“No. We need to go. He’s got places to be,” Cindy said.
The two of them walked away, and I watched until they were safely inside their house. I shut my front door and disengaged my firearm, sliding it across the counter toward the cookies. I locked the door and shut off the lights, doing whatever I could to ward off any other visitors.
Taking out my phone, I called Daniel. I needed a distraction, someone to talk to so I could get my mind off things.
The phone rang.
“Graham. My man. What’s up?” Daniel asked.
“Not much,” I said. “You?”
“Something must be up. You never call just to talk.”
“Wanted to let you know I got a job in town,” I said.
“No shit! Whatcha doing?”
“Working at a mechanic shop. They prefer people pay in cash, so there isn’t a lot of formal paperwork to get hired there. Means my name won’t pop up on anything in the employment records.”
“Sounds like the best deal for now,” he said. “They legit? Not secretly running drugs or anything like that?”
“Nah, nothing like that. The owner’s old and doesn’t like fooling around with shit. You’d like him. Nothing’s sugar-coated, and I get to accept tips. Got the best prices in town too. He’s always busy from morning until the time they close.”
“Great, you have a job. Now you need to make a friend or two.”
“I’m not making friends.”
“The owner of the shop sounds like a start,” he said.
“I’m not his friend. The man’s halfway to the grave.”
“The place got a manager? Or some guy you work alongside? That’s your next mission.”
“I’m not a fucking operative any longer.”
“If you wanna wrap all this shit up, you are,” he said.
I sighed as I walked into the bathroom. I put him on speakerphone and started cleaning myself up. I needed to leave for work soon.
“I’ll find someone to talk to every now and then,” I said.
“That’s a start,” Daniel said.
“It’ll have to be good enough,” I said.
“We’ll work on it. Don’t worry. In the meantime, keep your head down. Don’t do your job too well or too shitty.”
“Do it enough to blend in with the rest of the crowd. I know. Fuck,” I said.
“When’s your first day?”
“Already been working a couple of days, but my first full-time shift is in a few minutes.”
“Better get to work then. Being late doesn't look good.”
“Believe it or not, I’ve held a job before,” I said.
“I’m gonna get off here before your sarcasm comes back to slap you in the face. Have a good first shift. Let me know how it goes.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Later, shnookums.”
I shook my head and splashed some water on my face for the last time. I looked at myself in the mirror and took myself in. The close-cropped beard that hid my dimples, the brown hair on my head I’d allowed to grow out a bit longer than I used to, the dead stare in my blue eyes. I used to see the reflection of my eyes in Cary’s, every time I looked down at her and cradled her in my grasp. I planted my hands on the side of the sink and watched my muscles flex. She had always loved my arms. I’d kept them up just for her, kept them more chiseled than the rest of my body.
I pushed myself away from the sink and buried her memory as I grabbed my phone.
I locked up my house and hopped into my truck. It was time to go to work and try to do this assimilation bullshit. I cranked up my truck, pulled out of my garage, and backed out onto the road. I whipped my car into drive and pressed down the gas, trying to get away from the house as quickly as possible. Every time I remembered my family, I remembered that night when everything was taken away from me.
And sometimes, I couldn’t deal with the reality of it all.
CHAPTER 7
CINDY
“Cindy, do I have a story for you.”
“You’ve always got a story for me, Nicole.”
“No, no, no. This one takes the cake,” she said.
“Did you meet another guy?” I asked.
“Yes, I did. But I didn’t meet him off Tinder.”
“OkCupid?” I asked.
“Nope.”
“Plentyoffish?” I asked.
“Nu-uh. I met him here.”
“Here, as in … downtown?” I asked.
“No, here as in the store, Cindy.”
“You hit on one of your customers?”
“Not just any customer. One of the hottest men I’d ever seen. And he wasn’t from around here. I didn’t recognize him at all,” she said.
“What did he look like?” I asked.
“Honey blonde hair and gorgeous hazel eyes. Had a couple of cute little dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. Just the right amount of boyish innocence before he flashed me that devilish grin of his. Oh, and his lips. Pillowy and inviting. He had me all sorts of hot and bothered.”
“You’re relentless, Nikki.”
“Unfortunately, he’s from out of town. Says he passes through every once in a while, to visit a friend or something. I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention.”
“You weren’t paying attention to the hot guy with boyish charm?” I asked.
“If you would’ve seen his lips, you would’ve understood. I was ready to sit on those things.”
“Nicole!”
“What? He’s got that confidence, you know? He knows he can throw it around in bed, and I wouldn’t mind taking that carnival ride for a spin.”
“Did you have sex with him in the back room or something?” I asked. “Because I’m not going back there until you disinfect.”
“What kind of woman do you take me for, Cindy? Dinner and drinks first. I enjoy a little conversation before my sentences get all breathy and choppy.”
I giggled and shook my head as I stored my purse away underneath the counter.
“We exchanged numbers,” Nicole said. “Apparently, he’s all about phone sex.”
“You mean sending dirty pictures,” I said.
“Those too. But he said he really enjoys Skyping while a woman pleasures herself. That’s something I haven’t done yet, and it got my gears grinding.”
“Wow. A man who likes something you haven’t done yet. Sounds like a temporary match made in limbo.”
“You’re a dick, you know that? You can’t even be happy for your best friend.”
“Of course, I’m happy for you. I’m sorry. It’s just, you do sort of have a flavor-of-the-month thing going on in your life. You know, for the past five years,” I said.
“Can’t a girl enjoy what the world has to offer?” she asked.
“Sure? Why not?” I asked with a grin. “Ready to hear about my weekend?”
“Ready and waiting.”
“I met my neighbor.”
“Get out! The douche?” she asked.
“No, Nikki. He’s not a douche. His name’s Graham.”
“Ah, so the asshole has a name.”
“He’s not an asshole either.”
“That’s not what just about everyone in town is saying,” she said.
“Well, it’s what I say. Lily fell and skinned her knee on her bike, and he came running out after her.”
“What?” she asked.
“Yeah. Said he had medical training and checked her out. Made sure her knee wasn’t dislocated. Things like that. He’s not as rough as everyone says.”
“Hmmmm.”
“I’m telling you, it’s a front.”
“You sound very confident in yourself. Did you get that security system?” she asked.
“No, I did not shell out money I don’t have for a security system.”
“Consider this my PSA plug for the security system.”
“Duly noted. But anyway, I baked him cookies to thank him and took Lily over to officially meet him.”
“Would you date him?” she asked.
“Good Lord, Nikki.”
“Answer the question.”
“It’s too early for something like that. Come on now. It’s only been a year.”
“It’s okay to think about it, Cindy. That’s all. I’m not asking you if you would now. I’m asking you if you would if you were ready.”
“I’m not talking about it,” I said.
“It’s okay if you want to. Seriously. You know that, right?” she asked.
“Well, I don’t. So get off it.”
“He’s good with kids. That’s a plus.”
“I’m gonna slap you.”
“And as your boss, I’d have to fire you,” she said.
“But as my best friend, you wouldn’t because you know you’re pressing an uncomfortable topic,” I said.