Chapter 20
Keeton
After dropping Lainie off, I race back home, shower, and I’m back on my bike and to work before eight. I haven’t been this early in months. I usually hang out at home, work on some drawings, drink coffee, and relax. But not today. Nope, I want to be here when Lainie arrives. Plus, I’ve got a shit-ton of work to catch up on. But, mostly it’s to see Lainie walk in the door. I want to see that blush she’ll get when she first sees me. That’ll tell me she’s remembering last night. And this morning.
I get right to work checking messages. In retrospect, doing that first was a bad decision. The first voice I hear is a former customer. Former because I never plan on doing any work for him again. Ever. Six months ago, he sued me over damage thathecaused to his own bike because he was drinking and driving. He blamed it on mechanical error rather than on the bourbon he drank at the bar. Luckily, the cops gave him a breathalyzer test at the scene. They saved my ass. I chuckle. That’s the one and only time I’d ever say a cop did anything butridemy ass.
I replay the message and the good mood I had when I walked in is long gone. The fucker is seriously asking me to settle? He lost. The case is closed, or the judge threw it out, so that’s closed, right? I continue to listen.
“Mr. Gustafson, I wanted to give you the opportunity to settle with me before I take my case to the next level.”
The next level?What the fuck is the next level?
The asshole keeps right on talking. “I’ve retained new counsel who assures me he has an expert mechanic who looked the bike over and noticed some glaring mechanical issues.”
“Yeah,nowit’s got mechanical issues, you fucking, cock-sucker. You totaled it.” I growl, knowing he can’t hear me.
“My attorney will be in touch.”
I hear the phone click and stare at my answering machine. I want to pick it up and throw it through a goddamn window, but I don’t. Instead, I stomp to my door just as Lainie appears. “Oh, hey, Keeton.”
I’m too pissed to enjoy seeing her like I’d planned. She doesn’t need to see me like this either. “Not now, Lainie.” I say loudly. Damnit, she deserves nice Keeton. Not this guy. I stomp past her, through the showroom, and out the door. I hope to fuck the day gets better.
It doesn’t. I think it gets worse. For one, the parts I ordered weeks ago still aren’t in. When I called the company, I did my best to hold my foul mood back, but I wasn’t successful. So, instead of finding out when I’d get my shit, I get the sound of the phone being slammed down in my ear. With that not sorted out, I get to work slamming my thumb into the drawer of one of my rolling tool boxes, slipping in some grease the crew didn’t get cleaned up, and on top everything else, Eric’s nowhere to be found.
“Where the fuck is Eric?” I yell from the doorway between the shops.
Billy is the poor sap that’s closest. “Twenty-four-hour bug?”
Bullshit. “Are you asking me or telling me?” I squeeze my hands into fists to keep my anger to myself. “He’s either hungover or he’s got pussy in his bed.” Bill shrugs and I growl. “Call him and get his ass in here, Bill. Now!”
Before I stomp back to work, I see pink. Lainie is standing fifteen feet from me clutching papers to her chest. Her eyes are big as saucers. She’s probably got a question, but I’m not ready to talk to her. I’m only going to be grouchy and paperwork can wait. “Not now, Lainie. I’ve got more important shit to do.” I don’t wait for her to respond. Turning on my heel, I stomp back to my side of the shop and get back to work.
By lunch, I’ve calmed the fuck down. I get into a groove working on the new bike design. Creating always calms me. Now that I’ve had a few hours, I think I can finally talk to Lainie, giving her the nice Keeton. I walk to her office but it’s empty. Checking my watch, I note the time. Noon. I peek in my office, stop at the bathroom, and then back out to the shop where low-and-behold, my fucking brother is there.
“Where’s Lainie?”
He glares at me then coughs. His voice sounds scratchy when he says, “Lunch. With Molly.”
Oh, right. Molly was coming by. “Why didn’t she come back and say hi?
“Probably because you were in one of your fucking snits.” He coughs again and it’s deep. It sounds painful.
“What’s wrong? You sick?”
“Jesus, asshole. Yes. I called in sick. It’s what you do when you’re sick.”
“Go home.” I shrug. “Before you infect the rest of the crew.”
“Fuck!” Eric shouts at the ceiling. “You’re a goddamn menace, you know that? I’m out. And I’ll be late tomorrow.” He stops in front of me. “If I come in at all.”
“Sure. Fine. Go take care of you.”
“Fucker,” he mumbles as he leaves.
“Jesus. What bug crawled up his ass?” I look up at Billy who’s staring back at me. ‘What?”
“Nothing, Boss.”
