“What?What are youtalking about?I paid this month, didn’t I?”Salzy was screaming into his phone outside.He looked at all the people gathered around the outside tables.
Jamie went stiff.“Oh...this isn’t good,” he whispered to Mike, who was sitting next to him.
“Why?What’s wrong?”Mike asked in his soft rumbly voice.
“I have a feeling that Salzy just got fired from his trucking job.”Jamie stood up, using Mike to balance himself as he stepped over the bench seat.He slowly approached his new friend and now adopted brother.
“But you can’t do that.I’ve paid a lot of money for that truck.You can’t just fire me.”Salzy’s hand was tangled in his hair.He listened for a moment and then pulled the phone away from his ear.
“That didn’t sound good,” Jamie said, now standing close.“What’s happened?”
Salzy slowly looked up, letting his arm drop, phone still in hand.“They just fired me.Can you fucking believe that?”
“I know you made your truck payment this month.What gives?”
“They say they no longer require my services.That’s what they said verbatim.”
“What about all the money you paid towards your rig?”
“That bastard said that it would be forfeited.Can you believe that crap?”Salzy pushed his phone into his jeans pocket, then rubbed his face with both hands.“What am I supposed to do now?”He looked at Jamie.“What?”
“For now, just calm down and take a breath.We’ll get it figured out.”Jamie pulled his friend into a hug.“Dig up any paperwork you may have, and we can try and see what we can do.”
Salzy nodded.“This is a nightmare.”
“Hey,” Jamie said, giving him a gentle shake.“If need be, we’ll get Glenn Brown involved.”
“What?I can’t afford a lawyer?Are you kidding me?”
“Let me worry about that.For now, you need a shower, as do I, and a good night’s sleep.I’ll need you in the diner tomorrow, so it’s not like you’re unemployed.You have a job.”Jamie gave Salzy a grin.“Finish your beer and say good night.”He nodded over his shoulder.“You have a big family there, so you’re not alone.”
Salzy returned the smile.“You’re right.”He looked over Jamie’s shoulder.“Yeah.Family.”
Jamie let Salzy tell everyone what had just happened.He leaned closer to Mike.“I had a gut feeling this was going to happen.I just need to get him through this.”
Mike nudged Jamie’s shoulder.“You mean we need to get him through this.”
Jamie looked at Mike and smiled.“I guess that’s something I’m going to have to get used to saying.”
“Yep.”Mike tipped his glass of ice water, draining it.“It sure is.”
The staff hung around a little longer after Salzy dropped the bomb about his former employer.Florence, of course, had plenty to say about it.It came out that she knew the whole family that ran the business and didn’t trust a one of them.That news failed to make Salzy happier, but it made him feel supported.And he gave Florence one of his award-winning smiles, which Jamie was glad to see.
“’Night,” Salzy finally said, having finished his beer and another one before he finally called it a night.
Joesph was next.“Good night.”He glared and Mike and Jamie.“And if the two of you rabbits even think about starting anything tonight, I will skin you and have myself a nice fur collar for my jacket!”
Mike laughed, and Jamie gave Joesph a deadpan stare.“As if you’d know how,” Jamie answered.
Joesph tilted his head.“I know how to use Google!”
When Jamie had finally crawled into bed, having had a shower, Mike pulled him into his arms.“You’ve got to be exhausted,” Mike said, whispering into Jamie’s ear.
“I can’t remember ever being this tired.”Jamie rolled towards his nightstand.“Speaking of which”—he set his alarm—“I’m going to have to get up in seven hours and go to work.”
“Ouch.”Mike pulled Jamie close to his chest, wrapping his arm around him.“Best get some sleep then.”
* * * * *
