8
I'd just turned off the lights at Crave when my phone chimed. I walked over to the counter where I'd left it and glanced at the screen.
HBA:Knock knock
Before I could type a reply, my phone rang. It was Brody.
Shaking my head, I answered, "Hey."
"Little pig, little pig, let me in."
"Not by my hairless chinny chin chin," I deadpanned.
Brody chuckled. "I don't think that's how the rhyme goes, but I brought you something."
"Tell me what it is or I'm leaving you out there to rot," I replied.
"Well, it used to be one of your favorites..."
"I have lots of favorites."
"I drove thirty minutes each way to pick this up and it's getting warm, which means it won't taste as good."
"Sushi!" I cried. I whirled around and looked toward the front door. No one was there. "Uh, please tell me you're not at my house," I said.
Brody laughed again. "I'm at the back door. I figured it would be smarter to come to the back rather than give the gossips more ammunition."
"Gossips? Ammunition? What in the heck are you talking about?"
"Uhhhh."
I disconnected the call and headed toward the back door through the kitchen. I unlocked it and yanked it open to find Brody standing there with his phone in one hand and a white paper bag in the other. For a moment, I contemplated grabbing the handles of the bag out of his hand and shutting the door in his face, but I quashed that urge.
I also noticed he was alone. "Where's Jacks?"
Brody frowned. "Her mom asked if she could have her for the weekend. Jacks wanted to go, so I said yes."
I inhaled sharply. Yet more evidence he was a good dad. He wanted his daughter to be happy more than he wanted to stick it to his ex.
He lifted the bag between us. "I was hoping you would take pity on me and eat the dinner I brought rather than forcing me to eat with my parents in their enormous dining room."
I took the sushi from him and waved him inside with my other hand. "I'll take pity on you, you poor wretch. Even though you called me a little pig."
Brody smiled, but I could still see the worry in his eyes. He played along though. "Oh, beautiful, kind mistress. Thank you for your mercy."
"Okay, that's enough," I muttered as he shut the door and locked it. "Why don't you explain your comment about gossips?"
I set the bag on one of the stainless steel counters and began to remove container after container of sushi. Lots and lots of sushi. When I pulled the sixth plastic tray out of the bag, I glanced at Brody, who was still silent.
"How hungry did you think I would be?" I asked, staring at the feast before me.
"I was hoping you'd share," he murmured.
"I guess I will if I have to, but don't think I didn't notice you changing the subject."
"I didn't change the subject," he said. "You did."
"Just answer the question, Brody."
