“Kip…Kipper.”
Trevor sits up so fast I have to put my hands in front of me to catch myself before I hit the floor.
“Shit, sorry.” He leans down and helps me back onto the couch.
He turns sideways on the couch beside me and watches me for a second.
“What happened?”
“He had his gooneys send papers to the restaurant. They are suing me because I didn’t pay them to work on Sunshine’s. I have to pay the price that he gave me when he came and quoted the job. They could take Sunshine’s from me if I don’t pay.”
“SON OF A BITCH!”
Trevor slams his fist on the coffee table in front of him and stands up and paces the living room. His hands ball into a fist at his side and then loosen only to tighten again.
“Have you talked to Marshall?”
“Marshall knows?” He doesn’t stop from his pacing.
“Jos called him as soon as we got the papers.”
“Where are the papers, Taylor?”
“Sunshine’s…I walked out as soon as Joslynn read them, Trevor. I didn’t say anything I just came to you. I can’t lose Sunshine’s.”
I put my hands over my eyes and lean on my knees. My sobs fill the room. I feel the couch shift beside me and his hands are rubbing my back. I lay my head in his lap and close my eyes at the feeling of his hands in my hair. Just the smallest of touches is all it takes.
Trevor’s phone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket and answers it.
“Where are you? She came home… Yeah… Alright. Bye, Marshall.” Trevor hangs up his phone and lays it on the couch beside us.
“Marshall is at Sunshine’s. He is going to take the papers to a lawyer. He can’t do this, Tay.”
“It’s not him. It’s them. The bastard is pulling strings from jail.”
“We will not let him take this from you okay.”
I nod my head and let the exhaustion take me. Marshall is friends with a lot of people and I know that if anyone can fix this, it will be him. I can’t help but be worried that somehow I am going to have to figure out a way to come up with the money to pay them.
“Tay, come on baby let’s get some food and watch a movie. There is nothing we can do till the lawyer calls,” Trevor says after a while.
I sigh and get off the couch and walk to the kitchen. There is one thing I know for sure, life won’t hit the pause button just for me to fix things. It goes on no matter what is going on in my life. I put a frozen pizza in the oven and lean against the counter.
Trevor walks into the kitchen and wraps his arms around me. He leans in and rubs his nose against mine.
“We will fix this. Until then I want you to go on like nothing is wrong. Don’t worry, baby. Okay?”
“Okay.”
He smiles and kisses the tip of my nose.
“What movie do you want to watch?”
“You pick.”
He smiles big and walks back to the living room. One thing that I love about Trevor is he knows just what I need and when.
My cell phone dings with a message from Jos.
Jos: U ok?
Me: Yea sorry I left. Just needed to be home.
Jos: It’s fine. Want to close tomorrow? Take a day?
Me: No I’ll be okay. See u in the morning.
Jos: K luv u
Me: U 2
I lay my phone on the counter and push it away. Trevor is right. I need to go on with my life and carry on with things. Closing Sunshine’s would help no one and right now we need the money. The stove dings letting me know the pizza is done. The rest of the day is spent laying on the couch and watching funny movies with Trevor.
Neither of us talk about Sunshine’s or what is going to happen.
Chapter Seven
When I wake up the next morning the bliss of being newly married and happy is long gone. I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders and they're not strong enough to carry it. I step in the shower and let the water run over my body. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and push out my chest. I have to make it through the day. I will make it through the day. There is no other way around it. Kipper is in jail and he has done enough to ruin my life. I won’t let him take any more from me.
When I step out of the shower it feels like I washed my worries away. The feeling may not last all day but I am going to enjoy it while it does.
“Ready for work, babe?” Trevor asks when I walk in to the kitchen and grab my coffee.
“Yeah, what’s your plans for the day?”
“Marshall and I are going to run to the lawyer’s office to see what’s up with the letter and I have a few tats lined up.”
“Can I talk to you about something?” I ask.
I know I wanted it to be a secret or a surprise but right now I think we could both use something good.
“You know you can, Sunshine.”
I look down to my ring and smile. I love my wedding ring set. Trevor did an amazing job. It has a round diamond in the middle and then surrounding the band are small diamonds. The wedding band is full of diamonds just like the ring.
“I love my wedding set so when I say this don’t take it the wrong way.”
“Okay,” he says nervously.
“I want to get a wedding band tattoo.”
His eyes grow big and his smile takes up his whole face. I have no tattoos and though I love a man covered in them I have never found one that I would want on my body for the rest of my life. That was one promise I made to my mom. I would never get a tattoo unless I was absolutely sure I would always want it on my skin for the world to see.
“Are you sure?”
“Trevor, you are the love of my life. My first tattoo will show that no matter what I am yours always and forever permanently.”
He walks around the counter and wraps me in a hug squeezing me so tight I feel like if I was in a cartoon this would be the part that my eyes pop out of my head.
