by Robert Brumm
She stood there fidgeting while the seconds ticked by. She was almost tempted to reintroduce herself and remind him of the conversation about her working there when Paul finally looked up. “So, you said yesterday you don’t have any experience with computers. Were you being literal or were you doing that thing that drives me crazy?”
“That thing?”
“Where people pretend they’re retarded with technology because they think it’s cute or funny.”
“Uh, I know how to go online and check email and things like that. And I took a couple of typing classes in high school.”
Paul rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing. “Awesome.”
“Look, I can get a job waitressing or something like I said yesterday. If you didn’t want me working here you should have said so yesterday.”
“No, it’s fine.” A cell phone on the desk in the back room starting ringing and vibrating across the table top. “Sorry, it’s just…” he glanced over his shoulder at the phone.
The peach fuzz kid sidled up next to Kelly, a game box in one hand and a twenty dollar bill in the other.
Paul took a step for the office door. “I’ll be right back, give him a hand, would ya?” He pointed at the kid and disappeared into the office. Kelly stood there at the counter, too shocked at how badly things were going to move. The kid sniffed.
“I’m sorry,” she said. She moved around the counter to the other side and faced him, feeling ridiculous. He put the game box and the twenty on the counter.
She picked up the box and checked both sides for a price tag. Nothing. “Do you know how much this is supposed to be? Sorry,” she said again. “It’s my first day.”
“Three-sixty games are two for twenty, unless they’re marked. Hey, did you guys get a copy of Bone Storm 2 in yet? Dude said last week he might get a couple.”
Kelly fumbled with the register. Fortunately it was similar to the one at Barry’s Diner and she was able to make the sale. “I don’t even know what that means. It’s my first day.” The kid took his change and grunted before shuffling out of the store. Kelly fought back tears and was ready to rush out the front when Paul stepped out of the office.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for a call all morning and it just turned out to be another bill collector.”
Kelly bit her lip, willing herself to keep her face a frozen and unemotional slate. There was no way this pompous ass was going to see how upset she was.
He sighed and leaned up against the office door jamb. “Not just about the phone call, sorry if I came off as an jerk just now.”
She had the standard “that’s okay” response on the tip of her tongue but stopped the words from slipping out. If her time with Don had taught her anything, it was to stop letting men walk all over her. Those days were over.
“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Paul said. “All my fault. How ‘bout a coffee next door? My treat.”
Kelly looked around the empty store. “Didn’t you just open? Is there anybody else here?”
He ducked into the office and grabbed a ring of keys. “Tuesday mornings are always dead, don’t worry about it. We won’t see any action until after school lets out.”
Before Kelly could protest, she found herself out on the sidewalk again with Paul locking up the store behind her. They walked a few steps to The Cuppa Joe next door and Paul opened the door for her. It may have had a corny name, but the coffee shop was warm and intimate. A handful of customers lounged on the sofas filling the room, sipping on steaming drinks while smooth jazz slipped out of the speakers in the ceiling.
Paul studied the menu over the counter. “So, what’s your poison?”
“Just regular coffee is fine.”
“Nice. I was never much for all those froo-froo drinks myself.” He ordered two of the house blends and they took a small table by the window.
“Sorry again for being a jerk back there,” Paul said.
Kelly poured creamer in her cup and gave it a stir. The coffee was a nice gesture and the comfortable setting of the store softened her a little. “It’s okay, you weren’t that bad.”
“My sister always tells me I make a horrible first impression. I usually deny it, but I guess I proved her right today. I’m really a nice guy once you get to know me, I promise.” He winked and blew on his coffee before taking a sip. Now that he wasn’t scowling and actually had a pleasant look on his face, Kelly realized he was pretty cute.
“You know, hiring a new employee right now is actually a pretty bad idea.” He set his mug down on the table and looked out the window. “I hate to admit it, but business is lousy.”
Kelly paused mid-sip and placed her own mug down. “Wow, you really need to come up with a different orientation program for new hires.”
Paul blushed and he sat back in his chair. “Man, there I go again. That came out really wrong.”
Kelly laughed, enjoying watching him squirm.
“I really could use some help at the store, that’s not the problem. I’m glad to have you. I guess…I don’t know. Things really aren’t working out like I had planned.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought I had it all planned out while I was in the hospital. I had nothing but time and I worked out all the details, had the whole business plan ready before I even got home.”
“Hospital?”
Paul shifted in his seat. “Yeah, Aunt Sue didn’t mention it? I guess I figured she told you my whole life story ad nauseam. Man, can that woman can talk.”
“She mentioned last night you were in the Army but didn’t say anything about a hospital.”
“Twelve years. After nine-eleven I became obsessed with serving. I was practically standing in front of the recruiters offer waiting for my seventeenth birthday, but my parents refused to give their permission. A year later I was at basic training, ready to fight for God and country.” Paul rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee.
Kelly noticed a young man standing outside The Electric Connection next door looking through the windows. She almost told Paul but decided not to. He looked over her shoulder, a million miles away.
