“If you two are dating or involved, you can tell me. You won’t get in trouble.” Michaela studied her closely. “I’m gay. I have a wife. There’s no need to be embarrassed.”

  Nadine swallowed. Was she giving off gay vibes? Sure, she had short hair, but only because she couldn’t be bothered to style it. “We’re just friends. And coworkers.”

  “Okay. But she likes women.”

  It wasn’t a question. Nadine shifted her weight. “Yes, Bella is gay. But that doesn’t mean we’re sleeping together. Isn’t it homophobic to assume we are?”

  Michaela sighed. “I’m only asking because, in my experience, housing arrangements based on romance are unstable—especially when it’s a new relationship. You might break up. Or you might want to break up but feel that you can’t, and that’s not good either.” She paused. “Even if you’re not interested, have you considered that Bella may have feelings for you?”

  “She doesn’t,” Nadine said firmly. Gay or not, Bella would never be interested in someone with her history.

  “Okay.” Michaela seemed to relax. “Well, the apartment is fine. You certainly have my approval to stay here.”

  Nadine exhaled. “Thank you.”

  “Bella seems very nice. It’s obvious that she cares about you. Maybe that’s why I thought… Well, never mind. You’re right. I shouldn’t have made assumptions, and I apologize. Anyway, I’m glad you’ve made a friend.”

  “Thanks. Me too.”

  Michaela pulled out her phone. The screen was littered with notifications. “I’d better go. Text if you need anything, okay?”

  Nadine took a moment to catch her breath before going back inside the apartment.

  Bella was on the couch, her hands clasped over her knees. “What did she say?”

  Nadine shrugged out of her jacket. “She said the apartment is fine.”

  “So we passed. Thank goodness.” Bella smiled. “What else did she say? You guys were out there for a while.”

  Nadine hesitated. “Nothing important. She was asking about work, making sure everything is okay.”

  “Did she ask you if we were, um…?” Bella squirmed. “I know she saw my books, and it sort of seemed like she was implying…”

  “Oh, yes.” Nadine kept her voice light. “She asked about the nature of our relationship.”

  Bella winced. “Sorry. That must have been weird for you.”

  “It’s fine. I told her we’re just friends. She believed me, and that was it.”

  “Right. Friends.” Bella nodded, but she was blushing as if she had been caught.

  Michaela wasn’t on to something, was she?

  No. The idea Bella might want more than friendship was preposterous. Nadine was a charity case. She slept here because she had nowhere else to go, not because Bella wanted her around every day. In fact, given her past and what she had supposedly done, she was lucky Bella was willing to call her a friend.

  Chapter 16

  “I’m so sorry, but I’m not authorized to give you a discount.” Bella made her sympathetic face.

  “But it’s damaged.” The scowling white-haired man pointed again to a small dent on the box.

  “Well, yes, the box has an…imperfection…but won’t you be taking it out of the box anyway?”

  “But I like to store my appliances in their original boxes.” His voice had become a high-pitched whine.

  Oh, give me a damn break. Bella wasn’t in the mood for boomers acting like babies. “I understand. I really wish I could help.”

  He puffed out his lower lip in a full-on pout. “Walmart would give me a discount for this. They have better prices too.”

  “Well, maybe you should go to Walmart.” Oops, too blunt. “I mean, I want you to get the best deal.”

  “Fine.” He huffed. “You just lost a sale.” He stomped away, leaving the blender on the counter.

  “Salamat,” Bella muttered.

  She had started the day in a good mood, thanks to a Pop-Tart breakfast with Nadine, plus another Filipino language lesson—kape meant coffee—and a pleasant drive to work with the country music station blasting.

  Then Jason had stuck her on register, and her morale had deteriorated, thanks to the parade of cranky customers that had plagued the store all morning.

  She had just picked up a pen to doodle when a woman whisked through the automatic doors, carrying a large Overstock Oasis shopping bag. Gray hair bounced as she marched toward Bella’s checkout counter.

