I had the garage to myself Saturday night after closing early. I'd taken a custom paint job and had been spending my evenings seeing it through. After spending three nights sanding down the 2012 Honda Civic, it was almost time to paint.
The owner wanted a deep purple color, and I was all for it, just to see the finish for myself. It had previously been black, but the paint had faded and peeled, and this new paint job would really make her shine. If there was one thing I lived for, it was working on cars.
I hadn't been in the best of moods since leaving things done with Kennedy, more than ever I was extra grateful for Uncle Rod for allowing me to use his space to do these side jobs. They kept me busy and my mind focused and distracted.
In my pocket, I felt my phone vibrate against my thigh.
Unlike before with Leila, I wasn't about to go ghost again. I stopped what I was doing and dug my phone from my pocket to see my mother calling.
"It's late," I pretended to chastise her as I picked up.
"I know, but I forgot to ask if you wanted to stop by for dinner tomorrow night," my mother said. She sounded tired, a warning not to stay on the line too long.
"Definitely," I agreed. "What we havin'?"
"Momma wanted to fry some pork chops, and I was craving some homemade scalloped potatoes," my mother explained.
My mouth watered at the two dishes and I realized I hadn't eaten a proper meal for the night. Nothing in the vending machine back in the shop was nearly as appealing as what my mother had painted.
"I'm there," I quickly agreed.
"Are you coming alone, or are you bringing a friend?" She'd done a good job of tiptoeing around Kennedy for weeks, and now here she was checking in on that situation.
I'd walked away, but there were no hard feelings. I still had love for Kennedy, would help her if she ever got in a jam and needed me. I just needed to step back and let my feelings drop.
No such luck yet.
I didn't miss the sex. I missed her. I'd made a grilled cheese sandwich the other day and found myself adding a thin layer of mayonnaise to each side before placing the cheese in the middle. I'd stopped reading Night Changes because it wasn't the same knowing her place in my book wouldn't ever change.
For lunch that day, I'd brought a sandwich bag of cotton candy grapes. I'd always preferred, and still did, red seedless grapes, but the cotton candy flavor was a new taste I was beginning to like as well.
It was the little things that made me think of Kennedy. The little things that stuck.
"Hell no," I decided to joke with my mother instead. "More food for me."
She snorted. "You're so bad. Are you doing good, Keith? Rodney said you've been quiet lately."
Uncle Rod wasn't one to press, but he also wasn't about to lie to his sister. "I'm straight. I'm in the middle of a job, so I've been caught up in that." I glanced at the analog clock on the wall and saw that it was nearing nine. "I actually need to eat right now. You sound sleepy, so I'ma let you go and get with you tomorrow."
"Okay, I love you," she said softly.
"I love you, too."
I hung up and decided it was time for a break.
After putting all my supplies away and cleaning up, I got into my truck and drove to the corner store, 7 Corners, up the street. There was a microwave in our break room at the shop, and depending on if I got a sandwich or a cup of noodles or not, I was planning on using it. It wouldn't quite be a full meal, but I needed something on my stomach before I attempted the first round of paint on the Civic.
The parking lot was empty, save for a couple of vehicles probably belonging to the store employees. I got out of my Tahoe and made my way inside, immediately tipping my head at the man behind the counter skimming a magazine.
I was the furthest thing from high maintenance, and as odd as it sounded, I had a thing for gas station or convenience store foods. 7 Corners had the best deli sandwiches. The first place I hit was the cold wall of burgers and sandwiches and swiped up an American sub.
Jackpot.
"Girl, hurry up, he ain't gon' catch you."
A woman's voice caught my ear and turned me around. In the aisle behind me, I could just make out two colored heads. One purple, and one red. The purple haired one was tall enough so I could see her face. I recognized her from the shop, letting me know the one with red hair was Eden.
"I don't know." Yep, definitely Eden.
Purple Hair huffed. "Stop being lame and come on. He's not even watchin'."
Crumbling of a wrapper echoed through the air and I knew she was stealing.
Shaking my head, I went about collecting a bag of chips and a bottle of water from the fridge, telling myself to mind my own business.
When I made it over to the checkout counter, Purple Hair breezed by and quickly went for the door with Eden in tow.
"Hey! I saw that!" the cashier shouted as he looked in their direction. His hand went under the counter and I didn't like the odds of him pulling a weapon. Thief or no thief.
Fuck.
Purple Hair ran out of the store giggling and Eden froze. The goodness in her had her not making a move to flee.
"She's with me," I spoke up. My voice drove the cashier's attention my way, off of Eden.
"She shouldn't be stuffing shit in her pockets before I can ring it up." He was tired and no doubt working the third shift. I could understand his angst.
"What do you have?" I asked as I glanced at Eden.
