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So, she was a few minutes late, so fucking what. The old fart acted like it was the end of the world if someone was two minutes late. It wasn’t like they let any of them get a full hour lunch, anyway. Charlie looked at it as compensation for her lost lunch minutes. If she wanted to write her up, let her. She didn’t care one way or another. The long hours she put in every day whether it be working at the library and diner, or the car wash, Charlie was starting to feel physically worn down.

When the manager just tapped her foot at her, Charlie bit her tongue. Her days of dealing with the woman were numbered. Once she got the extra shifts at the bar and grill, she was out.

The only reason she had stayed at the library was for the meager benefits it offered. A few friends had worked there, and that was how she ultimately got the job. They had all quit months back because of not being able to deal with the manager. With them gone, she didn’t feel obligated to remain employed there. Walking past her boss, Charlie sat down at the front counter and began starting her day.

“Why aren’t you working yet?” Her boss yelled from behind her.

Whipping around she, glared at the woman. “Are you blind? Can’t you see I’m trying to get my day started?”

“This will be put in your file.”

Her manager stood there a moment longer, as if waiting for a response. When none came, the woman huffed and stomped away, her heels clicking harshly on the linoleum.

“What’s new,” she muttered under her breath, making a point of loudly tapping away at the computer keys as she logged in. Charlie watched as the old bitch stormed off.One day soon I’ll be able to tell her to shove it.Christ’s sake she wanted to choke the bitch. She needed to face the facts, the library barely paid her ten bucks an hour and after taxes, insurance, etc., she wasn’t making shit there.

Charlie didn’t bother to turn around until she heard the office door slam shut behind her boss. She let out a sharp breath, rubbing her temples. If she wasn’t so worn out, she might’ve told her manager exactly where she could shove that file of hers.

She saw the other girls snickering as the manager stormed off. Charlie wanted to laugh too but she was about two steps closer to quitting already. If Margery came at her again, she’d probably walk out.

The whole situation nagged at her. It wasn’t the lateness that pissed her off; it was the principle. She had given up so much of herself just to survive, and no one ever seemed to appreciate it. A good night’s sleep felt like a distant dream, and with the way things were going, it wasn’t looking like she’d get one anytime soon.

Shaking off the thought, Charlie turned back to her computer and forced herself to focus. There was work to be done. She would get through the shift. But the fire that had simmered beneath her skin all day made her think that once she was out of there, she might just tell her boss exactly what she thought of her. Or maybe she’d simply walk out. Who knew?

For now, though, she had a front desk to man, and the clock was ticking.

Halfway into her morning routine, Charlie was asked to assist putting books back up in the stacks. It wasn’t unusual for her to help when needed. Without hesitation she grabbed a stack of books setting on the front counter, carrying them over to the book cart.

She had barely gotten the cart in motion when a book flew out of a row. Stopping short, she stared down at the book then into the row. This was definitely going to be the day she either got fired or she quit.

“Oh, dear, did that almost hit you?” Charlie stared at Ashley and Crispen who were hanging out in the stacks.

“No, it didn’t come close.”

Ashley sauntered towards the front of the row, smiling at Charlie. “Shame. I’ll have to do better next time.”

Without responding, Charlie started pushing the cart again wanting to avoid any confrontations with the two. “Excuse me, miss. We need some help finding a book,” Ashley said loudly. Gritting her teeth, Charlie stopped the cart and turned back around.

“What book are you looking for? Maybe a ‘how to book’? Such as how to steal from someone. Or maybe how to disguise oneself to get access to their hotel room. Better yet, what about one on how to just be a lowlife piece of shit?” She saw Ashley’s and Crispen’s faces and knew she’d annoyed them. Fuck it, she didn’t care.

“We’re looking for baby books.”

Charlie kept her expression neutral at the word baby. It was a ploy to get a reaction from her. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. “Congratulations. The books on everything from conceiving to raising a child are on isle six.”

Turning back around, she once again began pushing the cart only to get stopped again, except this time Ashley was shouting at her. The entire library could hear her screeching.

“I can’t believe you’d flirt with my boyfriend in front of me! What kind of employees do they have working here? I demand to speak with your manager,” Ashley yelled, stomping her foot like a child.

Charlie didn’t know what got into her, whether it was the screaming or the foot stomping. Either reason could be the cause as she started laughing and couldn’t stop. She laughed all the way to the front desk and into Margery’s office. Wiping at thetears the laughter brought on, she managed to tell her manager there was an outraged customer causing a scene in the stacks.

When Margery got up rushing out of the office, Charlie dropped into a chair and continued laughing. The whole thing, the three jobs, her paying for the apartment, her manager, the bullshit she dealt with at her other two jobs and now this crap had finally sent her over the edge.

“Miss Cote, that woman said you were trying to mess with her husband. I demand to know what happened,” Margery stated when she came rushing back into the office.

At hearing her manager, Charlie got up, still laughing, grabbed her purse and clocked out for lunch. If she still had a job when she returned, she’d chalk it up for a win. For now, she couldn’t deal with any of it. The last thing she saw was Ashley and Crispen staring at her in disbelief. Evidently, they thought she would be made to apologize or some shit like that.Wrong.

Charlie walked into the condo, surprised to find Hemlock home early. Dropping the car keys in their normal spot, she set her purse down and walked into the living room. Not seeing him in the living room, she headed upstairs to find him. She hoped his day had been better than hers. Halfway up the stairs she was met by a wet Hemlock wearing only a towel.

“What are you doing home early?”