Later that same evening.

I bent forward, scanning another one of the groceries that kept sliding towards me before shoving it into a plastic bag. Because of what had occurred previously, I was able to get to the grocery store earlier than I intended. I washed my hands, put on one of the aprons, then switched with the other cashier. She seemed relieved to be able to leave a little bit earlier.

"And I'd also like a coffee," a woman in her thirties said as her gaze fell on the coffee machine at the entrance. It was the kind you had to insert the cup yourself before choosing your beverage. 

"All you have to do is insert the cup into the—"

She frowned and continued to tap on her phone and spat out, "You're telling me I have to do it? What's the reason I'm paying you for?"

I wanted to sigh, but it would have been impolite toward the customer. Instead, I revealed a strained smile.

"Of course, ma'am. I'll handle everything right away."

She merely smirked, as though she enjoyed ordering me around.

"Don't worry, Gray. I'll take care of it!" Ava exclaimed as she walked into the store. 

"This brat, he's working here, isn't he? He should do it himself," scowled the customer

Ava stopped moving, still clutching the cup in her hand. She placed it down gently and approached our rude visitor. "I own this place," she said matter-of-factly. "It's rather late. At this hour, an espresso would certainly keep you awake. You should just take your stuff and leave."

Our customer held her mouth open, but the words refused to roll down her tongue. 

"Please, don't misunderstand me. I didn't mean to offend you in any way," Ava continued, not seeming apologetical in the slightest. "I'm just worried for your health. Having caffeine at this hour would certainly keep you awake at night."

She simply clicked her tongue and marched out of the store, the bag swaying on her wrist. Ava's triumphant figure almost made me applaud.

"Thanks for the help," I told her as I counted the money. "But are you sure that was right? She was a customer."

"And this is my store," snorted Ava. "So she can screw off into whatever hole she crawled out of while I'm still playing nice."

The owner wasn't someone to be trifled with, I reminded myself. 

"You'll only get bad reviews, ma'am."

Others might not come by as often because of her attitude.

Met with my worries, she just shrugged. "That might happen, but most customers come here precisely because they adore my attitude."

Well, it was her store to run, not mine. Like a soldier obeying their commander, I was doing whatever I was told to do. If she told me not to worry about the matter too much, then I'll do just that.

"Oh, and don't call me like that," came as she went into the changing room. "It makes me sound old. Logan would most definitely laugh his head off if he heard you address me that way."

"How is he doing?" I couldn't help but ask. 

I've had the chance to work as a porter for him and his part before, so I was genuinely curious about what he was up to.

"Sleeping. He worked as a security guard for some club the entire night. He'll probably wake up in a bit, though."

He had a mercenary license, but that didn't mean he was sought after. It was surprising to hear he had the patience to be guard, but I could see it working out somehow. Logan's robust physique made him the right person for those kinds of jobs.

"Enough with my hubby. I'm sure I'll see his expression when I arrive home," Ava said, wrapping a greenish apron resembling the one I wore around her waist. "Tell me more about your day, Gray."

I've never told her about Connor and Reyna, nor had I ever mentioned anything related to Artemis' examinations, so all that came out was: "I got fired..." 

"Really?" she squinted her almond-colored eyes, unable to believe it. "What happened?"

"Some colleague," I confessed, still bothered by the memory. "He wanted to give our client a good impression, but all he managed was to screw me over."

And the fact he pretended not of it was his fault made things even worse.

"That's not a colleague, Gray," Ava pointed out. "That's a bastard. There's no need to address him so politely. You're not even colleagues anymore, right? Now say after me: 'he's a bastard'." 

I wasn't the kind to curse aloud, but this time, I felt the need to vent out some of my stress. That's why I didn't hesitate to repeat after her, "He's a bastard."

That made me feel... a lot better than expected. 

"Good." She slapped my shoulder. "And don't worry. Unless you burn down the entire shop—which will never happen—you'll never be fired from this place."

The thought of setting the store on fire sent shivers down my spine. 

Ava passed through each aisle, but couldn't find anything amiss. "Wow... Did you organize everything in here?"

"Uh-huh."

Because there weren't many customers to deal with, I took it upon myself to tidy up things a little.

"Then I came over for nothing..." she muttered, running her fingers through her wavy hair, unsure what to do with it.  "Gray, you can take the day off!" 

"Don't tell me I'm fired from this place, too," I tried to make a joke.

"Of course not! It's just that there's no reason for you to stay any longer. I'll just keep an eye on things here for a while longer, then head home myself. Nobody would mind if I closed a little sooner, right?"

"Are you sure? I don't mind sticking around for a while longer." 

That was better than going home

"Take a look in the mirror, Gray," said Ava. "Your eyes are swollen. I thought you cried when I first saw you."

"Fine," I said as I removed my apron. She stole it from me just as I wanted to place it back where it belonged to. "Now, now. Let me take care of this. Go home and take a shower. I want you to get at least eight hours of sleep tonight. Take tomorrow off as well!"

"Thanks, Ava..." 

Ava leaned her shoulder against the door's frame, lavishly waving her hand as she said, "Be careful on your way! I don't want to see those dark circles under your eyes the next time I see you!"

"Sure!" I forced out a reply.

Although I said that, I was skeptical I'd be able to keep my word...