The Reaping (The Reapers Book 1) Read Free

Landon, I’d like to go over the work schedules with you.”
    The office smelled of burnt matches and sticky, sweet marijuana smoke, and I hoped that was the only drug he’d ingested recently. He sat at his desk with a magazine open in front of him, demonstrating what he’d been doing while I’d been handling a rush of customers alone. Mountain Books was the only bookstore in Briarton and November usually proved a slow month for us, but a new mountaineering book had just come out and gotten rave reviews in the local paper.
    He stared at me. “Go over what?”
    I wanted to reach across the desk and shake him until his blank gaze focused on me. I could tell from his bloodshot eyes, slack expression, and greasy hair that he was high and probably had been for a couple days in a row. I should have given up and tried again another day, but I’d already put the conversation off for a week and my co-workers were talking about walking out. “The staff would like to be given their work schedules a week in advance.”
    “Okay, okay, sure.” Landon nodded, his words bubbling out as if he were underwater. “Wait, don’t you make the schedule?”
    “Yes, but you have to approve it and it often sits on your desk for at least a week before you sign it.” I should have just posted the schedule without his approval. “Listen, why don’t I work on this some more and see if I can come up with a solution? We can talk again tomorrow.” He rose with a smile. “Oh, and if you are going to insist on not hiring more people, we’d like a second break for the longer shifts.” He stared at me for a moment and began to shake his head. “I just wanted to let you know and give you a chance to think about it.”
    He nodded. “You know I’m not as dumb as you think I am.”
    “I don’t think you are dumb.” Just stoned out of your mind .
    “Well, I’m not. If I were dumb, how is it that I run the only store in this town with a completely chick staff? You know there’s like a hundred dudes for every chick in this town.”
    Actually, the ratio stood closer to five guys for every girl, but I didn’t bother to correct him.
    “Not to mention that every one of you girls I’ve hired is phat, P. H. A. T. Bow wow wow.” Sadly, Landon’s slang remained stuck in the nineties. “I am way smarter than you or anyone else gives me credit for.”
    I nodded and tried to move slowly toward the door.
    “So, you don’t need to worry, ’kay. I’ll run this store and keep everyone hip-hip-happy.”
    “I’m not worried, Landon,” I said as I turned to leave.
    He walked around his desk and followed me to the door, listing slightly. “Are you staying?” He took a step in my direction and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you close up and leave with me? We could have a few drinks. I’m sure we could have some fun.”
    I tried not to shrink away from his touch but picked up his hand and dropped it from my shoulder. “I have a boyfriend, Landon,” I lied.
    “Don’t worry, I won’t tell him about us.” He wobbled and put his hand back on my shoulder. “If you don’t want to go with me, we could hang out right here. Have a drink, have some fun? We could make it a regular thing…give me something to look forward to in this crap job.”
    I did my best not to grab the pen from his desk and stab him in the hand. He is the owner’s nephew , I reminded myself. “No, Landon, go home.”
    He leaned over me, his foul breath on my ear, and tried to slide a hand over my shoulder and onto my right breast. “I could make it worth your while. Maybe double your salary? What will it take?”
    I stood and pushed my chair back into him. He staggered and almost fell. “Landon, go home now and I won’t call the cops.”
    He backed up, hands in the air. “Whoa, Ice Princess. I was just trying to teach you how to have fun. Guess it’s your loss.” He stepped out the door and started down the stairs to the store below. “And you can forget