Page 8 of Stardusted

“Well, notthesealiens.” I took a deep breath. “This is something some online nutjob posted. Kelly buys into it. I don’t. It’s ridiculous.” I shook my head and gestured weakly. “I mean, yeah,okay, sure. My texts haven’t always been sending the last few days. But I don’t immediately assume we’re being invaded by the Borg.” No little green men or massiveIndependence Dayships had been spotted. Kelly and the rest of these people were just…delusional. I twisted my lips. “If aliens were going to makea dramatic entrance, I doubt they’d start by screwing with the power grid…”

I blinked. Sky was the one staring now. Too late, I realized I’d made a Star Trek reference. Great. All I needed was a phaser to go with my tinfoil hat and I’d complete the look.

Everything about this night was officially Too Much. Capital T and M.

Shoulders slumping again, I dropped my gaze to my white canvas shoes. “Excuse me, Sky. I need to check on my tables.”

“In a minute. They’re fine. Sandy’s bribing everyone with hand-delivered Seaside Samplers. Jackie’s losing their mind.”

None of that was surprising. I huffed a weak laugh. Whatwassurprising, though, was Sky stopping me. Surely he had better things to do than talk about conspiracy theories in the prep closet.

I dragged my eyes from the floor, back up to his face. His mouth was still curved in that close-lipped half-smile as he studied me. Intently. A whisper of uncertainty stirred in my gut.

“Whose theory did you say it was?” he asked.

Why waseveryoneso hung up on this ridiculous alien crap?

“Kelly’s,” I muttered, shifting my grip so both arms wrapped around the tray like it was a shield. Maybe it could block the tide of ridiculousness sweeping through this place.

When Sky gazed at me blankly, I tilted the tray aside, lifting one hand to mime curves in the air. “Blond. Hot. Pink…well, everything. That Kelly.”

“Oh.” Recognition lit his face—predictable, albeit annoying—and he nodded. “Right. Kelly. She came up with that?”

I snorted. “Hardly. She probably saw it on a reel. She loves reels.” Focusing on my shoes again, I pinched the inside of my cheek between my teeth and nodded at the door. “Look, I really need to get back to work.”

I stepped forward, waiting for him to move. There was a chip in the doorframe, like someone had slammed it hard once. Relatable.

I wanted to slam something.

“Yeah, sure,” Sky said, after a beat had passed. “Sorry.”

Finally, he stepped aside, arm extended like some kind of gallant knight, gesturing me through. I was going to have to pass close. Like, inches close. A fresh thrill of nerves zinged up my spine.

Swallowing hard, I darted a glance up.

He gave me that same infuriatingly dimpled smile, a slight tug at the corner of his mouth so smooth I’d believe he’d practiced it in a mirror. His dark eyes sparkled. “After you. Good talking to you, Rachel.”

Rachel. Not my name, but another random one that started with an R. Talk about adding insult to injury.

I ripped my gaze away, gripping my tray hard enough I was surprised the plastic didn’t creak. I felt the weight of his attention on my downturned face. Like he was willing me to look up. Which, of course, I didn’t.

Damn it.Rachel. Really? I was wearing aname tag, for God’s sake.

I didn’t even correct him. Didn’t bother. Just tucked my chin and brushed past, heat burning up the back of my neck. Somehow, I felt worse than before. Like I’d lost a contest I hadn’t known I’d entered. Like someone had taken the air right out of my shiny balloon.

Dejected, I shuffled to my section. Everywhere I turned, Seaside Samplers sizzled.

I made it two steps before I couldn’t stop myself from looking back over my shoulder.

Sky was gone. Along with what remained of my dignity.

This night was officially the worst.

If Kelly was somehow right about the aliens, maybe a spaceshipshouldcome get me. At this point, getting abducted sounded better than surviving the rest of this shift.

I snorted a bitter laugh.

Of course, that was about to become cosmic-level ironic.