Page 11 of Side Hustle
“Count me in, partner.”
5
Rip
The rest of the week moved in super speed, especially because I was used to a snail’s pace. Once I found a geologist and made contact, plans for sending in the gold nugget were in place. Whenever I didn’t have a fishing tour on my boat for tourists, I was busy researching gold mining. I needed to understand all the legalities of it before I went public with it. My father’s face was next to the dictionary definition of a shark, and I knew he’d contest my rights to the land, which meant I needed to have my ducks in a row for the first time in my life. Ducks were surprisingly hard to gather up, especially with a shark breathing down their necks.
My ancient truck sputtered a few times when I started it up. I’d have to pop the hood this weekend and spend some time under there trying to tune things so I could squeeze another few months of life out of it. Maybe, if I dangled enough donuts and beer under his nose, I could convince Titus to come over and help me. The springs in the seat groaned as I hit the gas a little harder and the ever-present potholes on my way to Bain and Lucy’s house. You’d think this town could afford to keep the roads paved nicely, but then again, I knew dear old Dad didn’t have the best interest of the citizens at heart. And with a little luck, I’d finally be able to prove it.
Right now, though, I was on my way to meet the newest addition to the Sutter family. Lucy and Bain had their second baby three days ago, a little boy they named Heston. I wasn’t sure what it said about me that I was more excited to see Hazel again than to meet the new screaming baby. Something was off about me wanting to see Hazel.
Or maybe something was finally right about me.
Hazel touched my shoulder on the boat that night and I felt something zing around in my rib cage. At first I thought it might be indigestion from that greasy sub sandwich I’d had for lunch from Forty-Diner, but when it hit my dick, I realized it had to be Hazel. Which was all kinds of wrong. I should have been repelled at her touch, not dazed and horny. Instead I’d blurted out all kinds of hyper-energetic things like promising to take down my father. It was one thing to think about it and mull it over for the next few years. It was another thing entirely to blab to my biggest enemy that I was some kind of hero on a mission to destroy evil in our midst. Fuck, now I might have to actually do it.
So I stayed away from her all week. Classic run-and-hide tactics I’d been perfecting my whole life. I could only be a hero for so long before crawling back into my cave and hiding out from the world.
A knock on my driver’s side window had me jumping. Hazel was on the other side of the glass, a big smile and wave far too enthusiastic for my taste. I blinked and realized I’d been parked on the street outside of Lucy and Bain’s house. I did that sometimes. Just spaced out so hard thinking I could drive for hours without really registering anything around me. Probably not the safest thing.
I turned off the engine and opened the door, careful not to hit her as she backed up.
“Hey, partner. Glad to see you’re alive.” She was still smiling, but her eyebrow dipped, making me feel chastised.
She may have texted me a couple times this week. And I may have ignored them.
I scratched the back of my head, unable to look her in the eyes. “Yeah, sorry about that. Been a busy week.”
Hazel paused for a split second and then shrugged. “No problem. Let’s go meet Heston. Ooh, I’m so excited to squeeze that baby!”
I shook my head, but followed her into the house. She forgave people way too easily. I’d ghosted her all week and it simply took a half a second of contemplation and the promise of a cuddly newborn for her to forgive me.
The gang was all there, making the large living room feel tiny with everyone huddled around the proud parents and Roxy, the even prouder big sister.
“Hey, man, glad you could make it,” Bain said to me from the couch, his arm around a radiant Lucy.
Women were incredible creatures. Lucy just birthed another human being into the world and here she was entertaining all of us with her hair perfectly done and a serene smile on her face. I’d still be crying over the rearranging of my anatomy if men were the sex that had to give birth.
“Ohh…he’s beautiful,” Hazel said reverently, crowding in to get a good look at Heston.
“I think you mean devilishly handsome,” Bain interjected.
Hazel just swatted at him until he moved over. Hazel sat down next to Lucy, ignoring Bain’s frown at the intrusion. Lucy handed over Heston, and the sight of Hazel holding a baby with tears in her eyes did something awful to my stomach. Indigestion, nausea, and a classic case of the old lady vapors threatened. Fucking sub sandwich struck again.
“How you been, buddy?” Titus clapped me on the back.
I turned away from Hazel and focused on Titus to prevent my lunch from coming back up. Amelia nuzzled into Titus’s side, but I didn’t mind. We’d all been friends for so long Amelia felt like the little sister I never wanted. Anything I said to Titus, I could say to her. In fact, she’d probably give better council than Titus anyway. He was too nice, while Amelia was a little—okay, a lot—on the mean side, which made them a perfect balance.
“I’ve been good, actually. Really good.” And I meant it. Surprisingly.
Titus looked as surprised as I felt. “Awesome. Found a roommate, then?”
“Nah. I’ve hit the pause button on that for right now. I actually have some—”
“Lucy! Why do you have a letter from Sperm Fragmentation of Northern California?” Polly shouted, muting all conversations in the room.
Polly was Lucy’s mom, here to supposedly help with the baby, but probably only causing arguments. Her normally ruddy cheeks were whiter than the envelope held above her head.
Lucy’s face remained blank. Then she clapped her hands together and woke up Heston, who gave out a mewl that even I had to admit was damn cute. “I remember! That’s the DNA Amelia wanted me to have analyzed from the used condom at the hotel.”
