Page 78 of The Guy in the Alley

“And how do you want your hot dog, champ?” I asked, helping Chip down to the ground again.

Trace’s preferences were eerily similar to mine, so that would be an easy order.

Chip stepped closer to Trace and tugged on his tee, to which Trace bent down to hear what the boy whispered in his ear.

We’d ended up at a vendor in the middle of rush hour, so I hoped the plan was to return toward Navy Pier so we could eat in peace. It was just a couple blocks away.

“Next!”

I jerked my chin and stepped up. “Hey, two dogs with everything, except pickles—and extra mustard on one.” I turned back to Trace, who was nodding.

“Yup, and next time you see Grandpa, you call him totalitarian for deciding what you put on your food, you hear?”

Chip grinned and nodded. “Okay!”

Trace smiled and met my gaze. “One with just relish and ketchup.”

Fair enough. Suddenly, I understood the whispering, and I could guess what Trace’s old man had said. I sincerely hoped he hadn’t been serious. Alvin loved his ketchup too.

I placed the last order and dug out my wallet from my back pocket.

It was still an indescribable feeling to be able to pay for my food and treat Trace and Chip. I was feeling like a human being again. One who was currently fucking starving—and losing his mind. But the latter was Trace’s fault.

Coming up here today hadn’t helped.

It didn’t matter what Trace did; everything about him reeled me in. He was talking about his worry of waking up and seeing me gone, but at this point, I wasn’t sure I physically could. Helping out at the bar made me feel like I was contributing well enough—I mean, I’d replaced the entire bartop, and now I was gonna fix the booths that needed a makeover. Trace was right. It was a win-win situation. For once in my life, I wasn’t the only one on the winning side when it came to people helping me.

Moreover, I was rediscovering traits that’d been buried for years. For one, I wasn’t one of those who naturally felt shitty about themselves. Low self-esteem wasn’t my default setting. I was feeling better now that I could afford the care Alvin needed. I could make sure Ma’s fridge was stocked, and I could pitch in with rent.

I didn’t have to lie to anyone anymore.

When we got our food, I held on to Chip’s for now, and I noticed Trace had dug out a twenty from his pocket. He eyed me carefully, half in question, and I smiled and shook my head. I knew he wanted to offer to pay as much as he understood this was important to me.

“Thank you.” He reached up and kissed my cheek.

Fuck me, I was so screwed.

How could one person be so fucking disarming that he could control my heart rhythm?

It was bullshit.

CHAPTER NINE

Trace Kalecki

I yawned and knew I had a decision to make. I could not choose violence today. This tape dispenser wasn’t gonna get the best of me?—

“Are you fucking serious,” I whispered, yanking out my fingers from the tape clusterfuck. Maybe wrapping gifts wasn’t my strong suit. Jesus Christ.

Ziggy sat at my feet and wagged his tail.

“Not now, boy,” I grumbled. I’d taken him outside for a quick piss, I’d given him fresh water and a dog bone; that was enough for… I checked the time on the microwave. Fuck. Almost five thirty. I had to step on it. Ben’s alarm would go off in forty-five minutes.

At some point, Ben and I would need to discuss Ziggy’s future. We had a good deal going where Ben took the longer park walks and I took the more frequent down-in-the-alley or just-around-the-building walks, but the shaggy rascal deserved more than that. When Ben and I got off work, we were beat.

I knew one person who would accept him with open arms, aside from Chip, and that was my ma. She was retired, she would fuss over Ziggy all day long, and he’d have a big backyard to chase lizards in.

It might also distract her from obsessively checking the Citizen app to see if there’d been another shooting in Chicago. Which, more often than not, was a car backfiring. Just last night, she’d texted me to stay away from Near North Side because of an explosion that turned out to be fireworks.

---