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would you expect?” Thomas said laughing.
    The comment caused Tracie to suddenly stop, turn and give Thomas an evil look yelling, “Stalker! You are a sick bastard sometimes…I love it! I can handle trying him out.”
    “But why are you looking to hire someone three days a week for that shift anyway, Tom?” Tracie asked from behind the counter as she sipped on a cup of coffee.
    “Because it’s going to be summer soon, and Daniel is going to be out of school. I would like to be able to be around more for him and be here a little less. I’ll still be here two nights a week and in the mornings for a little bit doing paper work,” Thomas answered.
    “Aww, that’s cool, I miss Daniel. Tell him I said hi, okay?” she asked.
    “I will, but you will see him this afternoon anyway, when I stop in since he will be with me, and I think he expects a big hug okay, just so you know,” he answered.
    “Well, duh,” Tracie replied, smiling.
    Thomas turned back to Derrick and the card game.
    “Damn, you’re an ass for a potential boss,” Derrick said amused at the whole thing.
    “Tom’s an ass for a boss period…just saying!” Tracie said as she stuck her tongue out at Thomas along with a little giggle as she counted the money in the cash register.
    “Thank you for that Tracie. I am only an ass to you! By the way, can you still get your old job back? Because yeah…you might want to look into that, Doll,” Thomas said with smile.
    Tracie laughed, “Ha, ha, what a funny guy you are. You know you would miss me! And who could do my job as well as I do.”
    “True, you’re right, kid, I would in fact miss you,” Thomas said.
    “Well, I hear chimpanzees are very trainable, Tom!” Derrick said laughing and getting in on the back and forth.
    “Hey,” Tracie yelled picking up a small knife and pointing it at Derrick, adding, “Don’t you start with me Mister, you don’t pay me!”
    “Well Tracie that may depend on what else you can do besides make coffee now doesn’t it,” Thomas said smiling, not even looking at Tracie when he spoke; it almost caused Derrick to spit out his coffee from laughing.
    “I’ll cut you both. I will…swear to God!” she said smiling in an attempted menacing way, “But seriously…nice catch there old man, I guess I left myself open for that one.”
    “Just a little,” Thomas said not looking up as continued playing his card game.
    “Yeah, ha, ha, now put your damn cigarettes out I’m gunna open up in three and a half minutes. We don’t want to break the law now do we, gentleman,” she said sarcastically as she put a cigarette in her mouth, lighting it and exhaling as she walked towards the open back door.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Three
     
    It was 8:30 in the morning and Stephanie sat in the driver’s seat of her black SUV. Her head and arms were draped over the steering wheel crying, alone once again. The vehicle was still parked in the driveway of her home and had been even though she got into it nearly 30 minutes ago. She bought her home about three years ago it was her first house. Until about five months ago, she spent the previous 13 months living with her now ex-boyfriend, Jared Singer, who was 38 years old. She did not sleep much the night before since she was up late arguing with him until 2 am. Jared decided to show up drunk at her door once again, demanding that she take him back. It was yet another fight, one of many the last couple of months. After what he did to her, there was no way she would ever take him back.
    Stephanie Sue Davis was 27 years old and worked for a family-owned company that operated convenience stores and gas stations in and around the southwest side of Michigan. She was the Human Resources director there and had been in the position for almost three years, though she had been with the company for a lot longer than that. She started as server in one of their restaurants and gradually moved up the corporate ladder. She loved her job and