“Can’t…breathe…Trev…”
He loosens his arms and leans back looking at me. I can see that he’s been crying.
“Can I do it?”
“The tattoo?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Trevor.”
“Good let’s go.” He grabs my arm and pulls me towards the door.
“I have to work!”
“I’ll call Jos.”
He opens the car door and motions for me to get in. I can’t help but laugh and shake my head at how excited he is about doing this. It makes me excited to know that not only will I be getting a very personal tattoo but the man I love will be the one doing the tattoo – that just makes it all better.
The ride to the tattoo shop takes no time at all and my nerves are all over the place. We walk in the shop and I notice Marshall is behind a counter, leaning over a table that is lit up with lights and drawing a tattoo. He pauses when he sees us and looks from Trevor to me slowly.
“What are y’all doing here?”
“I told him about the tattoo.”
“Ah ok.” He smiles.
Trevor walks us into a room and he sits down behind a desk. He leans over a piece of paper and starts drawing. Marshall walks in behind me and watches him. Trev’s hand is moving fast and his leg is jumping up and down.
“I have never seen him this excited about something.” Marshall laughs and shakes his head.
“I think he ran all the red lights to make it here.”
“I’m sure he did.”
“We have a meeting with the lawyer at one,” Marshall tells me still watching his brother.
“Good maybe they can figure all of this shit out.”
“They will. A man behind bars can’t pull strings.”
“Somehow he is.”
“Well, we are going to end this shit and fast. We have all been through enough bullshit. It’s time for a happy fucking ending.”
“Amen to that!” Trevor says.
He motions for us to come look at his picture. He has d
rawn a T on the paper with flowers woven around it. It looks so beautiful.
“I love it.”
“Looks good, brother. I’ll leave you to it.” Marshall pats him on the back and walks out of the room shutting the door behind him.
I watch Trevor as he sets up all his stuff. I sit in the chair and run my hands down my pants – my nerves on edge.
“Lay your hand here.”
I take my rings off and slide them in my pocket. He runs some deodorant over my finger and lays a piece of paper on top of it. When he pulls the paper back the drawing of the tattoo he drew is now on my finger. I hold my hand up and look at it.
“Ready?”
I nod.
“Okay, lay your hand here and don’t move?”
“Okay, boss.”
“Mmmm I like the sound of that.” He smiles and runs his tongue across his bottom lip.
I squeeze my knees together and feel the wetness on my thong.
The sound of the tattoo gun starting up does nothing to calm my nerves. The feeling of the needles does nothing to help. I tense the muscles in my legs and close my eyes, letting the pain take over me. It’s not the worst feeling I have ever felt. It helps to take my mind off other things going on in the world around me.
“You okay?” he asks after a few long minutes.
“Mmhmm, thinking about your tongue.” I smile.
“Mmm almost done, Sunshine.”
I hear the door open and look up to see Marshall walk in. He leans over Trevor and looks at my hand. I am too scared to move but before long Trevor stops and they both look at it.
“What do you think, baby?”
I lift my hand and can’t help but smile. He has taken the time to put a different color in each flower winding around the T.
“It looks amazing.” I lean over the table and kiss his cheek. When I pull back he wraps it in clear paper and kisses it.
“Leave that on while you’re at work so nothing gets on it. You can take it off when you come home.”
“Okay I love you. Call me after y’all leave the lawyer.”
“I love you too.”
I glance at my finger throughout the drive to work and can’t keep the smile off my face. Life can kiss my ass. Try all you want but I will be happy and I will not let anyone take that away from me.
When I walk in the door I instantly feel bad. We are swamped. I run around the counter and throw on an apron then grab my order pad and pen.
“Welcome to Sunshine’s what can I get you to drink?” I walk to a table and jump right in to work.
There are three men sitting at the table. All of them look like they rolled around in dirt and then came to eat. Their hands are the only clean thing on them as they sit at the table and read the menu.
“Tea,” they all say in unison.
I nod my head and turn to get their drinks. They instantly turn back to work talk as soon as I walk off. When I make it back to the table to hand them their drinks they all smile and nod.
“Do y’all know what you want to eat?”
“The big burger special,” the first one says.
He looks familiar. I can’t help but watch him closely as he looks around the table to the others as I write down their order.
“Do I know you?” I ask him interrupting the last man taking his order.
He lowers his head and looks to the table picking at the paper that came off his straw.
“I was on Kipper’s, uh, crew. I helped here.”
“Are you in with the ones who sent me papers for payment?”
He looks up at me confused.
“What papers? I left his crew as soon as we finished this job. Kipper was fucking crazy. Talking some crazy shit I wasn’t okay with.”
“What crazy shit?”
“Hurting you…”
My heart hits the floor and I take a step back. He holds up his hands like he is surrendering and shakes his head.
“You heard the part where I left his crew right?”
“He did hurt me and he still is.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I had nothing to do with whatever papers you’re talking about.”
