CHAPTER ONE #2
I was also surprised that Dallas brought me home in a club van.
She volunteered as, apparently, there wasn’t a brother to spare as they are all working on finding the lowlifes that tried to rob the Wine Shop.
Good! The more the merrier, and the sooner I get to deal out some of my own retribution the better.
Seeing Ava talking with Buzz when we arrive at the back of the shop, I’m more than a little surprised.
Ava is as quiet as a church mouse, so is the last person I expected to see organizing the clean-up and repairs.
She is certainly in charge, as she has a clipboard and is pointing stuff out and jotting it down furiously.
The back doors are just a huge wooden structure at the minute, and she doesn’t look happy about it.
“Buzz! I don’t give two hoots about waiting time, production times or any other damn time!
We need this secured as soon as humanly possible, and if you’re telling me that is going to be a week's time, I’m telling you that is not acceptable.
” Taking her phone from a pocket in her jeans, she starts scrolling through something.
A few seconds later she’s talking to someone.
“There will be a ten percent bonus for everyone involved if my shop is secured by close of business tomorrow. I want the strongest, most secure door available because I am not going to have this happen again. I’ll see you within the hour so you can measure up and quote me.
I don’t care if it’s an hour and fifteen to get here!
If you want the job and the bonus, you’ll be here in fifty-five minutes. And the clock is ticking!”
Looking at Buzz, she sticks her tongue out and grins. “That is how you get things done. Now you can get that dumpster taken away with all the damages in it. I’m sure you can do that without my help? Hmm?”
Watching Buzz’s face darken, I think she may have gone too far, but she spins on her heel and waltzes over to me and Dallas with a huge grin before he gets to say a word.
“How are you doing, Cork? You don’t look good.”
“Well, thanks for that. I feel better than I did yesterday but hopefully worse than I’ll be tomorrow. You seem to be coping all right.” I look around and apart from the doorway, I see little left of the chaos from the other night.
“I was the first to arrive, and Axel was here assessing the damage. He looked lost as to where to start, so when I rolled up he shouted, ‘Tag, you’re it.’ He said money was no object, and he wanted it all done and dusted in 5 days or less.
With the doors fitted and the security beefed up the next morning, it should be three and a half days.
” Ava looks like she’s going to burst, she’s so hyperactive.
“Come on, Cowboy, let’s get you to your apartment before you collapse. You’re starting to sway.” Dallas takes my arm and guides me up the stairs. Walking through the living area, I notice someone has been sleeping on my couch. In the bedroom, someone has been sleeping in my bed, too.
“Dallas, just go check my kitchen cabinets for oatmeal, will you?” She looks at me quizzically. “I think Goldilocks has been in my apartment.” Catching my meaning she laughs her pleasant laugh and it makes me smile.
I’m just settled back in my own bed when Drag walks in. I’m beginning to think my bedroom has become Grand Central Station, so many people seem to go through it.
“You look like shit. You should have stayed in hospital for a few more days. It wouldn’t have done you any harm. You were making Nurse Betty’s day, too.” Drag grins and so I know someone put her up to it.
“Who’s Nurse Betty?” Dallas asks Drag. Before I can shut the fucker up, he’s telling Dallas the gory details.
“It seems one of the young, cute nurses saw our hero’s package and said she was volunteering for all the bed baths, even on her days off.
Nurse Betty heard about this and pulled rank on all the young ones.
She was thoroughly enjoying herself, too.
Lover boy here was out for the count the first time she done him, and she was so impressed with his ejaculation she did him again when he woke up, only he never knew about the first one!
” Drag is thoroughly enjoying telling this to Dallas, and she’s laughing way too much for my liking.
“Maybe I should get a nurse’s uniform and come back later?” She grins at Drag.
“No, he’d definitely enjoy that way too much. Perhaps you can drop in at the hospital and give Nurse Betty his address. She’d love that.”
“The pair of you can just get the hell out. I need some bed rest, on my own! Let Ava know I’ll be available to help her tomorrow on your way out.”
Drag shakes his head at me. “Oh no, Cork. Stitch has put you on sick leave for a few days. You’re not going anywhere. Buzz crashed on your couch last night, and Ava stayed in your bed. She’ll be able to go home tonight, and someone else will take the couch, just in case.”
Crap! What the hell am I going to do with myself ‘for a few days?’