“Yes. For twenty years.” She pulled her passport and her Social Security card from her bag.

  “Outstanding. Well, listen, Nadine, I’m going to make copies of your documents and send them to corporate. You’ll need to take a drug test. I assume that won’t be a problem.”

  “Not at all.” Drug tests were part of her probation, one of many humiliations that had become routine.

  “That’s what I figured.” He sat back and crossed his arms. “It takes a few days to get the test results and for corporate to process your paperwork. You should be able to start…let’s see…next Thursday. That work for you?”

  That’s it? She had the job? Nadine’s throat tightened as she said, “Yes, that will work.”

  Grady gave her some forms to fill out and left to copy her documents. She half expected him to barge back in and withdraw the offer, having realized who she was. Instead, when he returned, he gave her a toothy smile and asked if she had any questions about the forms.

  When she had finished the paperwork, Grady escorted her to the front of the store. “Bella! Come over here.”

  Bella approached warily. She did a double take when she saw the employee handbook in Nadine’s hands.

  Grady beamed. “This is Nadine… What was it?”

  “Bayani.”

  “Right. She’s our newest associate. Used to be a lawyer, if you can believe that.” He winked at Nadine. “Maybe she can get me out of my next speeding ticket.”

  Bella gaped at Grady. “A lawyer?”

  “Yup. She worked in corporate law,” Grady said, leaving no doubt that he still didn’t know Nadine was world-famous and universally despised.

  “Oh. Okay.” Bella glanced between them with troubled eyes.

  Nadine held her breath. If Bella told Grady what she knew, her employment would be snatched away before it began. She cursed herself for snapping at Bella when they first met. If Bella gave her away, it was Nadine’s own fault for being rude. Time seemed to stop as she waited for Bella’s decision.

  Bella parted her glossy lips, then closed them. At last, she smiled and extended her hand. “Great to meet you. Welcome to the team.”

  “Thank you.” Nadine accepted the handshake, noting Bella’s soft skin and gentle grip.

  As their hands broke apart, Bella met Nadine’s gaze as if to remind her that she knew exactly what was up, even if she hadn’t said anything.

  Nadine walked back to her car in a daze. The job wouldn’t last, of course. Once Grady found out who she was, it would all be over. But for now, she had an actual job.

  Chapter 2

  OMG. Bella tapped her phone furiously. Nadine Bayani just left the store. She got a job here. Grady doesn’t know who she is.

  The sound of a squeaky wheel interrupted her typing. Bella looked up to see a woman steering a packed shopping cart toward her register. Crap. She wanted to know Raelyn’s reaction before she got sucked into helping customers.

  At last, bubbles appeared in the window.

  The customer slapped a set of sheets onto the counter. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.” Her words dripped with syrupy sarcasm.

  “Not at all.” Bella set her phone down and plastered a smile on her face. “Did you find everything okay?”

  Bella scanned and bagged the woman’s items as fast as she could, but another customer pulled up with multiple vases and wineglasses. By the time she finished wrapping each item in packing paper, two more customers had joined the line.

  As soon as the last customer left, she lunged for her phone and read the string of texts from Raelyn.

  Are you shitting me??? Why the fuck would she work there? Are you sure it was her? Maybe it was someone who looked like her? Shit, I have to go to a stupid meeting. Call me tonight. Better yet, come over. You have to tell me everything!!

  Bella wasn’t surprised Raelyn doubted her. After all, she hadn’t been sure herself when she first met Nadine. At first glance, the woman who walked into Overstock Oasis bore little resemblance to the cutthroat lawyer with long, shiny black hair and tailored power suits. Still, Bella had watched enough news coverage to recognize Nadine’s round face, flat nose, and arresting brown eyes.

  Bella typed back, 100% sure. Yes, I will come over. What time?

  No reply. Raelyn’s stupid meeting must have started. Bella sighed and pocketed her phone. Just a few more hours of tedium to go.

  * * *

  Gravel crunched beneath the tires as Bella guided her Honda Accord up the long, narrow road to Raelyn’s house. The air buzzed with a symphony of cicadas, reminding her that she was way out in the country. The porch fixture was the only light for a mile.

