Page 67 of Small Town Beast

“I ain’t saying all Christians are jezebels, I’m just saying bein’ a Christian doesn’t mean you can’t be a jezebel.”

“All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares?”

“If you like.”

“Bee really isn’t like that. She tried to stop me from going out that night, actually. She even gave me money.”

“And you still went?”

His tone brought Tanya up short. “Hold on,” she said, putting up her hands. “Hold on, Saverin.”

“Yeah?”

“There was a good reason I didn’t take Bee’s money. But I can’t tell you why without tellin’ her business, and she’s my friend so I won’t do that.”

He could accept that, though he wondered what was more important to this “Bee” girl than Tanya getting money to find her missing son.

“When you’re all up in people’s business, who’s lookin’ out for you?”he asked.

“You do,” murmured Tanya. Saverin reached across the console and took her hand briefly before changing gear and turning left towards Rowanville.

“Okay,” he said. “So what happened at work that’s got you all laid out falling asleep on me and all?”

Tanya looked at her hands. It was then Saverin noticed the torn skin on her knuckles.

“It’s nothing,” she said.

“Tanya.”

“My manager tried to fight me, but it was nothing.”

“Is your manager female?”

“No.”

“Walk me through it,” said Saverin, his hand tensing on the wheel.

Tanya shrugged. “He called me the n-word, I called him a redneck, he choked me out— he’s just lucky someone stopped me.”

“I wouldn’t say lucky,” Saverin said, staring glassily at the road. “Is that what’s got you all stirred up?”

“Yeah, and customer bullshit.”

He sensed there was something else but didn’t probe. He’d find out later.

Tomorrow.

“You need another job,” he said.

“I’d love to hear your suggestions. Before Amari…You know, I was trying to apply to different places. There’s no work up here at all if you aren’t moving with something.” She shook her head. “Anyway, where are we going to eat?”

“I’m thinking seafood.”

“I ain’t really hungry, Saverin, to tell you the truth.”

He snorted. “I bet you haven’t had a bite since morning.”

“You can take me home.”

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