Mint

Pebbles scowls as he hunches over a pile of paperwork. He places a couple of sheets into a folder and turns to me. His shoulders relax as he smiles.

"Hi, Tikera." His voice is smooth and quiet.

"Um, hey." I tug on a smile.

He crosses his arms and leans against the bench. His piercing blue eyes bore into mine which makes my stomach churn.

"Austin will be here soon to help you complete the harvest shift. I've sold the entire collection of plants, so they need to be stripped and packaged before they're collected."

"Does that mean you no longer need me?" I frown.

No illegal job means no illegal boss.

I should be happy this is where the adventure ends, but I wrap my arms around my torso and sigh. I don't want this to end, not the power of earning money, the thrill of doing something illegal, or the time I've spent with Pebbles.

"I'll call when your services are required."

"Oh." I smile. "I'll be waiting then."

He chuckles and my cheeks burn. I wish I could eat my words.

"Thank you for your dedication." He grins.

I stare at my shoe and chew on my lower lip.

Pebbles organises the papers on the bench while I inhale a deep breath. He throws a folder into the filing cabinet and wanders to the ladder.

"Tikera." He sighs.

"Yes?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Please be careful around Austin."

"Can you expand on that?"

"You ask too many questions."

"Excuse me?" I gasp. "Now that's a reflection on you."

"Can you do as you're told, or do I need to find someone else?"

I cross my arms and sigh.

"It would be easier if you told me more."

"Tikera." His shoulders tense.

I open my mouth, only to shut it because sassy comments won't get me anywhere.

"I'm sorry, I'll be careful around Austin."

My stomach churns and my heart races. Is he going to do something terrible? Is my life under threat? Does he care if I die?

"Good girl."

"Excuse—" The door opens, cutting me short.

Austin descends the ladder and Pebbles collects the paperwork.

"You'll complete the shift together. Don't fight while I'm gone because I need this to flow smoothly."

"Okay." Austin nods.

The pair look at me and I sigh.

"We'll be on our best behaviour." I tug on a smile.

"Please show Tikera the shutdown routine."

"Yes, Boss," he grumbles.

Turning to the side, I gasp and rub my eyes. Gnarly purple and black bruises mark his tanned skin around his swollen eye. The bruising trickles down his jaw which sends a shiver down my spine.

I cross my arms and inhale a deep breath. I hope Pebbles didn't do that.

"Thank you."

As The Boss passes me, a whiff of mint circulates the air. I always anticipated he'd smell like weed, lavender or vanilla, but this is different, exciting.

He stops at the base of the ladder and glances at Austin. My stomach churns while Austin's body tenses. My knees wobble and I bite my lower lip. I can't fall apart in front of these two.

"You should apply ice to the swelling." His voice is cold and emotionless.

Austin nods.

One part of me wants to know the truth about the bruises, another wants to be oblivious because there's only so much danger I can let slide.

I turn to Austin and flinch because he's already looking at me.

"It's the same paperwork, just more because of the high quantity." We both look at the plants and sigh. "Do you want to sleep first or take turns filling out the paperwork?"

"I don't mind." I shrug. "I've had coffee, so I can start."

Since I can't trust him, I won't be sleeping a wink! I wish I had coffee.

"I'll catch some sleep then." Austin nods and wanders to the bed.

I grab the folder from the drawer and slide onto the stool. I note the date on the page and lean against the bench. It'll be weird seeing the hole empty and not coming here every day.

* * * * *

Austin crosses his arms and sighs.

"You should sleep before you pass out on that stool."

"Seriously, I'm not tired." My eyes drop and I shake my head.

"Suit yourself." He laughs.

The sun peeks behind trees as men carry plants to a removalist van parked in the driveway. A majority of the plants have been moved which gives the hole a creepy vibe. It already looked creepy, but now it's just the bed and the desk, it looks worse.

"What happens once the plants are gone?" I turn to Austin.

"We go home." He lazes against the counter and smiles.

I glance at the beautiful bed and sigh. I pinch the inner side of my arm and the pain jolts me awake.

"There's no crazy paperwork?"

"No." He shakes his head. "I'll give him the paperwork, though."

"Okay." I nod.

"The hole won't need to be monitored until new product comes in, which should be in a week or two, depending on what happens."

"Alright."

"Or it could be tomorrow." He shrugs. "Things change quickly in this industry."

"Yeah, I noticed." I sigh. "I wish he'd give more notice because I've got bills to pay."

"Look for another job then." His shoulders tense as he glares. "You don't have to work here if you don't like it, nobody is forcing you to stay."

"I'm not stealing your job, there's no way you can guard the hole twenty-four hours a day. Now that I'm here, you need to accept it."

Austin crosses his arms and shakes his head. His smug smile ignites the rage.

"You won't be around for long; people like you don't stick around."

"People like me?" I scoff. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"He has a new girl over every night, what makes you believe you're any better than them?"

"I'm like you Austin, here today, gone tomorrow. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're any better than me. Where I'm standing, you're the one with the bruised and swollen face."

Austin storms to the ladder and I inhale a deep breath. I'll never let him intimidate me.

* * * * *

The final plant is carried away, so I sign the bottom of the page. The men leave and I glare at Austin's sleeping form. He decided to stop helping after my last comment, which is good because there aren't enough excuses to keep him occupied.

I don't understand why he hates me. His attitude flipped once we swapped shifts, so does that mean he's stealing from The Boss and I've wrecked his plans? Nothing adds up, including the bruises.

I place the paperwork in the folder and collect my bag. The ladder looks twice as long but I place my foot on the bottom rung and pull myself up.

The sweet scent of lavender and jasmine intoxicate my senses as I wander down the pathway. I rub my eyes and fish my keys out of my bag.

Yellow light splashed on the driveway and I smile. It's removed the second the study door opens, and a woman wanders inside. She wraps her arms around his neck which makes him flinch. Their gaze connects, and he relaxes into her grip.

"Seriously, another girl?" I sigh. "How many is that in the last two weeks?"

Where do they come from when he always seems busy with business?

Shaking my head, I walk to the car and slip into the driver's seat. The engine rumbles to life and the headlights shine into the study.

The Boss looks out the window but the bright lights protect me.

It's better this way because I know he would hurt me, and I'd let him do it for the thrill of the ride.

* * * * *