When I was in high school, I worked at a Dairy Queen. I didn't really like the work but my parents insisted I have a job until I went to college. They felt it would cultivate a better work ethic. It might have worked if the manager, Todd, wasn't such a scumbag. He was fucking his assistant manager, Becky Benson. She was a sophomore in college and of course, got all the best shifts and hours. When you let the guy who signs the paychecks go balls deep inside of you on the regular, you get certain perks.

I was dog shit to Todd. I always ended up closing by myself. Todd and Becky would leave early and I'd get stuck having to count the till, clean, empty the trash, lock up, and make the night deposit at the bank. Finally, Todd scheduled someone to close with me. It was the new girl, Kate. I was actually annoyed at first because I figured she would just get in the way. I had a lot of shit to do but I had a routine that got me out of there at 10:20 pm.

Before we officially closed for the night, I started going over everything we had to do to close. I hadn't worked with Kate often because Todd had spent the last few weeks “training” her. Kate suggested she count the till. She explained that she was good at math and she could do it really quickly. She told me she used to work at the gas station but she had to quit when her mom got promoted to store manager. Her mom couldn't also be her boss, she explained.

Kate was pretty. She had a rough beauty. She was in my class in school but we hardly talked. She always wore long sleeves and jeans, never a skirt or shorts. She had big, dark eyes and short chestnut hair that framed her face nicely. She didn't wear any makeup and some of her clothes were threadbare and had small holes. Her sneakers were worn. Her family was poor, that was obvious. I'm sure some of the bitchy girls from the Cedardale development give her a lot of shit. I heard one of them call her a “townie slut” as I swept the floors one night. She didn't say a word for the rest of the shift.

That night she finished counting the drawer and I recounted it. She was spot on again.

“I'll talk to Todd tomorrow,” I said. “You're better at counting the till than I am, I don't see why I have to recount it. We can just match it to the register journal and call it a night,” I concluded.

“Thank you,” Kate said softly.

“Not bad for a dumb townie,” I said, smiling at her.

“I don't care what that fuckin' cunt thinks of me,” she spat.

“I'm sorry,” I said, “It was just a joke to cheer you up.”

“I'll get the key and take the trash out,” Kate said, her words barely above a whisper. I could see the tears welling in her eyes.

I felt like a jerk. I could tell I had smashed what little spirit she had left today. When Kate came back inside I apologized again. She nodded. I think that was the only absolution I was going to get.

“Is it as cold as it looks out there?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Colder. The lock was frozen on the dumpster, I had to throw thrash on top,” Kate said.

I knew Kate didn't have a car. She probably didn't have a license. She lived on the other side of town. It was a good three miles, across the bridge and down the River Street Hill next to the train tracks. She was bundling herself up as best she could. Her gloves had holes in some of the fingers.

“You aren't actually going to walk, are you? Let me drive you home, Kate,” I said.

“I can walk,” she said softly.

“You'll freeze your ass off!” I said.

“I will give you gas money when we get paid,” Kate said matter of factly.

“I'm not worried about that, I share the car with my older sister and she fills it up for me each week,” I said.

“That's nice of her,” Kate replied.

I jingled the keys. “What do you say I drive you home on nights we close?” I asked.

“I'd like that, but I don't want to put you out, I won't expect it,” she said defensively.

“I don't mind, honestly, it's five minutes out of my way,” I said. Did I see the slightest smile cross her lips?

I drove Kate home and parked in the street in front of her house. She thanked me again and got out. I could see the light was off in the front room. I waited until she closed the front door and the light come on before I pulled away.

The next evening I knocked on Todd's office door. I could hear fumbling inside. It was the frantic sounds of buttoning shirts, fixing hair, and checking zippers.

“Just a second!” I heard Todd say on the other side of the door. “Becky and I are going over the month-end report for last month.” About a minute later the door flung open and Becky was still adjusting her tits under her shirt. “C'mon in Alex,” Todd said with faux sincerity, “What's on your mind?”

“Kate has counted the drawer each night we closed and she did it perfectly each time. I recounted it myself. I was wondering if we could just compare her count to the journal like we do with the other closers. She knows what she's doing.” I noticed that when I mentioned Kate, Todd looked annoyed. I also noticed that he forgot to flip the picture of his wife back up. I guess he doesn't like to see his wife silently judging him from behind the glass as he plows his side piece. Maybe Becky insists he put it face down so that she doesn't have to confront the thought of being the other woman. There was a long pause before Todd spoke.

“No,” Todd said, “No, I'd feel much better if you kept recounting it just for now. I have a bad feeling about her, she's trouble.”

I stepped back out of the office and joined Kate at the counter taking orders and filling them. I was annoyed. I'm not sure why he has a bad feeling about Kate but I knew there was something more to it than that. Todd is a lousy liar. I was more worried about how Kate would react that I was discovering whatever bullshit reason Todd had for not letting us skip a needless step.