  Bella stifled a groan. All returns were awful because they took so much time to process, and her instincts told her this one would be extra annoying. The customer dropped the bag on the counter. “I’d like to return this.”

  “No problem. Let’s take a look.” Bella opened the bag and pulled out a down pillow. The tags had been cut off, and it was slightly yellow. “Um, do you have a receipt for this?”

  The woman reached into her purse and produced a stack of receipts. “Let’s see. Pillow. Ah, here.” She handed Bella a wrinkled receipt.

  The ink had faded to a shadow. Bella squinted at the date. “I’m so sorry, ma’am, but we only accept returns within sixty days. This pillow was purchased almost two years ago.”

  The customer puffed out her chest.

  Here we go.

  “Well, that’s not enough time. Besides, this pillow is defective. It keeps losing feathers, and it’s not fluffy anymore.”

  “You actually can’t return used merchandise. And like I said, it’s past the window anyway. I’m sorry, but we, uh…” Her attention was drawn to a man in a black baseball cap who was hovering a few feet away, scanning the store. “Sorry, what was I saying? Oh, we can’t accept it. Please excuse me.”

  The woman opened her mouth to protest, but Bella hurried away from the counter.

  “Hi there, can I help you?” Bella asked. The man wore square rimless glasses, and his mouth was drawn in a tight line.

  He looked her up and down. “Yeah. Is Nadine Bayani here?”

  Somehow, she had known he was looking for Nadine. Probably another so-called journalist who wanted to embarrass her on social media or some bitter rando seeking to vent his anger in person. Thankfully, Nadine had the day off. “She’s not here.”

  “Well, when will she be back?”

  Nice try. “We don’t give out employee schedules. And if you’re here to harass her, you should know that we don’t tolerate it.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I just want to talk to her. That’s all.”

  Oh, sure. Sounds very legit. “Well, I doubt she wants to talk to you. And she has already been through hell, so just leave her alone.”

  He looked her up and down as though a new idea had occurred to him. “Wait, are you two friends? Has she said anything to you about Alyssa Jackson?”

  Bella raised her chin. “Yes, we are friends. But I’m not going to tell you anything. And, like I said, Nadine isn’t here, so I’m afraid you’ve wasted a trip.”

  “If you say so.” He walked away from Bella, muttering under his breath. But instead of leaving the store, he turned down one of the aisles. Great. He’s probably looking for someone else to pump for information.

  Bella returned to her register. The customer was still parked in front of the counter, having made no move to collect her pillow or her decrepit receipt. “Sorry about that. Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

  “You can help me by giving me my refund. In cash.” The woman pointed at the pillow. “I’m not taking this home.”

  “Again, I’m sorry, but that isn’t possible. We can discard the item for you, but—”

  “Didn’t anyone teach you that the customer is always right?”

  “Ma’am, the register literally will not accept this return. There’s nothing I can do.” The outdated registers weren’t actually programmed to know the difference, but sometimes the lie worked.

  The woman crossed her arms. “That’s outrageous.”

  “Yeah, we don’t have any flexibility. It’s unfortunate because I really want to help. But I can’t.” Bella flicked a quick glance down the aisle where the man in the black baseball cap had disappeared. He was peering into the stockroom. Ugh. He needs to leave.

  “You know, I could give you the address for the corporate office. You could write them a letter.” Bella kept an index card with corporate’s address next to the register for exactly this type of customer. She placed it on the counter.

  “I absolutely will.” The woman fished in her purse and pulled out a pen to copy the address.

  “Okay, great. Let us know if you hear back. And again, I’m very sorry.”

  While the customer began to write, Bella took off in search of Nadine’s stalker. On her way to the back of the store, she ran into Jason.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on register?” Jason snapped.

  Great, one of his moods. Bella thought fast. “I am, but I thought I saw a shoplifter.”

  Jason’s eyes sparked. “Where?”

  “There’s a man in a black baseball cap skulking around, not buying anything. I also saw him looking into the stockroom.”

