Page 22 of Why Cheese?
“What would you rather do?” Roq asks, then he directs his glare at me. “She will no doubt be leaving soon.”
“I will?”
“You’ve supplied us for the night. What reason do you have to remain?” Roq asks.
“Um…to help?” I say and proceed to swing a screwdriver like a hammer.
I can already hear him laughing, but Cam steps in between. He’s fired up and growing more agitated by the second. “There he goes again. Always bossing us around as if he knows what’s best.”
“Because I do.”
Cam begins to chuckle, then he snaps to Roq. “Marseilles.”
In a fit, Roq’s face turns beet red and he shakes his head. “That isn’t fair. I didn’t—”
“No, nothing is ever your fault. When shit goes wrong it’s mine, or Cheddy’s, or Brie’s. But for you, it’s an act of god or a simple mistake. How dare I question the great, all-powerful Roquefort!”
We all hold our breath as the tension ramps to eleven on the cringe scale. Roq swallows, his distinct Adam’s apple quivering. Then he clucks his tongue and gives a patronizing, “Cam…”
“Oh yes, sir. Where do you want me, sir? Working the curd? Filling the molds? Rendering the lard? On my knees?”
Roq’s stern glare flies into an ‘oh shit, you didn’t’ look. “That is not what I—”
Waving him off, Cam stomps to the ladder, but he won’t catch Roq’s eye. “Yes, I know. My place is in the hole, just like the past twenty years.”
The slow clomp of feet climbing down the metal rungs is all that echoes through the shop. After it stops, Roq lifts his chest. “Well, I shall be downstairs, prepping for the milk you will bring tomorrow.” He bundles up a mess of things in his arms then hightails it to the basement. Though, he stops to peer down as if checking to make sure he won’t run into Cam.
My skin’s crawling so badly from the tension, I rub my sleeves across each other, then up and down my sides. Cheddy places a soft hand on my shoulder and slowly pivots me away from the raging invisible fire down below. “Ignore them.”
“Are they always so hostile?” I ask.
“No. Well…” Cheddy says.
“They weren’t always like this,” Brie responds. He slips off the counter and sidles up beside me. Our voices are low and we keep casting quick glances to the basement.
“Believe it or not, they used to be close,” Cheddy says. Then he clamps his hands together, folds his fingers, and peers at me. “Real close?”
“Like brothers?” I ask.
Cheddy guffaws hard. “Nah, the other kind of close we aren’t supposed to talk about. Don’t get me wrong, we all go in for a helping hand here and there.”
“A warm mouth,” Brie says, confusing me.What do they need a mouth…?
Oh. Oh my goodness!
Wait. Really?
With a half smile, Cheddy shrugs one shoulder. “It’s nice to have help in getting through the long night. But with those two it was something else entirely. Hot. Mean. Which made it hotter. So when it all exploded, it went…” He expands his fists and spreads his arms wide. “Boom! Now they peck at each other like rival hens. It’s exhausting.”
The idea that Cam and Roq were ever together fights against my horny imagination taking the idea of all four of them in one bed and going hog wild. Sweating and twitching, I pinch my arm to keep my voice level. “So you’re saying that you and, uh, Cam, or Brie and Roq would…? With mouths and stuff?”
Brie purses his lips so tight they vanish and Cheddy beams brighter than the sun. “Aye. Stick around long enough and you might get to see it a time or two.”
That is…that’s a lot. Hot. So damn hot. My eyes dart to Cheddy’s hand, then Brie’s round lips, and back again. A giggle catches and won’t stop.
You sound deranged.
“I, uh…” Nervously, I scratch at my cheek and a louder guffaw breaks free.