Later after Kate finished counting the drawer she left all the paperwork and the money on the counter as if she already knew Todd had said he wanted me to recount everything. I had a huge lump in my throat.

“I asked Todd and he said to check your count a few more weeks until we are sure you have it down,” I said.

“I figured,” she said, “I'll go get the key and take out the trash.”

“For what it's worth, I think it's a waste of time,” I said smiling at her.

“I know,” she said. She hefted two big bags of trash in each hand and went out to the dumpster.

When Kate came back inside she washed her hands and dried them. She looked at me completely deadpan. “Do you think they could at least find a place other than Todd's office for the trash key?” she asked, “Every time I go in there it smells like rotten sex. I prefer the trash smell honestly.”

I lost it. I started smiling and then laughing. Kate cracked up too. We laughed for a solid minute.

“Kate, do you want some ice cream?” I asked.

“I'd fuckin' love some ice cream,” she replied.

I spooned each of us some ice cream into a bowl and we sat on the counter eating it.

“How long has Todd been fucking Becky?” Kate asked.

“I'm not sure, I've only worked here about nine months,” I replied, “My guess would be more than nine months.” I laughed. Kate smiled. “I'm sorry Todd's being a dick about the register drawer.”

“It's not your fault,” Kate said. She shifted her weight uneasily. “It's better just to recount it anyhow, it covers our butts.”

“He was acting weird when I asked him. Like more weird than usual, I'm not sure what got into him,” I said.

“Probably half of a gram,” Kate said, pantomiming snorting a hit from her fingernail.

We laughed again. After we finished our ice cream we got in my car and I drove Kate home. I parked and watched her go inside. The light in the front room was on this time, at least she wouldn't have to fumble in the dark. I slowly pulled away, watching the porch light go out in my rearview mirror.

The next day at work, Kate was behind the counter when I arrived and she was swamped. I hurried over to her and started on the backlog of orders.

“Where's Becky?” I asked her.

“Called out sick,” Kate answered while ringing out a customer.

“What about Todd?” I replied.

“Went home,” Kate said. She didn't take her eyes off the screen as she spoke.

“Fuck sake,” I muttered under my breath.

“How do I put in a number two with a substitution for onion rings?” She asked. I came over and helped her figure it out then I went back to the pile of slips for sundaes and shakes waiting to be filled.

“Did you forget my coupon?” I heard a raspy voice ask.

“Oh, shoot!” I heard Kate say. “Alex, could you help me again?”

I went over and keyed in the coupon. I could feel the customer's ire rising.

“Here you go,” Kate said as she handed the customer his receipt.

“Maybe if you two weren't chit-chatting she would have got it right the first time,” the customer grumbled.

I turned around and grabbed the pile of order slips from the counter. “Excuse me, sir?” The man turned around. “Hi,” I continued, “This is the pile of orders we are working on right now in addition to taking more orders and ringing out sales.” I waved the slips prominently. “You're more than welcome to lend a hand.”

“I want to talk to the manager,” The customer said, turning red.

“Sorry, he went home for the day,” I said smugly. “And our assistant manager called out sick, so I guess I'm the manager now,” I concluded.

“Then you should tell your people to wash their hands, her mitts are filthy,” he barked before walking out.

I went back to making shakes and sundaes. I was being unnecessarily rough with things. I also added a lot of extra toppings. It was the kind of unmeasured approach one takes when they are angry to the point of apathy. What are they going to do, fire me? Todd would have to be here to do that. Then who would work the closing shift?

I noticed Kate flinching as I worked. Every sharp sound caused her a start so I controlled myself if only for the sake of my coworker. I looked at her hands while she was taking orders. They were covered in dark spots, bruises not grime. When she reached over the counter and her shirt rode up, I could see more dark spots on her abdomen. I put it out of my mind but I would definitely suggest ice cream after work tonight.

I locked the doors and started closing early. “I'll take the trash out tonight,” I said as I started gathering it up.

“Thank you,” Kate said. She didn't look up from the counter.

I stood out by the dumpster for a minute or two after I threw the leaking bags in it. Todd was probably going to fire me. I think I'll tell his wife about him and Becky if he does; just to be a dick. When I came back in Kate had the drawer counted and ready for me to check. I ignored it and washed my hands.

“The drawer is ready,” Kate said quietly.

“I know, I'm not checking it right now,” I said. “Right now we are going to have some ice cream and relax.”

Kate looked up at me. “I'd like that,” she smiled. “Thank you for helping me with that nasty customer.”

“My pleasure,” I said as I scooped the ice cream. I handed her a bowl and we sat on the counter.

“Alex, I'll just walk home tonight I think. I have a lot on my mind,” Kate didn't look up as she spoke.

