Page 30 of Gratification in Gluttony

Toni studied the lavish suite filled with many of his mother’s personal belongings—most likely brought in by his father at his mother’s bequest. “I gotta go to work, Ma.”

“Go then,” she sniffed, voice thick with fake emotion. “I suppose I’ll survive on my own somehow. My children all abandoning me in my time of need. Makes a mother wonder what she ever did to make her children loathe her so.”

Hiding an eye-roll over his shoulder, Toni sighed. “None of us are abandoning you. Mins is gonna be here in less than an hour. And what do you want me to do? Not go to work? I’d lose my job, and you don’t want that, do you?”

It was, apparently, the wrong question, because she closed her compact and settled a disapproving frown on him. “Maybe I do. That job is… Well, it’s beneath you, Toni. We both know it.”

“Ma,” Toni said, voice hard, but she didn’t notice, indigo curls bouncing as she shook her head.

“You’re not like those others that work there, baby. You’re a different caliber.”

“They’re my friends,” Toni bit out.

“Oh, are they? Criminal records, university drop-outs, and that Pyclon? He worked Flesh Street, I’ll have you know.” She tutted. “It’s not the kind of company you should keep, Toni, and you know I say that because I love you.”

“Did Pop run background checks on my co-workers?” Toni demanded, and Goldi blinked demurely at him.

“Of course he did. Did you think we wouldn’t keep tabs on you and the people you work with? Come now, you’re not that stupid.”

Temper bubbling, Toni fisted, then unfisted his hands. “That’s fucked up, Ma, and you know it.”

“Language!” she snapped. “Your father is protecting you.”

“Pop doesn’t give a shit about me,” Toni barked, and Goldi reared back, eyes flooding with tears.

“How could you say such a horrible thing about your own father? After all he’s done for you, for this family.”

“I gotta go,” Toni snarled as he stormed from the room.

“Tonus, don’t leave like this,” his mother wailed. “You’re breaking all our hearts!”

With his hand on the doorknob, he paused, fighting the irrational guilt his mother’s tears spawned. “Yeah, well you allbroke mine first,” he mumbled, more to himself, but he knew she heard by the way she gasped dramatically. “I’ll call you later, Ma. Take it easy, yeah?”

“Toni!” she cried as he left, but he didn’t look back.

The guilt lasted the train ride to Purgatory, and by the time he walked into the cafe, his phone had several missed calls, a voicemail from Mins, and numerous texts. He ignored the first, deleted the second, and took a gander at the third.

How could you, Toni? Ma is beside herself! And in her fragile state as well!

He didn’t bother responding.

“Good morning, Toni,” Glyma greeted him, chipper as can be.

Since he wasn’t a total douchebag, he managed a grim smile and a polite, “Hi, Glym.”

Willow, as if she could sense his emotional upheaval, simply nodded and offered a sad smile before turning toward her work station to continue kneading dough. Zef watched Toni with wide, unblinking eyes, and when Toni sent them the tiniest head shake, they dipped their chin and returned their attention to their food prep.

Sometimes, Zef was terrible at social cues, but today, they understood exactly what Toni wanted to say, even though he didn’t have the words. The kitchen was quieter than normal, but it helped ease the tension in his shoulders. By the time Willow returned from her lunch break to take Oliver’s place behind the counter, Toni was feeling more like himself.

He made Rusty and Oliver their sandwiches of choice, then hummed along to the radio that Quin always set to a soft rock station that he loved. His ears picked up Oliver’s soft voice and Rusty’s husky sniping from their spot outside behind the cafe, but he didn’t pay particular attention to their conversation.

At some point, he heard a coarse laugh, and he cast a curious glance at the back door that was propped ajar. Had that been Rusty? Toni didn’t think he’d ever heard the Pyclon laugh before. Well, sure Rusty chuckled mockingly and sneered at other people’s expense, but a laugh like that? Had the sun frozen over?

When Oliver and Rusty came back inside, the human knocked Rusty’s shoulder good-naturedly, and the Pyclon grinned wide enough to show teeth. Which was honestly just bizarre.

Leaning against the prep table, Toni crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Unholy shit. I didn’t think it was physically possible for Rusty to smile. What’d you do to him?” he asked Oliver.

The fleeting smile dropped from Rusty’s face, and he shoved his hands into his pockets and stalked away with a snippy, “Eat my ass,” thrown over his shoulder.

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