“I loved the Army at first,” he continued. “I pushed myself and always looked for the next challenge, always wanting to be the best. Like a lot of the other naive kids around me, I wanted nothing more than the chance to go into combat. I wanted payback for the twin towers. I knew the Rangers were the tip of the spear so I went to airborne school as soon as I could, and the Ranger indoc program right after.
“After four weeks of hell, I earned my tan beret and my battalion shipped off to the Middle East before I even sewed on my shoulder patch. By that time, Iraq was just a babysitting gig. The serious fighting came courtesy of the Taliban and their pals in Afghanistan.”
A look of embarrassment flashed over Paul’s face. “Sorry, I don’t mean to bore you with all this stuff.”
“No, that’s okay,” Kelly said. “I want to hear about it.”
“Well, long story short, I decided to make the military my career, did several tours over there, and got hurt on my last deployment.” He moved his foot out from under the table and knocked on his shin. A metallic sound came from beneath his jeans. Paul lifted the cuff of his pant leg to reveal a black rod where his calf should have been. “Titanium from the knee down, courtesy of Uncle Sam.”
“Wow, I had no idea.”
“Good. All that practice of walking without a limp is finally paying off,” Paul smiled.
“That’s why you’re not in the Army anymore?”
“Not quite. I was involved in an incident before the injury. I left the Army under not-so-great circumstances. Officially, they label it,” Paul did air quotes with his fingers, “‘getting discharged general, under honorable conditions.’ I would have been out whether I got hurt or not.”
He drained the last of his coffee and pushed the empty cup to the edge of the table. “I spent a month in Germany at the military hos
pital. My dad died a week before he and my mom were planning on flying over there to see me.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks. I know it probably makes me sound like a blowhard, but I decided right there in the hospital that I wasn’t going to feel sorry for myself. Ever. I had the idea for the shop years ago and figured I’d get started after I retired from the Army. My injury only moved my plan up earlier than I expected.
Paul looked out the window and absently tapped his knuckles on the table. “My dad was a penny pincher and squirreled away quite a nest egg. My mom decided to give my sister and me a large part of our inheritance after he died so that helped me fund the opening of the store. After a stint of physical therapy in California, I got my walking papers, moved back here, and got started. A year later and I still haven’t been able to turn a profit, much less pay myself.”
Kelly pushed her cup aside. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say.
“Listen to me, go on about myself. What about you? What’s your story?”
She looked down at the table, running her finger over the dried ring of coffee her cup left behind. “I don’t really have a story. Nothing like you, anyway. We were going to stay with my aunt but got stranded here when my car broke down. I didn’t realize she passed away and didn’t have anywhere else to go. Ed and Sue were nice enough to take us in and rent us that little cottage down by the river.”
“That dump? You’d probably be more comfortable sleeping in my storage room next door.”
“Hey, it’s not that bad. Just needs a woman’s touch.”
A UPS truck pulled up in front of the store. “Ah crap,” Paul started to get up. “I forgot I’m expecting a couple of boxes. We better get over there before he tosses them out the truck door and takes off.”
They walked back next door, Paul signed for the package, then gave Kelly a quick run-down of the store. “When I started out, it was pretty basic. My plan was to build custom computers, refurb and sell used ones, and do upgrades and repairs.
“If I wasn’t training or on deployment, I was messing with computers and learning everything I could. By the time I got out, my skills were ready but the good people of Black Water Creek weren’t. I think most people are more comfortable buying a laptop from a guy in a blue shirt in a warehouse store.”
Kelly nudged the mouse of one of Paul’s custom computers in front of her and the screen came to life. Red LED lights emitted through the window on the side of the brushed aluminum case. “I don’t know much about these things but this one looks pretty fancy.”
Paul laughed. “Should be, for almost two grand. It didn’t take long for me to start getting some decent repair work come in but that barely covered rent. Once I had the idea to buy and sell used video games I finally started to get some traction.”
He picked up the box he’d signed for and placed it on the counter. “I take trade-ins from the locals and supplement the rest by combing the web for good deals.” He broke the seal on the box and inspected the handful of console games inside. “So, what do you think? Have you forgiven me for being a jerk and decided to stay?”
“It’s up to you, Paul. Like I said, I don’t really…”
“Yeah, yeah, you don’t know about any of this stuff. Give yourself some credit. You’re a smart girl. I can tell.” He held out his hand. “Welcome aboard?”
“Absolutely.” She took his hand and they shook.
“Don’t worry, I’ll work with you for a few weeks before letting you run the store on your own. It won’t take long for you to get the gist of making deals on stuff that comes in. Selling is easy, just ring up the price tag in the register.”
Kelly spent the rest of the afternoon waiting on customers, answering the phone, and watched while Paul closed the deal on an old video game console someone brought in to sell. It looked like outdated junk from the eighties to Kelly, but Paul was excited about it. He claimed it was rare and said he’d be able to sell it online for a nice profit.
When traffic in the store slowed down she watched over his shoulder as he worked on broken computers. She nodded politely as he explained various parts and processes but it all sounded like gibberish to her.
Paul told her she could knock off for the day at four. Before she left, she noticed a phone charger in a box of parts that looked like it would fit her cell phone. Paul told her she could have it. She left the store and walked for Ed and Sue’s house, soon to be located next to her house, feeling optimistic and happy for the first time in weeks.