“Okay,” I said. “I wasn't angry with you.”

“I know, I need some time alone to think,” Kate replied.

We sat and silently ate our ice cream. The hum of the compressor for the walk-in freezer was deafening. It was white noise and the clacking of plastic spoons against plastic bowls.

“Todd put me on the closing shift because I wouldn't suck his cock,” Kate said quietly. “He got it out and asked me to give him a blowjob and I got up and left.”

“I'm sorry,” I said. I looked away from her.

“It's not your fault,” Kate said softly.

“I know,” I said. “I still feel bad.” I tried to put my arm around her but she winced. She took my hand and gently wrapped it across her shoulders and leaned into me.

“I think I'd like that ride home after all,” Kate said.

“Sure thing,” I replied.

We finished closing and we got in my car. It was cold as hell again so I turned the heater all the way up. Kate warmed her hands by the vent. I saw her smile. I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the empty streets. Kate was silent the whole drive until we got close to her place.

“Alex, could you park behind the grocery store?” Kate asked.

“That's like a block away from your house, are you sure?” I replied.

“Yeah,” Kate said.

I pulled into the lot behind the store. They were closed and the place had no working lights out back. I parked the car but left the engine running.

“Here we are,” I said.

Kate took off her seat belt and gathered her things. She put them on the dashboard and turned to look at me. She took my hand and put my arm across her shoulders again and sat there enjoying being held. I heard a click as she undid my seat belt. I could feel her putting her hands in my pockets to keep them warm. My cock twitched.

I was beginning to realize why she wanted me to park here and I started to swell. She must have noticed because she put a hand on my thigh. She slid it up and put it on my bulge. I made it swell with my pelvic muscles so she could feel it engorge. I heard her opening my pants and felt the cool air as she gently lifted my cock out of my jeans. I could feel her warm breath on the head and I felt the pre-cum drool down the tip. She licked it off.

She gently blew on it and the saliva got cold, I felt her push me in her mouth. Her mouth was so warm and smooth. She licked and stroked it. I could feel her hair brushing against my legs. I groaned and she sucked my cock. She managed to get the whole length in her mouth and bobbed her head up and down while she rubbed my nuts. Jesus, she was good at sucking cock.

She lifted her head and pulled me out just to focus on the head. She licked and sucked it and rubbed her thumb against the spit-covered tip. I was panting and moaning, I was so hard it hurt. Kate put her lips on the head again and pressed her tongue against my cock. She slid the whole thing in her mouth again and again as her tongue bumped along the engorged veins of my cock. When I was all the way inside, she held it there and hummed. The reverberation was heavenly. I could feel it in my lower back. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I was transfixed by the thrumming of her throat. She slid her head up, took a deep breath, and went down again. Her warm, wet tongue touched my balls. Her face was red and she started humming again.

I couldn't stop it. “I'm gonna cum,” I said. She nodded, her mouth stretched by my dick.

She hummed “Mmmm, Hmmm.” and winked at me.

I grabbed the sleeve of her coat and the handle of the door as the tingling started in my hips. I moaned and groaned and asked for God and said her name repeatedly between short desperate gasps for air. She gently massaged my balls. I could feel the electricity of my orgasm sending wave after wave of dopamine into my brain. My dick pulsed as it shot spurt after spurt into her throat while she hummed. I lost count of how many times I felt it release. She lifted her head and licked me clean. I was super sensitive. I was panting and moaning. She put her head on my lap and her hair tickled my softening cock.

“Thank you, Kate, you didn't have to do that. I wasn't expecting it but it was nice,” I said as I caught my breath.

She didn't say a word. She didn't kiss me. She didn't look at me. She wiped her lips with her fingers and checked her watch. There was a long pause. I was about to speak when she zipped up her jacket, gathered her things, and got out of the car. I watched her huddled form disappear into the darkness of the chilly February night. I sat in my car with my dick out and the engine running wondering if I had done something to upset her.

When I went into work the next evening Todd told me Kate had quit.

“I knew she was bad news,” Todd said smugly. He asked me to change the sign out front to “Now Hiring.”

I looked for Kate at school. I talked to her a few times at lunch but she didn't want to talk about what happened. She didn't seem to want to talk to me about anything. I asked if she wanted to go on a date but she said she worked evenings and weekends at the new dollar store and she couldn't. She dropped out of school later in the spring and I went looking for her at the dollar store but they said she quit. I lost track of her after that.

Now twenty years later I was looking at the RSVP for my class reunion. Could she be there? It's doubtful. Since she dropped out she wouldn't officially be part of our graduating class. Maybe she married an alumni or a friend sent her an invitation so she could drop in. I sent my RSVP back hoping beyond hope that I would see her again. I wasn't planning on going to my reunion but what did I have to lose?