  The front door was always unlocked, and Bella hadn’t knocked since elementary school. It creaked as she pushed it open. When she stepped into the kitchen, Raelyn’s mom, Kathy, stood to greet her.

  “Hi, sweetie! Come here and give me a hug.” Kathy’s gray hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She wore her usual retirement uniform of baggy sweats and fuzzy slippers.

  “Hi, how are you?”

  “Fine, just fine, darlin’. I just made water for tea. Would you like some? I’ve got lemon, pomegranate, and that fancy chai Raelyn likes.”

  “Thanks. I’d love some pomegranate.” Bella opened the cupboard and helped herself to a tall ceramic mug with daisies painted on the rim.

  “Oh my God!” Raelyn entered the kitchen, flush with excitement. “You met Nadine Bayani!” She was still dressed for her job as a bank teller in navy dress pants and a crisp blouse, but she had washed off her makeup.

  “You did?” Kathy asked. “Where? I thought she was still in prison.”

  Bella reached for the teakettle. “Nope. She served her sentence. She applied to work at the store, and Grady actually hired her.”

  “Wow I can’t believe it. Isn’t he a Republican? I mean, I’m just assuming because it’s Cheriville.”

  “Yeah, but Grady didn’t recognize her. When he introduced her to me, he only said she used to be a lawyer. Like he just learned that today.” Bella still couldn’t believe it.

  “Whoa.” Raelyn moved to stand at the counter where Bella was stirring sugar into her tea. “What did you say when he introduced you?”

  “I just said it’s nice to meet you. Something like that.” Bella would never forget Nadine’s penetrating eyes.

  “Damn. You still haven’t told anyone?”

  Bella shook her head. “You’re the only one I’ve told.”

  “Goodness gracious,” Kathy said. “Your coworkers are in for a shock.”

  “I’ll say.” Raelyn leaned back against the counter. “Wait until they realize they hired someone everyone in America hates. I mean, it’s the one thing Republicans and Democrats all agree on: Nadine Bayani is a piece of shit.”

  Bella frowned. “Yeah. I mean, I guess.”

  “You guess?” Raelyn raised her eyebrows. “Do you have amnesia? I seem to recall you bawling your eyes out on election night and calling her all sorts of unladylike names.”

  Right. That was true. “I remember.”

  “It’s her fault Rob Gunn is president.” Raelyn narrowed her eyes. “Maybe Nadine was trying to help Alyssa at the time—in her twisted, criminal way—but all she did was cause a scandal that threw the presidency to the Republicans. Don’t forget that none of these terrible things would be happening if it weren’t for Nadine.”

  “Yeah. I know.” Just last night, Bella had watched a gruesome report about the humanitarian crisis at the border, a result of Gunn’s anti-immigration policies. Families had been living in makeshift camps for months without adequate food, clean water, or medical care. Anyone with children who crossed the border risked being separated from them. Gunn’s election was the darkest day Bella could remember.

  “So why didn’t you say anything? Your boss never would have hired her if he knew the truth. You could have stopped it.”

  Bella had asked herself the same question all evening. Like most Democrats, she had spent the past two years hating Nadine. She had never dreamed she would do her a favor, let alone one that allowed her to get a job at Bella’s own store.

  “I guess I felt sorry for her.” Bella stared into her tea, now the color of dark magenta. “I don’t know why. She wasn’t even nice. She bit my head off when I tried to ask her a question. But there was something about her…” Bella paused, considering how to explain it. “She just looked like she’d been through hell.”

  “She deserved to go through hell. She still deserves it.”

  “Maybe.” Bella took a sip of the tart, fruity tea. It needed a little more sugar. “But you know, working at Overstock Oasis—it’s not exactly heaven.”

  * * *

  Bella peered through the glass door as she fumbled with her key in the lock. No sign of Nadine in the front. Maybe she was in the back? Or maybe she’d already quit, a prospect Bella found strangely disappointing.

