Page 83 of Honey Sugar
The last few customers lingered in Honey Sugar. Several of them were there for normal candy but there was a handful who wanted Titan’s cannabis candies and some moonshine. There were always handfuls. They trickled in throughout the day and pushed sales in the sweet shop through the roof.
I locked up for lunch after I served them and made sure to whip up more candies and take notes on which flavors of moonshine were running low. After I did all of that, two hours had slipped by and I didn’t even notice. I was exhausted and it was only lunchtime. I walked to the front of the store and looked at the line of people already forming outside the glass door. With a heavy sigh, I stood at the counter and typed in the biggest, boldest font I could find:NOW HIRING FOR ALL POSITIONS.
I taped the sign to the window, poked my head out of the door enough so the customers could hear me, then I told them Honey Sugar was closing for the day before locking up and slipping out back. I ignored the disgruntled groans and headed for my car.
Titan was right. I needed to hire a few people.
I’d been in charge of Honey Sugar for just under a month and I didn’t see how Mama did it. I really didn’t understand once I knew for a fact that she was handing half her profits to Daddy so he could sniff it all up.
I drove home thinking about my parents and wondering how I came from two warped people like them. Honestly, we call came from warped people. I’d never met a straight and narrow person my whole life. No such person existed.
I was warped too.
My kid would be warped even if they were physically fine they’d always live knowing they came from two people who were never supposed to be in love. That alone was enough to put some heavy shit on a kid’s mind.
While I was stopped at a red light, I shifted my gaze to the sky and stared at the encroaching gray clouds. They looked heavy and thick. I turned my head toward the open window on the driver side and sniffed the air. The fresh smell of soil in the air and the way the wind brushed against the leaves on the trees told me rain was coming.
Good.
The sun had been unusually harsh this spring and the ground was baked and cracked. Fissures skated down Bayou Drive like long skinny lips parched and begging for rainwater. Even the Bayou was drying out.
I turned down the private road leading home and breathed in the familiar scents mingling in the air. When I reached the house and saw a shiny black Monte Carlo with a red stripe down the side, I knew Bear was still in the house. I didn’t know what year his car was but it was older than me. I knew that. My hand hovered over the glossy paint. I was like a kid who knew they couldn’t touch something but wanted to anyway. I was sure my fingerprints would stand out like giant red flags to Bear.
I pulled my hand away and made a fist of willpower then I walked to the front door. When I walked inside, I heard something I never remember hearing in my house.
Fun.
I followed the sounds of deep laughter and trash-talking through the foyer. I followed excited voices and curse words down the hall. I found Bear and Titan sitting on the couch in the living room playing some game. They were into it. Both of them had narrowed, determined eyes while they stared at the screen. The sound of the game was punctuated by loud outbursts and the clicking of the controllers.
Titan looked up and smiled at me.
“What’s up, baby girl?” He paused the game and stood to hug me tight. He smelled so damn good. I was starting to love the scent of cannabis in his clothes after he’d been baking. It didn’t smell like he’d just got done smoking. It was sweet and earthy especially when it mixed with sugar and honey.
I tugged on his beard and he gave a look only Titan could give. It was enough to make my stomach quiver. It was a warning and I knew it but I like to push his buttons. His buttons were fun.
“Hey, how are you doing?” Bear stood up and towered over me just the same as Titan. His skin looked like chocolate. Not in one of those metaphoric, poetic ways either. If I saw his skin next to a Hershey’s bar, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
“I’m doing well. Tired, but can’t complain. Nice to see you again.” I nodded my head and adjusted my purse on my shoulder.
“You holding up okay after your dad passed?” His question made my stomach sour. Not because I was reliving warm memories of my father but because I had to recall him at all.
“Yeah. I’m fine. He wasn’t a good man so I can’t say he’ll be missed,” I told Bear. He nodded and stood to shake my hand.
“I know he was a motherfucker and a piece of shit father…excuse my French.” He smiled a little and I was shocked to see his charming side. “You still have my condolences.” I knew he was saying it because well…that was the polite thing to do and evidently, even though he was a drug dealer and probably a killer, he had manners.
“Thank you, Bear.” I looked at him for a few seconds, perplexed. “Is that your real name? I’ve always wondered but I know Shadow said it’s easier not to use real names.” My mouth didn’t want to call him anything other than Titan. The same thing I moaned when the lights went out at night.
“Can you keep a secret?” He asked, leaning in. His voice was quiet and deep like nothing ever rattled him. When he leaned closer, I smelled his cologne. It was earthy and expensive. He ticked every box on the charming list but something about him still scared the hell out of me.
“Yes,” I said like a little kid.
“Bear is my real name but nobody thinks it is. I never clarify because I like to confuse people even if it’s just a little bit. That’s a lesson for you, Ivy. Keep a poker face about everything and nobody will know what’s coming.”
“You and Shadow subscribe to the same school of thought, I see.” I smiled at Titan and the corner of his mouth twitched like he’d smile if he weren’t donning his own poker face.
Bear nodded then tossed a look at Titan. “You should convince him to work for me. I have a right-hand man position wide open.”
“He’s already my right hand at Honey Sugar,” I told him protectively. Bear laughed a little and held his hands up in surrender.
