Page 109 of Unhinged

“Um, thanks.”

He hugs me, and I’m again mute. Maybe I should skip Amos and seriously look into mime school.

“Sherry and your sisters will want to meet Simone ASAP.”

“We’ll see.”

“We won’t spill your secrets.” He laughs, and I’m positive my mother didn’t blab about a certain one. Thank fuck.

I chuckle. “Yeah, sure.”

Dad leaves through the back door in the kitchen, and I return to the bar. Harold squawks, “Son of a bitch! Where’ve you been? Why in the hell did you dance with Simone like that before I could ask her out?”

I prop my hand on the bar. “As I told you, Simone is hot at an altar, and as you saw, she’s hotter on the dance floor. As for where I was, we got down and dirty in front of everyone, so we finished it in private.”

Harold stutters, spits, and nearly combusts. “What the hell?”

Jose shakes his head. “She’s Mrs. Rodwell, asshole.”

“But she’s not married.”

“You sure about that? Next time you work with Milt, ask him.”

Monty squeezes in behind us. I ask, “Where did you go?”

He holds up shopping bags, and Harold stops Monty after he drops off a load of most likely nonsense and attempts to leave again. “Is it true Greg married the new girl?”

“Duh. Everyone here knows that.”

Clive nods to the middle of the room. “We just saw their honeymoon.”

I laugh as I shove my hand into my pocket, letting the jagged edge of the cap jab my fingers. Candi glances my way with a look of disgust. What the hell now?

Candi then drops off her tray at the bar and removes her apron. “I’m out of here tonight. But come here first.”

I walk over, and she leans against the bar. “Greg, if you don’t want Simone, then fine. Let her go, but if you do, then you need to man the hell up before she finds one who will.”

“What did she say to you?”

“Not a damn thing. But when she first came here, you hurt her. Everyone saw that.”

“You don’t know the entire story.”

“Do I really need to? Simone is awesome and doesn’t deserve that shit. I can see what will happen.” Candi then looks behind her, and I follow to see Simone talking to that one fraternity prick from the other night.

“She said Tanner texted her. I think he’ll ask her out.”

Glaring at them, I ask, “What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?” I will turn his skull into a bedpan.

Candi grabs my chin and forces me to look at her. “Y’all are head over heels for each other. It’s clear as day.”

“No—”

“Shut up, Greg. I’m coming to you with this because she’s terrified.”

“You think I don’t feel that way? Christ, Candi.”

“Do you love her?”

---