  “Excuse me, are y’all open?” A middle-aged woman with a tight gray bun had appeared beside her, clutching a canvas shopping bag.

  “Not until nine, ma’am.” Bella continued to fiddle with the lock.

  “Oh, but I just want to browse. Can’t you let me in early?”

  “Sorry, ma’am, it’s store policy.” What is wrong with this damn door? Bella looked down. She was using her apartment key.

  The woman stepped closer to Bella, crowding her. “That’s ridiculous. I don’t see why I can’t look around—”

  “Come back at nine!” Bella slipped through the doors and quickly locked them behind her, ignoring the woman’s scowl. She hurried to the back of the store to punch in for her shift, then froze in the doorway to the break room.

  Nadine Bayani, recently released from federal prison, stood at the far wall, reading the OSHA Job Safety and Health poster. She wore plain black pants that hung loose on her slim hips. The mandatory purple polo shirt exposed brown arms thick with defined muscles. Bella imagined Nadine doing push-ups in her prison cell, skin gleaming with sweat. She shook her head to banish the image. Focus.

  Bella padded up behind Nadine, her ballet flats muffling her approach. She cleared her throat. “Hi.”

  Nadine whirled around and met Bella’s eyes. She lifted her chin and squared her broad shoulders. “Hello.”

  Bella opened her mouth to speak, but Nadine’s defiant gaze bored into her brain, scrambling her thoughts.

  A pair of voices sounded in the hallway. Ashley sauntered into the break room, followed by Kenny.

  “Hey!” Ashley pointed at Nadine. “You’re new.”

  At the sight of Ashley’s leopard-print leggings and bright pink lipstick that clashed with both her purple polo and her red hair, the hostility in Nadine’s gaze gave way to bafflement. “I… Yes.”

  Kenny stepped forward and offered his hand. “Good morning, ma’am. I’m Kenny. What’s your name?”

  Nadine took in his slight build, blond hair, and earnest smile that seemed to fill his cherubic face. After a long pause, she accepted his hand. “Nadine.”

  Ashley cocked her head. “So what are you?”

  Nadine blinked. “I’m sorry?”

  “You know, where are you from?” Ashley asked, seemingly unaware that anyone might find the question rude.

  “I’m…I’m Filipino.”

  “Oh wow.” Ashley grinned. “We never had one of those.”

  God, she must think we’re all hicks.

  Grady appeared in the doorway. “Oh good. Y’all have met our new associate.”

  Bella guessed from his relaxed demeanor that he still had no idea he had hired the woman at the center of a national scandal. Damn. Usually, Bella arrived for work feeling sleepy and finished her shift in an exhausted stupor, numb from endless hours of boredom. Today, she quivered with anxious energy. Whatever happened, this was sure to be the most eventful workday in years.

  Grady turned to Nadine. “You can shadow Bella today. She’s our third key. She’ll show you around and teach you how to use the register. I’m sure you’ll be a quick study, you know, given your previous occupation.”

  He smirked, but Nadine didn’t react, and only Bella knew what he was talking about. “All right. It’s almost nine o’clock. Kenny, you’re on register. Ashley, stockroom. I’ll unlock the doors.”

  Grady, Ashley, and Kenny filed out, leaving Bella with Nadine.

  They stared at each other.

  “What’s a third key?” Nadine asked.

  “Oh, that. It means I have a key to the store. I can also act as manager when Grady isn’t here, but I’m not the assistant manager—that’s Jason. You’ll meet him later.” Bella winced as she recalled the slew of right-wing bumper stickers plastered all over Jason’s pickup truck promoting gun rights, the Confederacy, and every Republican who had graced the state with their candidacy in the past decade. He would recognize Nadine from Fox News, and he’d hate the woman who had made a dirty deal on behalf of a Democrat—even though the scandal had benefited his party in the end.

  “Anyway, I started as a store associate like you,” Bella said. “But then a few years ago, I got promoted to third key.”

  “A few years ago? How long have you worked here?”

  “Um, about ten years. Since I was twenty.”

  Nadine looked appalled.

