Chapter 19

Friday morning, I arrived at the office first, as usual. I had the coffee cooking when Ed came through the front door. He was all smiles.

"I called the jail this morning and they told me my lost little Lori had found her way back to the flock."

"Does that make me the good shepherd?" I asked.

"It does indeed, my wayward child," he said grinning widely.

"Well, you can save your preaching for someone who has a little less colorful past."

"Well, regardless, I am grateful for her return." Ed replied.

"I imagine that you are, since you were on the hook for ten grand,"

"Yes, I was going to have a significant loss if she hadn't found her own way back."

"I'm not so sure that I would characterize it as finding her own way back."

"She just needed a little help. You and Lucas were her guides back to the straight and narrow."

"Ed, I hope you don't really believe that," I said, seriously.

"Let's say that I would like to believe it, but that I'm going to pay you your bounty because I'm sure there will be others. I would much rather you take my money than the thug."

"I would rather take it, than have him take it for sure," I said, with a smile.

"Hey, boss lady, did we do good or what?" Lucas asked, walking through the front door with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts.

"We did very good, but we were also very lucky," I replied.

"Better to be lucky than good," he said, quoting me.

"Yes, but better to be stinking rich than either," I added for him.

I held up my coffee cup to Lucas, and said, "Here's to us, and those like us, damn few left."

"He didn't know what to make of it and I didn't explain."

The day turned out to be so routine that it was almost boring. It would have been, had I not spotted Lori's boyfriend Robbie hanging around the park across the street from the office.

"So what do you think he wants?" I asked of both men.

"You," Ed said, reaching for the phone.

"Hold off, Ed, maybe he wants Lucas. If so, we should just deliver him up."

"Not funny, Max," Lucas said.

"Well, before we call the cops, one of us should walk over and see what he wants."

"I'll go," Lucas said.

"No, you stay here with your cell phone camera. I want whatever happens on tape, so that there is no question that I killed his ass in self-defense."

I took the Glock 10mm from the storage room. It came in a pancake butt holster with a spring clip. It was easy to push on my wide leather belt just above my ass. It was the best place to conceal it. At least, the best one that was easy to get to. I took a long sip of coffee then walked across the street.

""What the fuck you doing stalking me?" I asked, all tensed up. I was in the fight or flight mode and nothing I could do but wait.

"No, Ma'am, I'm here working up the courage to go into Mr. Martin's office."

"What you want Ed for? Your problem is with me."

"It ain't like that. I need to see about bail for Lori." I almost choked trying to swallow my laughter.

"Well, come on and get it over with. You are making us all nervous." I walked behind him as we crossed the street. I could hardly contain myself when he stammered his way through begging Ed to go Lori's bond.

"Son, you are out of your mind. Your girlfriend is a lying drunk. There is no way I will go her bond. See if you can find somebody with a house to put that up instead."

I started to lunch right after Robbie left the office. It was early, but I was bored. I was almost in the car when Lucas rushed out. "Hey, can I come along?"

"Long as you pay your own way, you are always welcome." He settled into the passenger seat, then I pulled from the parking space. "So anywhere you want to go?"

"Not really, I just wanted to have lunch with you." He smiled one of those mysterious smiles young men have. I am never sure if it's just I don't know what it means, or if it means nothing at all. I think most of the time they don't know either.

"Well, I can always use the company, but it's not usual that I have lunch with anyone. So you are going to have to come up with places to go or settle for what I usually have."

"Whatever you have is fine," he assured me.

"Okay," I said, as I pulled into the parking lot of a super Wal-Mart store. I parked the van as close to the door as I could.

"We are going to have lunch at Wal-Mart?" Lucas asked.

"Oh hell no, we are going to buy our lunch at Wal-Mart."

"Okay, but is there really a difference?" I gave him one of those mysterious smiles that meant absolutely nothing. I walked straight to the deli.

"Hello, Maxine, how you doing today?" the badly overweight woman behind the counter asked.

"I'm doing just fine, Lucy. Lucy, this is Lucas, he works with me."

"Hi Lucas, what can I get you two?" she asked.

"Don't know about the kid, but I want a Bacon and Egg Sandwich on one of those fancy rolls you used last time."

"Do you want cheese on that?" she asked.

"No thanks, but I would like tomato and mayo," I smiled.

"Don't look at me like that, Maxine, I ain't your mother. I don't care how many unhealthy things you put in your body." When she finished the sandwich, she turned to Lucas. "Now how about you, Son?"

"I see on your sign that you have turkey. Could I have a turkey with lettuce and cheese in a pita?"

"Of course you can. Now what to drink, you two?"

"Put two cream sodas in with my order." I turned to Lucas, "Kid, both of them are for me ... Just sayin," I replied to his look.

We left the Wal-Mart store and drove to the city's reservoir/marina. I led the way to the terrace of the office building. I ate my still warm sandwich and drank my soda while watching the community college's sailing class. There weren't there every time I came, but they were hugely entertaining every time they were.

"Do you do this everyday?" he asked.

"Lord, no, but I do it often enough. Today is a little chilly, but I'm going to try to squeeze a few more lunches in before the cold gets here. " Aster and Tryon both have a lot of chilly evenings in the winter months, but not too many of the days are really cold. It's a great climate overall and a lot of why I came back.

"Can I ask you something, Boss?"

"You can ask anything. I just might or might not answer."

"Okay, are you really going on a date with that college boy?"

"I am really going to the Dungeon for a drink tonight at nine. I have no idea if the kid will be there. I am old enough to be his mother."

"I guarantee you that his mother isn't anywhere near as exciting as you."

"That's a nice thing to say. I would invite you to come along, but you aren't quite old enough to go to a bar."

"I'm twenty," he said.

"Yes, and the drinking age is twenty-one. Don't worry, it will come soon enough, then they get closer and closer together as you get older."

"You know he is only a year or two older than me."

"I know, but I'm just going to have a drink in a college bar. I didn't get to go to college, it will be fun. And Lucas, it will be harmless. I won't let him break my heart."

"Good," he said seriously.

To be honest I had forgotten about the promise to meet the college boy. I would simply have not shown up if Lucas had not mentioned it. But since he did mention it, I decided to at least dress for it.

After work, I went home to wash and set the little bit of hair I had. I tried everything, but it still looked like a squirrel's ass. I gave up on trying to make it look grownup, and went to childish. I just put mousse on it and spiked it up. I looked like a fucking orphan, but it was something more than laying flat on my head. It looked a bit like pubic hair though.