“Everyone’s like that at the interview,” I offered, compelled to wipe the dejection from his face. “I mean, even we”—I gestured at Lucy—“wanted to impress you.”

“The difference is that you girls have continued to impress me ever since you walked into the interview.” A fond smile stole across his face. “Do you think she should get another chance to impress us?”

“No,” said Lucy.

I gave a half-hearted shrug. I’d never fired anyone before.

“Well, let me know. No sense throwing more good money after bad if that girl isn’t earning her wages.” Tom pushed his plate toward us. “Lunch was great.”

As Tom ambled to his usual table in the back, waiting for his buddy Ralph to come in for their daily chess game, I let out a heavy sigh.

Lucy sucked in her cheeks. “Y’know, there’s such a thing as being too nice a manager.” She paused. “I hope you aren’t going to give her another chance. She doesn’t deserve the free pass.”

For a brief second, the wild thought raced through my mind that if I earned myself some karma points, maybe the universe would reward me with some goodwill and make things less weird with Penny. Ugh, but that wasn’t how good deeds worked, was it? You had to do things selflessly.

“Babe.” Lucy poked my arm.

“Maybe you’re right,” I said reluctantly. “But if it was me, I’d really hope someone would give me that second chance.” I wasn’t just talking about work.

Lucy shook her head. “You can’t always count on having a second chance. Sometimes you just get the one roll of the dice. Bam. You’re done. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.”

She was right. She was absolutely right. Just as I was about to tell her so, I was cut off by the soft chime of the door opening, the bell knocking against wood. I opened my mouth with an automatic greeting, faltering when I saw who came in. The surprise was sucked out of me and replaced with something infinitely more complicated.

“Hey, Babe.” Penny shoved her hands into the pockets of her overalls with an easy smile. The purple lace of her crop top peeked through the gaping armholes. “Can I get an iced coffee to go?”

I tuned out the background chatter as I made her drink, guilt tightening around my chest like a too-tight shirt. We went through the usual motions of Hey, what’s up? and Just a busy day, you? but every time I looked at her, all I could see was her and Chad. Me and Chad.

Penny rubbed at a dark, sooty mark on her cheekbone. Looking at me from under hooded lids, she seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

I snapped the lid in place and slid the drink to her. “So how was work today?”