I shake my head and take a deep breath trying to calm my nerves. Once I can breathe normal I turn my attention back to the man whose order I missed.
“I’m, uh, sorry about that. What would you like to eat?”
“Uh,” he clears his throat and fixes the big framed glasses on his face, “big burger special.”
After taking their orders, I turn it into the kitchen. When I slide my phone from my pocket my heart once again starts to race. It’s almost one. I hurry and dial Trevor’s number while I wait for their order. The place is full and I have a lot more work to do to help catch up but I want to tell him what just happened.
“Hey?” I can hear the tattoo gun in the background and instantly feel bad for calling.
“Sorry, I’ll call you back later.”
“No, babe, what’s going on?”
“There’s a guy here from Kippers old crew.”
“WHAT?” he yells.
I hold the phone away from my ear and smile at some of the customers as they turn their attention to me.
“Listen, he said he knew nothing of what is going on. He left after they finished the job here. Kipper was talking crazy things and he left.”
“Bastard. He better be glad he’s in jail or I would send him to fucking hell. I’ll call you when we leave the lawyers. Keep your eye on him, Sunshine. Call me if you need me. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I hang up the phone and walk into the kitchen to grab my order. When I walk back to the table the man says nothing to me about Kipper. I have so many questions I want to ask him but I am not sure where to start with all of them. He won’t look at me when I drop off his plate.
I shake my head and go about helping the waitresses catch up on orders and cleaning tables. By the time I make it back to his table there is a tip and a letter on the back of the receipt.
If there is anything I can do to help call me.
222-368-7758
John
I slide the letter in my pocket and go about working. Maybe he will give me all the answers I need without being in front of his friends.
The rest of the day is busy taking orders and cleaning tables and before I know it it’s time to close and clean up for the night. The good thing about working when you have stuff going on in your life is the fact that staying busy helps keep your mind off everything. I don’t say anything to Joslynn about John or the small conversation we had. I know when I get home I will have to answer a million questions from Trevor and I would rather do it all at once.
Chapter Eight
“What did he say?” I ask as soon as I walk through the front door.
Marshall and Trevor are both sitting at the kitchen table leaning over the papers. When I walk to the table I can see the lawyer made notes on the sides of the letter and also the notes that the lawyer wrote on another piece of paper.
Joslynn walks in behind me.
“Hey, wait on me. I am going to lay him down.” She nods her head towards lil man.
I lean in and kiss his head.
“Go ahead.”
I walk to the table and sit down beside Trevor. Neither of them look towards me when I sit down. Joslynn walks back in the room and sits down.
“One of you needs to start talking!” She pushes Marshall and causes him to finally turn his attention to her.
They both start yelling at the same time.
“HEY ONE AT A TIME!” I yell.
Both of them stop talking and look between Joslynn and me.
“The lawyer said there is no way Kipper can send anything from jail. And if he had sent something, it would be marked showing he sent it. The letter had to be from someone on his crew. Without the papers agreeing on the quote they gave or proof of nonpayment or payment there is nothing either of us can do. You don’t have to pay the money but they also
don’t have to stop doing everything they can to have Sunshine’s closed,” Marshall comments.
“Well that is good news. But how did they get certified papers?” Joslynn asks.
“They are not real.” Trevor slides the papers in front of Joslynn and me and starts pointing out various things that makes them fake. Why would they go through this much trouble to get Sunshine’s closed?
I didn’t do anything to any of them, so they have nothing to be that mad about.
“So if that is the case then why are you both so pissed?”
“If they went to this great length to try to close down the place what else are they going to do when they see that did no good?”
“I am not closing, guys,” I say shaking my head.
I can see the wheels turning and I know what they are thinking: they want me to close until all of this is over. If I close then a part of them wins and even if I open later they win and I am not willing to let that happen – I refuse to let that happen.
“Taylor, I am not putting you in danger. Anger makes people do stupid things. I am not letting anything happen to you.”
“Trevor, listen to what I am telling you, all of you. I am not closing my restaurant! I refuse! If they want to come in and try to take it from me then let them. It’s not happening. PERIOD!”
I slam my hands on the table and walk towards my room and slam the door behind me. I know I might have overreacted but this is mine, this is something I worked my ass off for. Something that someone is trying to take away from me and that is not okay.
Joslynn peeks her head in the door and waits until I nod before she comes in.
“What are we going to do?” she asks walking to the bed and sitting down.
“We are going to continue doing what we do. They are not going to win!”
“You know they don’t like the idea that we won’t back down,” she says and laughs.
“Yeah well they married some pretty stubborn women.”
“That they did. Let me see the new ink.”
I look down to my hand and take off the wrap and hold my fingers up proudly. This is the first time since I got it done that I have taken the time to look at it.
“I think it’s about time you get something.”
“I have to agree. Well we are going to head out. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Redeem Me (Say Something Book 4) Page 3
