Page 1 of Flipping the Script
1
JESSE
Tzzzz.Tzzzz.
Resting my hip against the counter, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked my notifications. I had a text from my brother.
Adam: can you pick up some ice on the way to the party?
“Heads up,” a familiar voice called.
I looked up just in time to get a wet washrag to the face.
“Gross, dude.” I chucked it back at Isaac, my coworker, and wiped my cheek. “What did you clean with that? Do I need to bleach my face?”
“Relax.” He leaned against the counter next to me with a smirk. “It’s just water. That was payback for the last time you caught me texting up here.”
Snickering, I tucked my phone away.
The garage we worked at was probably the most chill workplace imaginable. Our bosses treated us like actual adults and mostly left us to our own devices as long as we got our work done and weren’t idiots.
One of the few rules they did have was no phones at the front desk. Isaac and I had made a sport out of trying to catch each other breaking it and pranking the other as punishment.
Last week I’d dropped an ice cube down the back of his coveralls. The washrag was warranted.
“Did you hear anything more about the new guy?” he asked.
“Nope. Just that he’s starting on Monday.”
“Thank fuck.” He cut his gaze around the small storefront. “Anyone come in while I was in the back?”
I shook my head.
“Thank fuck,” he repeated. “As much as I love the overtime, I’ll be glad to go back to working my normal hours.”
“Hard same.”
The last few months had been good for my bank account, but not so great for my work/life balance. Our bosses had been in the process of hiring someone to replace one of our old coworkers who’d quit a few weeks ago, and we’d been short-staffed ever since. I’d picked up so many extra hours it was beginning to feel like I lived in the shop.
My phone vibrated again. Instinctively, I put my hand over it to quiet the soft sound.
“Someone’s popular.” Isaac ticked his chin at my pocket. “Did I interrupt something spicy?”
I pulled a face. “Gross. I was texting with my brother.”
“Sorry, bro. Was it something important?”
“Not really. He wants me to bring ice to his grad party.”
“His grad party is today?”
I nodded and drummed my fingers on the smooth lip of the counter.
My phone vibrated three more times in quick succession.
“Sounds like he needs more than ice.” Isaac made a “go ahead” motion. “I’ll stay out here if you want to check that.”
“Thanks.” I ducked through the door that separated the front of the store from the car bays in the back and leaned against the wall so I was out of sight.