Chapter 12

"Holiday schedule is up," Pagano announced as Taylor entered the UCAN office.

Taylor walked over and looked at it before signing up for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.

"You know they're not going to let you work all three," Pagano reminded.

"They will if they get desperate enough."

"You always work holidays. How come?"

"I like to keep busy."

Pagano joined her in the kitchen and watched her pour a cup of coffee. "What's going on, Taylor?"

"Nothing's going on." She added cream and two packs of Sweet N Low, then stirred the hot liquid. "Working a holiday means I don't have to cook."

"You will anyway."

"Pagano, I don't know why you are fishing, but my personal life is not your business. So please, keep your nose out of it." She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out, hoping it was a text from Joe. She tried to mask her disappointment when she saw it wasn't. "Excuse me, I have to make a call."

Inside her office, she read the text from Otis.

Joe is miserable. Can you please call him?

"You're not the only one, Joe," she mumbled as she put her phone back in her pocket.

"Would you just apologize already?" Otis asked Cruz desperately. "You're getting to be impossible to live with."

"Mind your own business, Otis," Joe snapped.

"Look, Cruz. You're miserable. I'm sure she is miserable. Just say you're sorry and you two can go back to normal again."

"Doubt that. She probably ran away again."

"That was low, Cruz. Even for you. Look, she didn't do anything wrong with the costume. You won best costume for cryin' out loud. The least you can do is take the money you won and take her out for dinner. Why you're being so pissy about this, I just don't understand."

"She embarrassed me in front of my friends," Joe insisted stubbornly.

"Embarrassed how? Everyone loved your costume. They weren't laughing at you, they were laughing at the costume. There's a big difference, Cruz." Otis sat down at the table.

Joe stood up from the table and picked up his coffee cup. He walked out of the kitchen and to the bathroom.

Otis heard the shower starting and realized there wasn't going to be any more discussion. He sighed. He really hated this Mexican standoff between Cruz and Taylor. By the way things were going, it looked like they were never going to talk to each other again. He pulled out his phone and sent Taylor another text.

Would you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE talk to Cruz? He's driving me crazy.