"You look like someone who's had a bad day," the waitress explained. "Trust me, this will make it all better."
"Do I drink it?"
"I mean you can," she said. "It's cheese sauce." She picked it up and poured the whole jar all over my burger and fries.
"This is something I never knew I needed in my life," I told Willow through a mouthful of cheesy burger. "I'm having a religious experience."
"You have cheese sauce all over your face."
I licked it off with my tongue.
"You know," Willow said, swiping one of my cheese-covered fries, "I was going to make a joke about you having jizz all over your face, but this cheese is too miraculous to be sullied with a dirty joke."
"Yeah, this is the closest thing I'm having to a sexual awakening," I told her, taking another giant bite of the cheese-covered burger.
"I guess Mace is off the table."
"He was never on the table."
"Actually I think that he probably wants you on the table." Willow snickered.
"Doubtful."
"I saw the way he looked at you." Willow waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"I doubt he's in lust with me. I think he's going to fire me tomorrow," I said, contemplating my burger. It was grilled medium rare, with the smooth taste of high-quality beef. The tomatoes were juicy, and the cheese sauce brought it all together.
"If you are fired, there's a tiny house village a few hours from here," Willow said as she swiped another fry. "Josie?"
I didn't answer her. I was staring at my phone.
"Is it Mace?" Willow asked.
I shook my head, trying to breathe. I felt like my food was going to end up all over the table like Henry and his marshmallow cereal. "It's not Mace. It's Anke. She wants to meet," I said.
Willow looked at me. "Why now?"
"She wants something," I said. "She's going to try and convince me to do something for her. And I'm so stupid, I'll probably do it."
"Or maybe she just wants to give you the money," Willow offered.
I wasn't so sure. Nothing with Anke was ever that easy.
20
Mace
Henry was up before five thirty the next morning. I had an uneasy dream that something was chasing after me. I woke up to see Henry inches from my face, staring at me, motionless.
"I'm hungry," he whispered.
"Dude."
"I'm hungry! I'm hungry!" he repeated while I dressed and walked downstairs.
"I guess you aren't any worse for wear," I said, ruffling his hair.
"I want marshmallows," Henry said, bouncing around my legs.
