Page 58 of Small Town Beast

The dog looked ready to fall asleep right there at her feet.Everything is easy when you’re an animal.

Finally taking the hint, Gwen changed the subject. “Gee, Tanya, what would you do with a million dollars? Just one little million?”

“Build a house,” said Tanya, tugging on the dog’s ear.

“I’d buy my whole trailer park and make ‘em all pay me rent,” said Gwen with petty satisfaction. “I’d buy Mavis Duncan’s house and put her out on her ass.”

“Who is Mavis Duncan?”

“A real bitch. You ever wanted to travel? I’d go to Paris."

Tanya scratched the dog’s other ear. It had been one of her fantasies to travel around the world with Amari when he was old enough, since she’d never been farther than Rowanville in her life.

"Maybe," she said slowly, "Maybe I'd go somewhere warm...the Caribbean or something. The beach…"

Gwen bounced up as if she’d already won the money. “We can go together! You can bring Amari and everything.”

Tanya’s heart throbbed painfully.Tell her the truth!“That would be nice.”

“You’re like, the only one around this place I can stand. And what’s the point of having money if you have nobody to share it with?”

As Tanya thought of Saverin, Gwen’s face flushed with hope. “Forty tickets, I got to have a prayer at least."

“Sure, baby.”

Gwen crunched down the rest of the sucker and flicked the colored stick into the garbage.

Table three had filledup with some Florin men. White men. They wore hunting gear, which was covered in blood and dirt and God-knew what else.

Tanya had shooed away the dog and washed her hands all the way up to the elbow. But she took one look at the feral pack at the table and wished she hadn’t bothered. She could already tell where this would be going.

"Good morning. My name is Tanya and I'll be taking care of you today."

"You can take care of me any day, honey." The leader of the group smirked at Tanya, looking her up and down. "Where you from?"

"Florin," said Tanya in adon’t even try itvoice.

“Swear I saw you down at the Turnkey the other night.”

Tanya inwardly froze. But she just said, “The what?” in a bored tone.

"These days there's so much crossing lines," the man said, dragging every word out. "We got a passel of halfbreeds running around the hills these days.” He laughed and let his eyes wander all over Tanya. “You want one?”

“Want what?”

“A halfbreed. We’d make some cute little’uns, sure would.”

“Lay off her, Hiram,” one of his buddies said wearily.

Tanya said, “Are you ready to give me your order?”

“No point rushing. How do you like waiting tables on the white side?" His hand inched towards her behind.

“Hiram, stop jawin' and tell her the order," another complained. “I’m hungry as a tick.”

Tanya memorized the creep’s face. Lord, some of them sure were ugly. Red hair falling out at the temples, and his nose was broad and lumpy like he’d broken it many times. His skin was pale as a catfish belly underneath dark moles and freckles. He rumbled, "You can fill us up with some milkshakes to start, and then lay us down five of those Fat Boy breakfasts. Eggs, sausage, ham, grits, and the home fries. After that we want a slice of apple pie each. And a dozen of your biscuits to go. Can you do that, sugar pie, or I need to say it slower?"

Tanya smiled at him coldly.

---