlocked. See, it’s open, right? I was worried someone would notice and rob you. Be grateful.”

“Couldn’t you have locked my door and left? Why would you stay?”

“Because I like watching my cute employees sleeping face?”

“Really?”

“As if. I was just a bit sleepy and exhausted myself after dealing with the aftermath from Rick’s death and I didn’t want to be caught sleeping on the job like a certain idiot.”

“You were sleeping? For how long?”

“About two hours.”

“Do you sleep with all your employees?”

“Haha. Only the ones I like.”

Did my boss just hit on me?

“I’m obviously just kidding. I just felt like I can relax if it’s around someone with as many problems as you. Looking at your love life in shambles lets me find a strange sort of solace.”

“It’s not funny. This is no time to make jokes, wouldn’t this be considered as a form of trespassing. Aren’t you afraid of being arrested?”

“Arrested? That’s probably the last thing I’m afraid of. Letting myself be arrested would probably be like letting yourself be free in a certain sense. Letting go of all your responsibilities as well as all the pressure weighing down on your shoulders. Not having to worry about results, efficiency, productivity, or the cold emotionless glares full of scorn from a society who is constantly watching and judging every move you make. Starting from ground zero behind bars wouldn’t be so bad. Prison isn’t really anywhere as bad as it’s made out to be by movies or the media. You get free shelter, food, and a social community where you’re all just the dregs of society who can understand and relate to one another. As long as you don’t get into conflict with the wrong people, you’d be fine.”

“When you put it like that, in a sense it might not be too bad, but I think it’s a bit naive to think it’s all just fun and games in prison.”

“Don’t you think it would be nice to just let everything go and forget about money, bills, expenses, rules, regulations, social hierarchy and all the chains that shackle us in modern times?”

“Hah. Of course. That’s every person’s dream, isn’t it? To live a free, debtless, happy life while unrestrained and unfettered by those around us.”

Without realizing it, I’d somehow gotten caught up in her pace and I carelessly let out my true thoughts.

“Is that something you should be admitting to your boss? Shouldn’t you be coming up with some sort of counterargument? What if I was testing you and based upon your answer I would fire you?”

“You’re not testing me. You really feel that way don’t you?”

She smiled at me and said, “don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel that way at all. I just wanted to tease my financially and romantically challenged employee a bit.”

Beep. Beep. Beep.

After my alarm went off, her face suddenly turned stern and expressionless as she coolly said “Mr. Genovese, you are now officially late for work.”

“What are you talking about? I set my alarm for 10 minutes before my shift starts.”

“I’ll be docking your paycheck for every minute you are late.”

I checked the time on my phone and found that she was actually right. It was already time for my shift.

“Did you press snooze when I was sleeping?”

“Are you trying to blame your tardiness on your boss? Such an impudent employee. That will be another deduction from your paycheck.”

“Cheapskate!”

“Mr. Genovese, I’ll see you at work. Insulting your boss earns you a ten percent dock in pay.”

“This is blatant daylight robbery!”

After the sudden 180 degree reversal in her personality she calmly opened the car door, flattened out her skirt and got out of my car like a true professional. I was left completely flabbergasted by my boss’ peculiar quirks. When it was on the clock, she’d show utmost professionalism. When it was off the clock she was far cuter, warm, and she even had a slightly flirtatious personality that I found myself strangely attracted to.

She was really throwing me off to the point of making me suspect her true motive. With my shaky track record in romance, I had low expectations of something like chancing upon the love of my life, who just so happened to not be a psychopath for a change. I’m sure there aren’t many guys who have to specifically include the, “not a psychopath for a change” as a checkbox on their list of things they’re looking for in a woman. Should I take pride in that checkbox for being unique, or feel ashamed that I’m a psycho magnet?

Wait. Could it be she’s actually scoping me out and judging whether she needs to silence me? Am I a hindrance to her in some way?

Haha. Yeah right. This isn’t an action movie where everyone’s out to get me. It’s probably just her trying to look after her employees health to make sure they are stable after a recent death in the office. Still, to go so far as invading my private space without permission is still overstepping her bounds. Well, what’s done is done; grumbling about it after it’s already happened is pointless.

At least that’s what was on my mind until I turned to open the door and noticed something. The locking mechanism was down on my side. I checked the back doors and they were also both down. I thought back to the time right after I woke up and how she pointed towards the locking mechanism that was up on her side; I tried to not think too deeply into it, but try as I may, a slight doubt towards her words were formed in my heart.

When I lock the driver side door, all the door locks are engaged. Theoretically the lock on the passenger side should definitely have been locked as well, unless it somehow broke without me ever realizing it. I never really have passengers so it’s not like I’d ever really notice if it was broken, but it’s still too suspicious.

I tested the locks by pressing the unlock button at my side and then locked it again. The passenger side door’s lock didn’t engage or respond though and it appeared to be malfunctioning. It must have happened some time between when Rick died and today, that was the only thing I could confirm since he sat in the passenger seat that day. As a fellow repair technician it was unlikely for him to miss it, he would surely have noticed and pointed it out unless he had some sort of hidden agenda.