“What the fuck are you doing with that?” I ask him, keeping my eyes on the picture so I won’t have to look at him.
“Just making sure that this woman is your mom. Want to make sure I don’t have the wrong person because that would definitely be awkward.” He has the nerve to chuckle as if he isn’t destroying my world as I know it.
I was perfectly comfortable in my shit life already. Now he had to make it worse.
Snatching the picture up, I rip it so that he doesn’t possess anything that has to do with my mom. He taps the display case with his forefinger, unsure what to do as he looks at the remains of the paper on the ground.
Mrs. Woods chooses this moment to waltz through the front door, her huge sunglasses covering up half her face to not only block her from the bright rays, but also the stares of the people she encounters.
“Hey Canon!” she calls toward me as she walks up to the case, not noticing the huge guy in the suit. “Oh dear, what happened?” she asks pointing to the mess on the ground.
“Hey Mrs. Woods. It’s nothing. Some psycho with a death wish dropped his trash.” I glance at Kane for a second before giving her a genuine smile.
I’ve grown fond of Mrs. Woods and the stories she tells about her past, her marriage and the people at her job. Sometimes, when her anxiety gets too much and her husband is away on business, I grab her groceries for her in exchange for a little cash.
She looks to her right, noticing Kane for the first time.
“Oh! Hello! Sorry, was I interrupting something?”
“Just inquiring, that’s all,” Kane flashes her a big grin, placing his hands in his pockets again.
“Well, Canon is the perfect person to answer your questions. He’s so sweet and caring, always giving an old lady like me the time of day when he should be out doing what kids do these days.”
“That’s great to know.” He says it like it had anything to do with him.
She pulls her wallet from her purse, and I bend down to get her order together. Kane silently watches as I ring her out and walk her to the door. Giving me a kiss on the cheek, she slips me a couple hundred dollar bills as a tip before she’s out the door and down the street.
“Say what you have to say so you can get the fuck out,” I say to him from where I stand.
“I know this is all crazy. I mean, shit, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it myself. I don’t have much time to go over everything right now, but I would love it if you’d come to dinner this Friday. That way, you can ask me all the questions you need, and we can discuss what to do moving forward.”
He sounds as though he’s discussing a business transaction.
“You can discuss what you want now. You must’ve been bumped on the head if you think I’m coming to your house.” I walk back behind the register, leaning against the counter under the shelves.
It’s now when I allow myself to fully look at him, taking in his features. His eyes are narrow and light blue, just like mine. His jawline is sharp and precise, a small dimple in his chin just below his lips. Like me. The only difference is his hair is jet black while mine is more of a darker brown, like my mom’s.
“A straight-forward man,” he nods his unwanted approval. “Long story short, I want you to stay with me. At least for the summer. We can talk about extending it once that time is up if you’d like.”
I don’t mean to, but it’s too hard to contain the laugh that bursts from my throat.
“You can’t be serious.” My laughter dies down and I shake my head. “You wasted your time coming down here. I don’t want shit to do with you. Not interested.”
Since that was everythinghe needed to say, I walk into the back room, leaving him out there by himself. I barge into Sal’s open door without knocking, the sandwich he has stopping midway in the air towards his mouth.
“I need to go home. Huge migraine.” I never call out or leave early, even when I was puking my guts out in the employee bathroom a few months ago. Sal’s surprise is warranted but he figured it had to be a big deal for me to say this.
“Okay kid. I’ll take over. Text me if you’re coming in tomorrow.” I nod and grab my things, escaping out the back door.
The whole walk home, I think of all the reasons I shouldn’t take him up on his offer, my mind made up by the time I reach the trailer.
He and his designer suit can fuck off.
He doesn’t even know me.
There’s nothing he can do that’ll benefit me.
Chapter 4