Coming Home- Rock Bay 1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

didn’t want to be too cocky, but he wanted to show confidence, despite the general non-existence of any form of training. It was a balancing act, trying not to piss the new boss off.
Lex only nodded, then walked to the front of the shop to unlock the front door.
“It’s showtime.”
Jesus, what is my effing problem? Lex couldn’t believe how much of a dick he was being. He hadn’t come down the stairs that morning with any intention of acting like the biggest asshole in the western hemisphere, but for some reason, every time he opened his mouth it just got worse. Guess I’m still angrier with him than I thought I was. He’d honestly thought he’d let go of his old humiliations years before. But apparently, the name calling, toilet dunking, pantsing, egging, and the shit bomb in his locker….
“ Awww, poor Butters. Don’t cry, little baby. Mom’s not here now, is she?”
Lex wanted to cry, but he blinked the tears from his eyes. Why had he told his mother? Shit. She’d promised him she wouldn’t go to the principal. Clearly, she’d decided to anyway.
“Leave me alone, Carrington. I haven’t done anything to you.”
Tallis grinned gleefully and smashed Lex’s face against the bathroom stall. “But it’s so much fun to mess with you.” His friends laughed and gave each other high fives.
Lex was desperate. “You left me alone last week when we were in—”
His face was wiped down the stall until he was kissing the toilet. Tallis had left him alone the week before when it had just been them in the room. Clearly he didn’t want his friends to know about it.
“Ready, Butters?”
“No!”
Carrington didn’t listen. He dunked Lex’s head in the toilet and flushed, laughing the whole time. Then the pressure holding Lex down was gone, and he was alone in the restroom, accompanied only by the slam of the metal door.
Yeah, the hurt was obviously still lurking and ready to lash out and bite him in the ass. The last thing Lex needed was to freak out on his new employee—the one he was still trying to decide what his motivation was for hiring. He honestly needed the guy to stay. It was probably a little too late for first impressions, though. If looking either nuts or like a huge jerk was what he wanted, then he was off to a bang of a start. It’s all about the business. Try to remember that….
    T
HE first few customers were a bit tense. Tally was scared that they’d come, raw eggs in hand, ready to chase him back to the big city where he belonged. He sure as hell didn’t feel like he belonged in Rock Bay any longer. But Lex’s early morning customers were mostly kids, desperate for a big caffeine high before morning band rehearsal or zero hour study hall. Tally didn’t envy their teachers—probably the same poor souls who’d had to put up with him. He was glad they didn’t seem to know who he was, or else they were so involved in their own selfcentered teenage angst that they didn’t even notice him. Tally didn’t much care, as long as he could avoid the spotlight. He was also glad he wasn’t doing too horribly at his job. He’d take orders and pass them to Lex; he only got one or two wrong and fixed his mistakes really fast. He was actually kind of proud of how easily he slipped into the position, and weirdly enough, he found himself caring—caring that the people of Rock Bay and his cranky boss didn’t see him fuck up. By seven thirty, an hour into the morning coffee rush, he was starting to feel pretty damn good.
    Then came the adults on the way to work or out for an early morning walk and gossip session. That’s when the looks started rolling in—from the “don’t I know you?” questioning stares to the same kind of downright hostility he’d encountered the day before. Tally started to wonder if that was what the animals felt like in a zoo. The looks flustered him; they’d do it to anyone. He tried not to let it get to him too badly. Take their orders, smile, pretend you don’t know