  Jason squared his jaw. “I’m on it. You go back to your register.”

  When Bella returned, there was no sign of the customer or the pillow. Phew. She perched on her stool and waited.

  The man in the cap soon emerged from the far aisle with Jason at his heels.

  “Get out,” Jason said. “And don’t come back.”

  The man glared at Bella as he exited the store.

  Jason turned to Bella. “Nice work.”

  Bella saluted. As soon as Jason turned around, she rolled her eyes.

  Her phone buzzed against her thigh. She slid it out of her pocket to see a text from Raelyn. Hey lady. When do you get off tonight? Long-ass day and I need some chocolate.

  Bella tapped her response: Six. Ice cream?? 6:15?

  Raelyn responded with a thumbs-up emoji. Bella returned the phone to her pocket, but it buzzed a few seconds later. This time, it was a news alert: CNN exclusive: Senator Alyssa Jackson (D-IL) declares campaign for presidency.

  Interesting. The man looking for Nadine had said something about Jackson. Was he a reporter covering the campaign? It was possible, but he had a certain aura of sleaze that made her doubt his motives were journalistic. Still, the timing was curious.

  * * *

  Raelyn was already camped out at the ice cream parlor with a large fudge sundae. Judging from her crisp blouse and heavy eye makeup, she had come directly from the bank.

  “Hey,” Raelyn said through a mouthful of ice cream. “Sorry I didn’t wait for you. It was an emergency.”

  Bella grinned. “I can tell. Hang on. I’m going to order.”

  She examined the tubs of ice cream through the glass. They were arranged like works of art, with candy and fruit displayed on top of each flavor.

  “Good evening!” said the young woman behind the counter. “Thanks for coming in. Would you like to try anything?” Her brown hair was secured in a perky ponytail under her visor, and she wore a crisp pink shirt that said Susie’s Ice Cream. Bella had been just like her when she first started working retail, nervous and eager to please.

  “No, thanks. I’ve had them all, so I’d just be taking advantage.”

  “Oh wow. Every single one?”

  “Yeah, I grew up here. I’ve been eating Susie’s Ice Cream since I was a kid, and most of the flavors haven’t changed.”

  The young woman wilted a bit.

  Bella hastened to reassured her. “Oh, I don’t mean that like it’s bad. Don’t mess with what’s working, right?”

  “Sure thing.” Her ponytail bounced as she nodded. “Folks here like the classics.”

  Bella returned to the table with two scoops of chocolate raspberry swirl in a paper cup. As the first spoonful melted on her tongue, she sighed at the rich, tangy taste. “God, I love this place.” She took another bite before asking, “So why was your day so long?”

  “The damn customers. Like, I’m sorry your boss owes you money. That sucks. But ranting at me for ten minutes isn’t gonna make the money appear.” Raelyn plunged her spoon into a mountain of whipped cream. “Honest to God, I’d almost rather get robbed at gunpoint than deal with these toolbags for thirty seconds.”

  “I know exactly what you mean.” Their jobs weren’t all that different, really. The bank required a professional appearance and paid better than Overstock Oasis, but they both spent their days dealing with the public. Maybe I’m more qualified for other jobs than I thought. Bella considered Nadine’s suggestion that she could get a job at a better store—but she couldn’t leave Nadine at the store all alone.

  Raelyn scooped out another spoonful. “What’s new with you?”

  “Not much. Pushy customers. Drawing portraits for cash. The usual.” Bella licked her spoon clean and dug in for another bite.

  “And how’s your roommate?” Raelyn kept her tone neutral, but Bella knew how she really felt.

  “Nadine has been great. Honestly. She even cooked for me last night. I mean, not for me.” Bella hoped she wasn’t blushing. “She made chicken adobo and shared it with me. It was really good.”

  Raelyn’s intense green eyes seemed to see through her. “Wait a minute. You’re not… Do you have a crush on Nadine Bayani?”

  “No!” Bella shook her head vehemently. “We’re just friends.”

