#Chapter 78: A Little Vacation
Abby

My eyes snap open to discover that someone, in the span of what feels like five minutes, my office has

grown dark. There’s a hand on my shoulder, and an all-too-familiar face—with a smirk on it, of course—

staring down at me.

“Sleepy?” Karl asks, his lips twitching into a grin.

I shake my head and sit up, trying to regain a sense of reality. The glare of the desk lamp sca tters

across stacks of invoices and order forms, casting a dim amber glow over everything.

“No,” I lie, looking away as Karl crosses the room back to the doorway. “I was just putting my head

down for a few minutes.”

A quick glance at the clock reveals that it’s almost eight o’clock, and considering the fact that it’s a

Wednesday, the restaurant is already mostly quiet. Through my half-open office door, I can just barely

make out the faint sound of sc at tered voices and silverware on plates from the few customers who are

still hanging around, post-dinner rush.

Karl laughs and leans against the doorframe. “Sure. And what looks like drool on your cheek must just

be condensation or something, right?”

Drool? I swipe my cheek with the back of my hand and sure enough, it comes away wet. Great.

“Okay, you go me,” I mutter, smoothing down my messy hair. “This morning was hectic, and I didn’t

sleep too well last night…”

Karl shrugs. “Don’t sweat it,” he assures me. “In fact, you’ll be happy to know that after the health

inspector left, everything else went smoothly. No more food critics, no sick servers, no arguing

employees.”

I force a half-smile. So word really does travel fast; or rather, Karl is more attuned to the drama than I

thought. I never mentioned the sick servers and arguing employees to anyone, but someone must have

noticed.

rubbing my eyes. “Did you need

doorframe and saunters in again, perching on

delivery schedule, but it’s really not that important,” he

look like you could

in an

perfectly

where

Karl gazes at me without answering. There’s something gentle in his

haven’t seen in a very long time. And something about it makes

feeble attempt to hide

peering out into the dimly lit city street. It’s pouring

getting late and the kitchen will close soon anyway,” Karl says after

“You should

be fine.

stops raining?” he asks. I nod, and Karl sighs.

you home, okay?”

another few moments at the rain, listening as it

reveals that my

nap on my desk didn’t really do much

Karl. He’s got an almost triumphant look on

quickly. “Let’s

of my office to Karl’s sleek,

hint of pine air freshener. The city lights,

windshield as we drive. I’ve always loved the city in the rain,

neon signs look on a stormy night;

the bright signs of late-night diners and convenience stores

the weight of my job—the critics, the health inspectors,

find myself lost in the rhythmic hum of

were

drink, and a server shortage

nightmare. I can’t seem to escape the restaurant,

sleep.”

me with a smirk. “Well, dreams are just unpaid labor then, aren’t they? Surely

could get compensation somehow.”

is working overtime,” I reply, my words tinged with

of my apartment complex—a red brick building with ivy crawling up the

the front door. It’s surrounded by other buildings that look just like it.

here, I almost

embarrassing.

off the engine, then looks

My offer still stands. Remember the pool and the

away. Of course I remember the pool and the hot

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