  She thinks I’m a loser. Bella felt her cheeks warm. She wanted to explain why she’d stayed at a crappy store with incompetent managers for a decade, but what could she say? I’m afraid I’m not capable of anything better, and I’m too scared to find out for sure. Instead she said, “I’m supposed to show you around.”

  “I heard.” Nadine waited expectantly.

  Crap. Get it together, Bella. “Okay. Cool. Let’s get started.”

  Nadine followed her out of the break room with a weary sigh.

  Bella led Nadine up and down the long, narrow aisles of the store. As she pointed out the different product categories, Bella searched her brain for information she could convey beyond the obvious.

  “Oh, towels are the worst,” Bella said when they reached the bath aisle. “We have to fold them into neat stacks, and the customers rifle through them and destroy it all in seconds. Sometimes they do it right in front of us.”

  “I see.” But Nadine wasn’t even looking at the towels.

  Bella pulled on a strand of her hair. “Sorry. This must be the most boring tour ever.”

  Nadine didn’t respond, which Bella took to mean that she agreed. It figured. Nadine was used to legal drama and presidential politics. Compared to her former career, the Overstock Oasis was nothing.

  When they’d gone through all eight aisles, Bella looked around for something else to explain. “Oh, the music.” She pointed at the ceiling where speakers piped out a bubblegum pop track. “It comes from corporate, and we don’t have any control over the playlist. It’s the same thirty songs over and over, so it can get really irritating. Just try to tune it out.”

  “Noted.”

  “Um, do you have any questions about the layout of the store?”

  “No.”

  “Well, if you can’t find something—”

  “I’ll consult the great big signs hanging from the ceiling.” Nadine pointed to the one above them.

  “Oh, right. Great.”

  “Do they really not know who I am?” Nadine asked quietly.

  Bella glanced around to make sure no one could overhear. The only visible customer was several yards away, rooting through the gardening tools. “They really don’t know. Ashley spends her free time with her loser boyfriend, Tino, and I doubt either of them could name the current president. As for Kenny, he just graduated from his mom’s Bible-based homeschooling program. Neither of them is likely to be caught reading the news.”

  “Well, it won’t be long before they find out. I doubt I’ll last the day.” Defeat clouded her eyes.

  Bella couldn’t help feeling sorry for Nadine. “Why did you take this job? If you don’t mind telling me.”

  Nadine looked away. “I’m required to work while I’m on supervised release. And even if I weren’t, I need the money.”

  “That’s rough.” The store barely paid above minimum wage. If Nadine was desperate for income, it meant she had lost everything—her friends, her reputation, and even her savings. “It must not be easy to find work when you’re…”

  Nadine’s mouth quirked as she met Bella’s eyes again. “A convicted felon and world-famous pariah?”

  “Yeah.” What could she even say to that? “Well, the only thing left to show you is the register.”

  At the front of the store, a line snaked out from Kenny’s checkout counter. As soon as Bella approached the second register, the woman who was last in line steered her shopping cart triumphantly to the open counter and began to unload an eclectic array of items.

  “I’m training a new employee,” Bella said. “This may take some time.”

  “Oh, that’s all right.” She tossed her brown hair behind her shoulder. “I just hate waiting in line.”

  Bella showed Nadine how to operate the barcode scanner as she rang up the woman’s purchases. The last item was a large pig-shaped lawn ornament with an upturned snout.

  “Hold up.” The woman pointed at the pig. “That’s supposed to be half off.”

  An orange 50-percent-off sticker adorned the pig, but that didn’t mean much. Customers swapped the stickers all the time. Bella checked the date code on the price tag to confirm. The customer was right—it really was on clearance.

  “Oh, I’m very sorry, ma’am.” Bella pressed the void key and turned to Nadine. “This happens every so often. The computer is supposed to discount the product automatically, but sometimes there are errors. We can’t change the price in the computer, so you have to use a dummy SKU and calculate the correct price yourself.”

  Bella typed “99999999” for the bar code and then checked the price tag: $37.99. She hesitated, worrying her lower lip while Nadine and the customer watched.