Page 32 of Dodge

CHAPTER16

Dodge pulledup to his apartment and shut off the bike’s purring motor. The lights were on, and he stared at them for a long time. It had been a couple of days since he’d been anywhere but work or the Lair. To get to his place, he should have driven past the restaurant, perhaps stopped long enough to check on Fauna. Instead, he took a longer route that kept him away from her street. The memory of the taste and feel of Fauna’s lips teased him, and he had trouble putting it away in a corner of his mind. He contemplated firing his bike back up and driving to the Lair for the night, but Mallory had texted him that afternoon and asked him to come home right after work.

Home. She used to say “come to the house,” not “come home.” He wished she’d use a different word.

“Hey, baby,” she greeted as he walked in his door. “Dinner is almost ready.”

When did he begin to think of himself as a stranger in his own place?

“I made your favorite. Spaghetti.”

He spotted the Ragu jar on the counter. No, spaghetti wasn’t his favorite, but it was easy to make. When they were kids, it was often the only meal they had available to them.

She set up the table and covered it with a plastic tablecloth he’d forgotten he owned. Two places were set, and a paper flower from the corner store sat in the middle stuck in an empty beer bottle.

Obviously, Mallory had put some effort behind this dinner. Her big smile reminded him of the first time she cooked spaghetti for them. She was nine, and he was eleven at the time. They’d been by themselves that evening and had to scrape a meal together with what they both had at their homes. He had boxed noodles; she had the sauce. The pot they made lasted several nights.

“Looks nice.”

“Thanks. I got bread too.” She set a plate of toasted sandwich slices on the table. “Do you want a beer or something else?”

“Beer is fine.” He seated himself, then picked up a piece of the toast and slathered it with margarine.

Fauna would probably make her own sauce and bread from scratch. Hell, she might even make her own pasta instead of buying the store brand. Butter. She’d use real butter too.

Guilt landed in his gut so hard it stabbed like a knife. He was an asshole for comparing the two women. The scent of Pine-Sol told him Mallory had deep cleaned the apartment. Her clothes were no longer cheap skank but more modest and covered more skin. He thought it made her more appealing. She’d made him dinner and did her best to make it a nice one while he’d been dreaming of making love to another woman. After the one night a few weeks ago when he let Mallory sleep in the bed with him, he’d been living more at the Lair. Now guilt ate at him for not being around to encourage and see the changes she worked so hard to make.

Fuck, I should never have kissed Fauna.

He had no idea where this was going. His conscience wouldn’t allow him to be with Fauna while Mallory lived with him, and he didn’t want to sleep with Mallory even if it was platonic while his head was full of Fauna. Some men would gladly fuck both women, even suggest a threesome, and walk away when they were done.

He wasn’t built that way.

“Dodge, are you okay?” Mallie’s big blue eyes appeared before him. Her bare face showed concern and a hint of tears. “Did I do something wrong?”

Her blonde hair was clean and brushed long in shining waves. When they were kids, he’d learned to French braid it for her. The strands would slip through his fingers as he wove the two thick plaits and tied each one off with rubber bands. Their world was closed to outsiders, and they only depended on each other. Looking at her now, he was reminded of that naive time. Since then, she’d played him over and over; he wasn’t sure if this act was real or an attempt to keep him on her string. Still, there was food on the table and evidence that she was participating in the household business. If this was an innocent act, she was damn good at it. Maybe she had changed after all. Everyone had to grow up sometime, right?

“Nothing’s wrong, Mallie. Thanks for doing all this for me.”

She beamed happily at him, and the knife twisted a bit. He gave her his best facsimile of a return smile and picked up his fork.

CHAPTER17

Tappingfor the solid floor under my toes, I stepped off the ladder and walked over to the switch panel. I crossed my fingers as I scrunched up my face, concentrating hard, and flipped the tab up. The hanging lamps over the booths lit up with a soft bathing light.

“Thank you, YouTube,” I said out loud to the silent room. I’d spent hours watching DIY videos on wiring, codes, safety specs, and procedures to the point that my brain hurt from the details. The time had paid off, though, as all I had to do was pass the inspection. It was scheduled for next week, and so far, I had everything running on time to make it work. The next round of lights would go over the tables, and the last set would be in the small bar area. I still hadn’t gotten that area done, but I had a workaround if I needed it. The main goal was getting the restaurant part up and running. The kitchen was set up with the dishes, washed, stacked, and covered. All I needed now was a few more servers, a work-focused Macie, and to get the bar updated.

Two more weeks,I thought as I sat on the closest chair to rest my aching back and shoulders.Two moreweeks and I’ll be in business.

My energy waned early this evening, and I thought about stopping for the night and climbing the stairs to my current lodgings. The apartment over the restaurant wasn’t particularly homey, and I was using it mainly because it was convenient. It had one of those cheap premade shower stalls that was so small, I had to stick my legs through the curtain to have room to shave them. My bed was nothing more than an air mattress on the floor, which probably didn’t help my tight back muscles. The only closet was a rod I hung from the ceiling. It was rough accommodations, but every penny I saved now should help me get through those critical first three months after opening.

Macie visited once when he moved to town, but Dewey didn’t come with him. Currently, they were at the coast on a brief vacation.

“You don’t gotta pay me for now. I’ll take my cut when you win that five-star rating. I already told you Dewey’s family has a place in Dillsboro. We can stay there for free. Dewey said he’ll take care of expenses for us.”

I didn’t like that. It was only right to pay someone for their work, and I had every intention of doing so, but the reality was I needed someone with experience. Macie would be a big help in running front of house, even if that came from behind the bar.

My lower back twinged, telling me I needed to get in my so-so shower and use up the small tank of hot water. I stood and closed my eyes for my nightly prayer that a couple more experienced servers would answer the ad soon.

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