The Dark Stranger

Dangerous

"The Dark Stranger"
© VeGirl 2014

A few days later, my friend meet me at the door to work with a wild look on her face. "Could you please, please help me out with the catering tonight?" Eddie begs, her pleading blue eyes resemble a cockerspaniel in desperate need of a walk. She has a partnership with a local restaurant who work catering together, and a couple of girls who usually takes care of that, but everything has gone wrong tonight.

"Are you even aware of how much you beg me?" I ask sarcastically with a smirk.

"I don't know what to do." Her eyebrows are tilted in a begging expression. "Amelia is sick and Mary had to get home to her five-year old when the baby-sitter..."

"Stop talking, of course I will help you!" I smile.

"Really? You're the best friend ever!" she gives me a big hug. "Won't Peter be upset," she asks, but I just shrug.

"He's not my boss; you are." I give her a crooked smile. "And all I say is; yes boss, of course I will work some extra hours tonight."

She glares at me. "Suck up!"

I just laugh. "Aren't you supposed to suck up to your boss?" I have an innocent look on my face and complete it with a hand over my heart, making Eddie laugh with me. "You're nuts," she says and shakes her head. "I feel so privileged to have you as my friend." She hugs me again.

"Just wait until this night is over; then you might regret that statement." I laugh and put my arm around her as we walk in towards the kitchen.

"That's no problem; I'll just fire you." She shrugs.

The day is slow and that gives us time to prepare the dessert for the night, and pack everything else needed in the company van.

When our work is done at the coffee-shop, I go home, hit the shower and an hour later Eddie comes and pick me up in the business van. "Was Peter mad at you for leaving home tonight?" Eddie frowns guilty.

"He still hasn't come home yet, so I left him a note."

Eddie snaps her head toward me with an upset look on her face. "You didn't tell him? Won't he get totally ballistic?" she asks worried. "You have to call him!"

"Are you sure you're suitable as a boss?" I tease her and get a glare back from her.

I roll my eyes and pull my phone up out of my pocket, taps Peter's name and hear him answer. "Hi, I'm sorry, I have to work late tonight; it's the catering business."

"Yeah I just saw the note..."

"So, you're home already... Good. So that means I'll see you later," I say a bit awkward. "Okay, bye!" The mood in the car is very dense after I end the call and I work hard not to look at my friend.

"Are you sure the two of you are okay?"

Reluctantly I turn and look at my friend. "Yeah sure..." I say nonchalant and shrug, not interested in going into that discussion with my friend, especially since I'm not really clear as to where I stand myself in this matter.

"Mhmm..." Eddie mutter and watches me with puckered brows. "If you say so..."

Luckily the drive ends soon thereafter and we focus on work. Mark is the owner of the restaurant we co-operate the catering-service with, and the smell from his pots and pans is already making my mouth water. He and his crew are usually a hoot to work with, no matter who the paying customer is. We're always respectful to the customers though, but behind the scenes we joke around quite roughly.