She fidgeted from one foot to the other. "A bag of Reese's Pieces." She pulled out the neon orange pack and held it up.
"It's three seventy-nine for those." The cashier's nostrils flared and a redness tinted his pale cheeks.
"Got it," I told him.
He punched in the candy and scanned the rest of my stuff before telling me my total. I slid him a twenty and let him keep the change.
"Trust me, she won't be so reckless next time," I assured the cashier as I accepted my black plastic bag and headed for the exit.
Eden had waited around and walked with me out of the store into the night.
Under the bright lights of the parking lot, I saw her, really saw her. On her right cheek a bruise was fading, sending me on alert as my fist balled at my side.
"What happened?" My tone came out harder than I'd meant, causing her to flinch.
She turned so that I couldn't see the damage. "Nothing."
Bullshit. "Eden."
"It's nothing, okay! I'm just...clumsy."
Clumsy my ass. I knew a war wound when I saw one. Still, I didn't push. I barely knew her, and as much as I wanted to put hands on whoever had hurt her, I knew forcing the issue wasn't the way.
"I oughta take that candy," I warned as we stood apart. There was no sign of her friend. She'd been ditched.
Eden's bottom lip trembled and I knew I couldn't do that to her. "I got money."
"Then why steal?" I challenged.
She shrugged. "It was just a stupid game."
"Playin' stupid games can get you stupid prizes," I warned.
"I won't do it again," Eden said earnestly.
"Don't," I told her. "And while you're at it, you should be making better friends."
Eden looked off, noting we were alone in 7 Corners's parking lot. Shit could've gone left and her friend had abandoned her.
It was late. Eden was only wearing a small tube top and shorts with a cardigan that was hanging off her person. It was only sixty-something out, not quite chilly, but still.
"Need a ride?" I offered.
Eden smiled and shook her head. "No, there's a bus running nearby."
"A ride would be quicker," I pointed out.
"I like the bus," Eden countered.
I didn't push, unsure if she trusted me enough to be alone with me or not. "Okay."
"I'll, uh, make you some cookies with these Reese's Pieces and bring them by the shop since you saved my ass in there," Eden said.
"Oh, you cook?"
Eden lifted her chin, appearing proud. "I love to cook."
There was something wholesome about that, making me smile.
"All right then, I can get with that. You should add some chocolate chips, too," I suggested.
Eden grinned, catching a little attitude. "I didn't say I was taking requests, but I'll think about it."
"Stay safe," I said as I let her go. "And watch your back."
Eden didn't fight me on that last remark and bobbed her head in agreement. She took off down the parking lot and rounded the building, disappearing into the night.
Turning around, I prepared to get back into my truck.
At least, that's what I'd been about to do. Parked directly behind my Tahoe to where I couldn't back out of my space, was an all-black Rolls Royce Phantom with tinted windows. It was a luxury vehicle and a sight to see, but whoever was behind the wheel needed to back up.
I raised my arms, in a what-are-you-doing gesture, trying to get the driver to read the room.
On the other side of the car, the driver's door opened. Stepping out of the Phantom was a large man in a suit. When he turned around, recollection hit me, leaving me to angle my head and squint.
"Beans?" I said it more as a question than a statement.
The large man driving the vehicle was a familiar face I recognized from back in the day. When shit was kinda wild for me. I was a few years older or so, but I was good with faces. Beans wasn't his real name, but a nickname he'd gotten from some kids around the way. He'd been called "Beans" so much, I'd forgotten what his real name was.
Beans said nothing as he propped an arm against the hood of the Phantom and merely stared at me.
And then the back door opened on my side and a shiny loafer stepped out. A suit clad leg was attached and I followed the leg until the person inside the Phantom came out.
"Dice."
It was like staring at a ghost, as another blast from my past was standing right in front of me.
His was one face I'd never forget. Even as a kid he held nothing behind his eyes, reminding me of the first time I'd ever seen Halloween with Michael Myers. Now, as an adult, not much had changed.
Kinda like Beans, I didn't know too much about Dice since he'd been younger. Though, I should've known Dice wasn't far, because if there was one thing I could remember vividly from my youth, was the time he'd slashed some kid's face open for making fun of Beans.
They both stayed in the neighborhood at a house that was a home for foster kids. Beans hadn't been a tough guy. Being "soft" made him an easy target in the street, until Dice stepped in to his defense. After that, they were never far from each other. Until Dice was relocated with another foster family.
Dice stared at me as I looked between him and Beans curiously. We'd never been friends, but rather stayed out of each other's way.
Something about the way his car was parked told me it was intentional. Something about the way both men were looking at me caused me to go on alert.
Dice heaved a sigh as he glanced back at Beans. "I hate surprises."
Surprises?
I opened my mouth to question what was going on, but no words ever made it out as all went black around me.