Chapter 9
Kelly walked with a spring in her step, satisfied with her first day of work and looking forward to seeing Keegan. The wind picked up and she pulled the zipper of her jacket further up, trying to keep out the icy autumn air.
As she jammed her hands back in her coat pocket she brushed up against the phone charger and her good mood faltered. Her cell phone back at the house and its journal of missed calls and voicemail messages was her last remaining link to Don. She didn’t even want to turn it back on and was tempted to just throw the phone away, but she knew that was stupid. Even though she had managed without a cell phone years ago, she was spoiled like everybody who owned one and now she needed it. The contract was under her name and she still had a year left. All she had to do was hop online and change the billing address. Did Don know the password? She’d have to change that as well, maybe apply for a new phone number.
Daylight was fading quickly as she stepped off the sidewalk and turned onto the road to Ed and Sue’s house. They lived on the edge of town so their street had no sidewalks and fewer street lights. Kelly was starting to regret turning down Sue’s offer to pick her up.
The sound of an approaching vehicle behind her grew louder as the headlights slowly cast her shadow across the crumbling asphalt. She moved farther over on the gravel shoulder, realizing her dark brown jacket probably wasn’t the safest outfit for walking at night.
The vehicle slowed as it got closer and Kelly’s pulse quickened. The motor sounded big and rough, like some sort of truck, and she immediately thought of Don’s Dodge Ram. She was just being paranoid. What were the chances he’d find her here and now? He’d have no idea what town she was in, much less where she’d be walking.
It didn’t change the fact that the truck was slowing down behind her. She stared at the sharp outline of her shadow as the tires rolled on to the gravel behind her. Ed and Sue’s house was still a good quarter mile down the road. The only house close by was on her right but the windows were dark. Nobody home.
The truck came to a stop with a slight squeal from the brakes. The engine died and the door opened. Kelly panicked and was seconds from breaking into a sprint when a voice boomed out from behind her.
“Hey there, pretty lady. Need a lift?”
She spun around at the familiar voice, shielding her eyes with her hands for a second before the powerful headlights went dark. Ed stood there behind the door, smiling at her.
“Ed, you scared the hell out of me! I was sure I was about to get abducted.”
Ed’s smile vanished as he glanced at the truck and it dawned on him what he’d done. “Aw dammit, I’m sorry. I guess that was a pretty boneheaded move.” He closed the door and walked over to Kelly. “I stopped by the shop planning to pick you up but Paul said I just missed you.”
“Thanks, but I already told Sue this morning I was okay to walk home.”
“Not anymore you’re not.” Ed swept his hand in the direction of the pickup truck and Kelly took a proper look at it for the first time. “Say hello to your new set of wheels.”
“What?”
“I know it doesn’t look like much, but she’s a runner. ’72 Chevy Cheyenne Ten.” Ed hiked up his belt and admired the truck as if it was his child. “Little bit a rust but nothing to worry about. Not too shabby considering it came off the line before you were even a twinkling in your dad’s eye.”
He leaned forward and scraped a bit of black gunk off the door with his thum
bnail. “I’ve had it sitting in the back of the shop under a tarp for years. I always meant to give it a full restoration but never could seem to find the time. I figured you could use a car, so it’s yours to use until you can afford something better. I’m sure it’s not exactly your cup of tea, but it’s better than nothing.”
Kelly placed her hand on the warm hood. “I don’t know, it’s sort of cool. In a retro kind of way.”
Ed laughed. “Well there ya go. I had one of the boys give it a once over this morning. Oil change, checked the breaks, changed the plugs. She’s good to go.”
Kelly stood on her tip toes and kissed Ed on the cheek, barely able to reach due to his substantial belly. “Thanks Ed, you’re the best.”
“Yeah, don’t mention it. Come on, let’s get home. I’m so hungry I’m ready to start chewing on this thing.” He headed for the passenger side. “Shotgun. You’re driving.”
Kelly slid onto the large bench seat and took a hold of what felt like a ridiculously large steering wheel. The interior was basic to say the least. A couple of dials on the dash, two levers for the heater, and an old AM radio that would fit in nicely in a museum. She turned the key and the truck shimmied as the big V8 under the hood roared into life.
The short drive took only a minute, Ed smiling the whole way. Compared to her little Toyota, Kelly felt like she was driving a bus. It would certainly take some time for her to get used to making the switch to a full sized pickup. But she had to admit, it was sort of fun.
Ed and Kelly walked through the front door, once again greeted by the delicious smells of Sue’s home cooking wafting from the kitchen.
“Mommy!” Keegan ran up and wrapped his arms around her legs.
“There’s my little man! How are you doing, sweetie?”
Sue appeared in the doorway wiping her hands on an apron. “There’s the hard workers of the house. Supper’s ready in just a few minutes.”
“How was Keegan today?”
“He did just fine. We had a blast.”
Keegan ran for the kitchen. “Mommy, mommy! Come see what I drawed for you.” He stood next to the refrigerator door, bouncing up and down and pointing to a sheet of paper held up with magnets.
