Page 24 of Why Cheese?
For a moment, the two men look at each other, then Cam extends a hand to me. “Are you well? That was quite the entrance.”
“Yes, yes. Oh…” Pain wallops my flattened buttocks. Cam peers at me with a question and I nearly tell him my ass hurts. “It’s all good.”
“What are you doing here?” Roq asks.
“I was, um, bringing you the tools you forgot.” Spreading my legs wide, I waddle backward around the box behind me, then slide it forward between them.
“How helpful, and useful to your cause, Roq,” Cam says taking the box and glaring at the man.
“Yes. Thank you. You’re dismissed for the night.”
I grit my teeth to keep my smile from falling. “Oh? I, just, thought I could help…”
“The only help we need is you acquiring the ingredients on my list,” Roq insists.
“I imagine Chedward or Brie could use her assistance. And if not, I can think of a thing or two to do to her,” Cam says. He rubs his chin then peels his gaze down my body like he’s running over it with a little car.
I try to not go nuclear at the thought. It’s Roq who explodes. “And how will her sleeping body lying in the way help us? We only have so many hours to accomplish our tasks. You being here will only slow us down.”
“Oh.” My heart plummets from both the tone and truth in his words. “I’m…I’ll go. Head back to…” Scurrying away, I lunge for the ladder.
“Violette,” Cam calls.
Tears building in my eyes, I cry out, “I’m sorry for wasting your time.” Sucking in my sob, I climb as fast as possible.
“Why must you be such a pillock to everyone we meet?” Cam snarls.
I don’t hear Roq’s answer, or if he even cares to give one. Holding back my tears, I gather up my purse.
Cheddy and Brie both look up from the pile of wood that was once a shelf. “Vi, are you okay?” Cheddy asks.
“Yep. I’m just…gonna go back to my bed. Really tired.” I fake a yawn and push on the front door with my shoulder.
“Sleep well,” Brie calls as I take off down the street. I have to pass the large windows. The bewildered men both watch me run away. “What happened?” is all I can hear Brie asks before I’m gone.
I don’t stop until I’m across the street in front of a soap shop struggling to breathe. I don’t mean to get in the way. I’m just trying to help. Maybe if I show up with a couple gallons of milk they’ll…
My phone rings.
I answer it without thinking, and the last thing I need shouts at me, “Where have you been?”
Swallowing my groan, my head hanging low, I walk back to the motel. “Hi, Mom.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Hold My Havarti
FOR TWO DAYS, the only time I saw the four men was when they were cheeses lying on top of a pile of clothing. Well, three. I never find Roq. The store went from looking nearly ready to being a complete mess of wood, nails, and scraps of metal. Every time I stopped in, I’d hold my breath, praying I didn’t walk on a rusty screw and get a MRSA infection.
Eventually, I got them what they wanted thanks to Googling cheese supply places. There are a lot more of them than I expected. While the milk took a few days, the squeeze bottles of rennet and packets of starter cultures arrived in hours. Every morning, there’d be a new list with more requests for Roq. At the top was always raw sheep milk.
In the end, I had to swear that I was not going to sell the milk as is, nor would I drink it, or use it in some kind of magical ritual before a farm upstate agreed to sell it to me. The stipend that Uncle Mateo gave me from his estate was dwindling fast. At least I got them their milk, so maybe Roq would get off my back.
Carrying the jugs of milk down to the always-cool cellar was a lesson in humility that the universe keeps teaching me. Midway, the lid on one slipped off, and disturbingly warm cream drenched down my blouse. By some blessing, I didn’t drop the can. Losing fifteen gallons would get me a tongue-lashing from a cheese, and probably put on a watch list by the sheep farm.
I place the final jug next to the other two, stand up, and take in a breath. Strings of spherical lights dangle from the ceiling. The glow is soft but reveals metal molds screwed together with foot-long bolts resting on the racks. At least Roq is putting some of this to good use, though I don’t know exactly who it’s good for.
Sweaty, exhausted, and dripping with warm milk, I climb up the ladder just as the sun drops.Damn it.Moving that milk took me too long. I reach for my bag, and a hand takes mine. Panic thrums in my heart before the fingers dart up my forearm. Dark hair drifts into my view and his face lights up.
