“Lana’s on a rampage,” Seth announced. He and Honey leaned on the counter looking out of the large picture window front of the coffee shop. They watched the short black spikes bob as Lana stomped along the sidewalk into the shop. Lana only ever bobbed when she was spitting mad.

“Whatever it was, I didn’t do it,” Seth said as he slunk away from the counter.

“Have you seen this?” Lana slammed the newspaper down on the counter. It was folded to a random interior page of the paper. The headline Lana pointed to stated Potential Rape Spree on the Peninsula.

“How is a rape spree potential, I ask you?”

Honey knew best not to interrupt Lana.

“It says there is a serial attacker. His style is much like a rape. He attacks from behind, cuts clothing, hits, threatens. Basically everything except for penetration. Then he steals the victim’s stuff and takes off. Now, get this. Apparently, he’s a complete moron He wears the same yellow jogging jacket.” Lana looked at Honey quizzically. “What the hell is a jogging jacket?”

Lana leaned over the counter, “Seth, get your butt out here!”

Seth looked completely guilty entering the serving area “I di—”

“Shut up and listen. Look, this guy has attacked at the Wharf and few places in Carmel. He’s targeting tourist spots and hitting the employees who have to work late. He probably has already, or is about to, target down here. I don’t want Honey or Joyce closing alone anymore. Got me?”

Both Honey and Seth nodded in agreement. One thing about Lana, she didn’t get mad without also getting a plan. Honey, go get the schedule from the office, please.”

Returning from the office, Honey slid the clipboard with the weekly schedule in front of Lana. “I want this schedule changed until this guy gets caught. Seth, how many closing nights can you give me?”

Honey’s attention drifted as Seth and Lana set up the details of his new closing schedule to thoughts of Morgan. He would meet her as she closed and would walk her to her car. Her vision blurred as she just experienced pain, pure empty pain.

“Honey, got that?”

“Eight friggin’ days— Huh? Sorry, I guess not.”

“Honey, I need you to open tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday and do standard day shifts on your regular scheduled days. Seth will close on the weekends and Wednesdays and Thursdays.”

Seth’s look suggested a deer caught in a car’s headlights. “But I’m no good at closing, remember. I keep fucking up the register.”

“Shit. That’s right.” Lana glared at the floor thinking. “Okay, Seth, you still close but just pull the tape and lock it and the cash drawer in the safe. Honey, you come in early the next day and close Seth out before you open the drawer. I’d rather risk a little mess-up with the drawer than risk Honey or Joyce. I will close on Mondays and Tuesdays.”

“You can’t close alone, Lana. Do ya—” Honey began.

“I won’t be alone, I’ll bring Big Dog to work.”

“He can’t come in here, you know that,” Seth said, using his Mr. Know-it-all voice.

“No, he can’t, but he can hang out on the back-loading dock. No one will mess with me when I’m with him.” Big Dog’s size was intimidating, especially to those who didn’t know he was really a snuggly, fluffy, oversized puppy. Lana picked up the revised schedule, “Okay, Seth, you can pull this off tonight, right?” She waited for his nod. “I’ll go call Joyce and let her know what’s going on even though it doesn’t really affect her schedule.” Lana scooped the clipboard off the counter as she breezed past behind the counter and off towards the office.

Seth quickly resumed his slouching posture next to Honey.

“You’d think that with the boss here we would be inclined to look busy or something.”

“Well, all of the or somethings have been done.” Honey ticked off all the maintenance chores on her fingers. “Everything is cleaned, dusted, inventoried and restocked. There is very little for her to have us do. If there is no one coming in, and since the work is done, then we wait. Besides, I’m not cleaning the coffee maker midday. I officially protest doing that job.”

“You certainly took care all of the to-dos.”

“Nothing better to do. Keeps my mind occupied.”

“Still mooning after that construction worker?” Seth quirked an eyebrow at her.

Honey cut him off. “I’m not mooning. I stopped mooning two days ago. He was only worth six days of mooning. Now I’m just, I’m just…” Honey pursed her lips and stared at Seth. Her eyes bore a hole into the center of his nose. “Gaaaa!” She stormed out of the front of the shop, trying to fight off tears.

Honey still mooned. She was more than mooning. She missed Morgan. She felt hurt and left behind. She played the voicemail he left, again. But he never answered whenever she called back. She didn’t know if she was abandoned, or if something happened to him, or had their date really been that bad and he changed his mind after the message. She felt conflicted. Should she be worried or mad? Or both?

Twelve days ago he smiled that smile at her, and she could have sworn he was about to kiss her. Twelve days ago he had said he had a good time and that they should go out on a real date. Nine days ago their date had been a royal disaster, and she wanted to ask him for a do-over. She attempted to return his call the next day, and the next day after that. Honey had been waiting for eight days to ask him to go out with her again and not to hate her. Waiting for him to saunter into The Corner and ask when her next break was. Waiting to hear the deep tones of his voice. Waiting to hear him say her name again.

Honey dropped the pendant and used her fists to rub the tears from her cheeks. She stopped. Tourists bustled around her as her abrupt halt interrupted the flow of pedestrian traffic. She spun around on her heel and stalked back to the café.

Honey returned to the counter. Seth handed her a whipped fruity tea concoction he had been developing. “Here, it’s pink and fruity. Whatcha think?”

Honey sat and took a long hard sip through the straw. She closed her eyes as her tongue enjoyed the sparkling frozen berry flavors mixed with green tea and honey. Then she clenched her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Brain freeze!”

When she recovered from the cranial chill effects of the blended ice drink, she blinked at Seth. “Thanks. Sorry I…” She twisted and pointed at the door. “Ya’ know, he never once made a comment about my name.”

“Seriously? Not one crack about the color of golden honey?”

Honey sniffled. “Not one. I thought that was a sign or something.”

“It certainly seems like it would have been. I was sorta hoping he wasn’t a jerk to you, but I guess he was.”

“Yeah, I guess he was.” Honey said sadly.