when I was nervous. When I was a teenager, the therapist told me it was a
coping mechanism. She said I did it when I needed to fill uncomfortable
silences, which I guess made sense, because the silence in those few steps
to my car was unbearable to me. I felt like I owed him something, because
the truth was, if he wasn’t here, if he hadn’t shown up, that fucker may have
done God knows what to me.
“You going to give it to me?” he laughed.
“I knew it. You all want something,” I whispered, the scared little girl
coming through to protect me.
Never get too close; never get too comfortable.My mother’s came
crashing into my mind.
“Honest.” He put both his hands up, palms up. “I just have issues with
aggressive, entitled men. Don’t judge us all for the actions of some. I am
really a good guy,” he stated as he opened my car door for me. “I am not giving you my number. If you really want to get to know me,
I work at Miller’s Coffee Tuesdays and Thursdays. My shift ends at 8.
Swing by, and I will buy you a coffee as a thank-you.” I got into the car, and
he lingered by the door.
“It’s a date.” He smiled that lopsided grin at me again.
“No, it’s a thank-you,” I whispered, shutting the door so quickly that he
had to jump out of the way.
C H A P T E R T H R E E
Arkin
The thundering boom of the pile driver slowed and then came to a halt, and then the operator’s voice crackled over the radio. “Beers tonight after work. Whaddya say, boss?”
I chanced a glance at my watch. My eyes had been on the time all day, and now that it was approaching seven, I had to get home and cleaned up as quickly as possible.
“No, can’t. Got a thing tonight.”
“A thing?” another one of the heavy equipment operators piped up, throwing a shovel into the bed of my diesel. “Since when do you have any damn thing?”
My grin tipped at the gentle jab. These guys were like family to me, which meant we busted each other’s balls as often as possible. “Since now.”
“All right, well, guess we’re free agents tonight, boys. What final local watering hole should we grace our presence with tonight?”
I huffed, climbing into my truck. “Have fun, but keep it safe.”
They chimed in, calling my often-repeated mantra back to me.