  Raelyn sat back. “Friends, huh? I thought you just felt sorry for her.”

  Bella squirmed in her seat. “I do. But she’s not a bad person. She cares about me.”

  Raelyn pressed her lips together but said nothing.

  “That reminds me—some creepy guy was looking for her at the store today.” Raelyn was unlikely to sympathize, but the incident still bothered Bella. “I don’t know if he was a reporter or if he was there to harass her. We get both.”

  Raelyn wiped a smudge of chocolate from her chin. “He was probably a reporter. Nadine is back in the news after what Alyssa Jackson said today.”

  Bella frowned. “Did Alyssa say something about Nadine? All I heard is that she’s running again.”

  Raelyn pulled out her phone. “She was talking about what happened in the last election, and she almost cried on camera. The clip went viral. Here, I’ll find it.” She tapped and scrolled, then pushed the phone across the table.

  Bella pressed play. Alyssa appeared on the screen, sitting next to her square-jawed husband, Brice. Her chin-length blonde hair was straight and shiny, and she wore a sleek navy pantsuit that flattered her slim figure.

  Across from them, the interviewer leaned in. “Three years ago, you were leading in the polls. Then you were accused of accepting fraudulent contributions from Atlas Health Source in exchange for dropping your plan to cap health insurance premiums. We know now that Nadine Bayani made that deal without your knowledge, but can you tell me what the experience was like for you?”

  Alyssa closed her eyes. When she finally opened them, her eyes were shiny with tears. “You know, Melanie, it was very hard. Because I know who I am. I’ve been in politics for two decades, and I have never once compromised my integrity. Never.”

  Brice slung an arm around her shoulders.

  Composing herself, Alyssa continued. “What Nadine did hurt me personally. It hurt my husband and my child. But you know who it hurt more? Working families. The men and women who struggle every day to keep a roof over their children’s heads, put food on the table, and access affordable healthcare. These are the people Nadine hurt the most. The election wasn’t about me, but when I lost, America lost. And that’s what hurts more than anything.”

  Bella slid the phone back to Raelyn, her stomach unsettled. “Yeah, this could explain the guy who came in today. He was probably a reporter hoping for a comment.”

  “Alyssa is right, you know?” Raelyn set her spoon down and looked directly at Bella. “I love Alyssa Jackson, and I know you do too. But she wasn’t the only victim. What Nadine did hurt more people than we could ever count. Rob Gunn cut food stamps, for God’s sake. Children are going hungry, and Nadine has that on her hands.”

  “I know.” Bella agreed with everything Raelyn was saying. So why didn’t her feelings reflect those horrible truths?

  “And don’t even get me started on the Supreme Court.”

  “Yeah.” Bella cringed at the reminder of Gunn’s first appointment, a young, ultraconservative whose decisions would impact the country for decades.

  “And it’s not just the election. Do you ever think about what would have happened if Nadine hadn’t been caught? If she had become White House chief of staff, she would have cut something really important from Alyssa’s healthcare bill. Who knows what else she would have done? What other parts of Alyssa’s agenda she would trade away? Chiefs of staff have a lot of power.”

  Bella stared down at her ice cream, now soupy. Raelyn’s words stung because they were true. Nadine had confessed on national television.

  Raelyn reached out to touch Bella’s arm. “Look, I don’t think it’s right for her to be bullied or homeless. I just think you should be careful. She’s not a good person.”

  Not a good person. The words clanged in Bella’s ears. She didn’t want to think of Nadine as a bad person. But would a good person do what Nadine had done?

  “You’re right. Sometimes I forget what she did. I guess I don’t want to remember.” Bella had ignored the truth to the point where she’d developed feelings for Nadine.

  “You always see the best in people. It’s one of the things I love about you. But don’t let her suck you in with her charms because that’s exactly what she did to Alyssa Jackson. Just keep your distance, okay?”

  Raelyn was right—she was getting sucked in. But how could she keep her distance from Nadine when they worked and lived together? When her body buzzed every time Nadine was near?