“Hello,” Joesph answeredhis phone, not looking at the caller ID.
“Hey, Joesph,” Salzy said, almost whispering.“We just made a stop at a rest area.We’re about an hour away.”
“Hi, Sal.Everything going okay?”
“No.”Salzy took a deep breath.“Jamie’s in the bathroom.He had a total meltdown a while ago.He’s not looking so good.”
“What happened?”Joesph walked out back and sat at one of the new tables, running his hand across the smooth surface.
“He’d just hung up from talking to Flo and everyone, and then he just broke down, and I do mean completely broke.”
“Well, shit.”Joesph closed his eyes.“Did he say what brought it on?”
“Yeah.I only got a second before he comes out, so if I hang up on you, that’s why.”There was a loud screech from a big semi that came to a stop.“He said it was about his grandparents, and his apartment, which was broken into, by the way, and then the diner.He feels like he’s been dumped on, which is true.”
“Yes, very true.”Joesph looked around the back parking lot and saw Mike’s truck, and Jamie and Joesph’s car parked up close to the garage.The front parking lot was full of various trucks of the crew who were inside, preparing for the steel to be delivered.“Just bring him home.I’ll try and think of something...to do.Not sure what.”
“I think a couple of beers or booze, a good meal, and sleep would be the best thing right now.Bye.”
Salzy put his phone back in his pocket as Jamie approached.“Feel better?”
Jamie tried to smile as he nodded, but it didn’t look like much of one.His eyes were red.“Let’s go.”Jamie got into the truck and faced forward.
Chapter Forty
Mike looked down whereJoesph was sitting.“Uh...Everything okay?”
“I don’t know.”Joesph looked up at Mike and his bulging pectorals.“How do you,” he waved a hand up and down Mike’s body, “stay so...fit?”
Mike smiled and sat down across from Joesph.“I hit the gym every morning, except on Sundays.”
“I couldn’t...just couldnotdo that.”Joesph sighed, took a sip of his iced tea.“Jamie had a breakdown on the way back.A mental breakdown.”He looked at Mike.“I don’t know what to do about it either.”
“Why?”
Joesph shook his head.“Everything, I guess.His grandparents—who had pretty much raised him—dying.The diner.It seems that while he was down here, his apartment was broken into.I know it was a big deal for him to leave his job.He was a star in the Atlanta restaurant scene.That couldn’t have been an easy decision.”
