“I could eat.” Yes! She starts turning down the street. “We need a place with outdoor dining.”
There’s a café not far from here. I think it’s a chain, because I saw one on the other side of town. I point down the street. “What about there?”
She sneers, “Oh hell no. That’s a vegan sugar-free bakery of sadness that makes super cute Instagram posts but awful munchies.” She motions across the street. “That’s a better spot, the food is a cure for depression, not a cause.”
I snicker under my breath. Walking down the street with her, talking, laughing, it feels right. Normal.
Normal has never been in my vocabulary. It always seems too far out of my grasp. One-night stands only… Nothing is meant to last long, so why bother getting attached.
I have a duty and birthright. Four generations of men have protected our family, our power and our secrets. My father went clean, and see where that got him? If I want to live, I need to fight and to protect. Normal was never an option. I never regretted it or even desired it. But now? It’s the first time I feel I might be missing out on something.
Jenny picks a Japanese fusion cafe sort of place with outdoor seating. She says she’s always wanted to try it but never got the chance. A weird sense of pride hits me because I get to give her an experience she’s wanted.
Kingston settles into the chair between us, curled in a little sleepy ball. He smells so much better and is extra fluffy too.
Our food comes fast, which I love. Jenny hums and dances a little as she chews, focusing mostly on her phone. Not in a rude way, but she’s catching up on office work and emails. That’s fine, it gives me a chance to do the same. It’s a safe silence. I like it.
“Were you going to tell me you own the building?” She asks between bites, and my stomach drops.
Son of a bitch! I don't know how long I thought I could hide it. But I definitely thought I had more than a few hours.
“I figured I would break the news when you moved in.”
“And why did you suddenly change your mind about pushing me out of my contract?”
“Free dog walking?” I shrug and try to play it cool, but it’s not working.
She frowns a little, and I don’t like it. “Silvio said there were other offers over my contracted price?”
“It doesn't matter. The condo was yours to begin with.”
Something catches her attention, and my eyes follow her gaze. She's watching the bakery across the street. There’s a father pushing a stroller out the door. He has a white bag in front of him.
She whispers, “Don't do it.”
His hand dips into the bag, and he brings out a cookie. I can't tell from back here what it is, but it has the rich brown edges of a well-baked dessert.
“No,” she whispers
He brings the cookie to his lips.
“I warned you.”
He bites into the cookie, and his face contorts as he chews, each movement of his jaw filled with more sadness and regret, and he drops the bag into the trash.
“Worst bakery in the city. They do have decent salads. But since you gave me the option, I figured I would pick a place with flavor.”
She pushes her gyoza around in the sauce. “How much have I cost you since you first pointed your gun at me? Honest number.”
I shake my head. “It's not a number that makes either one of us feel good.” She kicks me under the table, and the pain travels from my shin to my knee and up my thigh. “Three hundred thirty-six thousand.”
She drops her fork and it rattles on the plate. Grabbing her phone, she taps aways. “At ninety dollars a day for three walks every day for an entire year, it will take me ten years to make us even.”
“I sure as shit hope you didn't charge my grandma ninety bucks a day.”
“No, she got a nice lady discount. You will not be getting that.” Jenny tucks her blue hair behind her ear and smirks.
I shake my head. “Ten years? Shit that’s the longest non-family relationship I’ve ever had. Three times a day? At that point we might as well get married.”
