Chapter 49
49
DARIUS
“ W hy are you making us take the long way?” I grumble as I follow Archer down the sidewalk.
“What are you talking about? This is the short cut,” he retorts, speed-walking ahead of me.
My brothers and I just finished a vigorous game of basketball at the community center.
We’re tired. We’re sweaty. And I don’t know about the rest of them, but I want to go home. Yet for some reason, Archer has us walking halfway across town instead of taking the quicker route back to where our cars are parked.
“You’re acting real strange, man,” Nolan says, lethargically bouncing the basketball down the pavement alongside him.
But it’s safe to say that Archer doesn’t give a shit about our complaints right now. He’s too busy craning his neck to get a look through the hardware store’s front glass. I follow his stare and suddenly, everything makes sense.
Layla is behind the front counter, chatting and laughing with a customer as she rings up his order .
“Come,” Archer says suddenly. “I need, um, a screwdriver. I need to buy a screwdriver.”
Nolan and I share a look.
“Yeah. Very convincing,” Mason mutters while stealing the ball from Nolan.
We follow Archer through the door and the bell dings.
Layla looks up from the cash register and greets us with a smile. “Hey guys! What brings you by today?”
“You mean aside from the fact that Archer wanted to come in here and salivate over his crush?” Nolan grumbles out the side of his mouth.
Archer speaks loudly, drowning out Nolan’s voice, eyes on Layla the whole time. “How’s the job going so far?”
“I’m loving it, actually,” she says, beaming.
“Greg is not too grumpy and brooding for you?” Archer demands protectively.
Layla only laughs. “Not at all. I have a lot of experience dealing with grumpy, brooding men, thanks to my favorite grumpy, brooding neighbor.” She playfully punches Archer in the shoulder and I watch the color red streak up his neck.
He’s blushing. Ha!
Layla doesn’t seem to notice as she grins. “Seriously, though. Thank you again for talking to Greg for me.”
“No problem.” Archer nods, a glint of contentedness in his eyes even as he tries to downplay it. “I’m just glad you’re settling in here.”
“I am,” Layla assures him. “After bouncing around from job to job over the past year, I can really see myself working here for a while. Until Sky is a little older and more independent, y’know?”
“That’s good. That’s good.”
He stares longingly at her. She stares longingly at him. This is getting old .
I check my watch before giving Archer a shove. “Are we gonna get that screwdriver or what?”
Yeah, yeah. Layla and Archer are ‘cute’ and all with their weird pussyfooting around each other but I don’t have time for this silly game. My girl’s at home waiting for me. I need to get to her.
Archer clears his throat, shoving both hands into his front pockets. “We’re gonna get to shopping.”
Layla bobs her head, her smile lingering. “Happy, uh, happy shopping!” Her eyes momentarily flit to the rest of us before rebounding to Archer. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Even as he’s walking away, Archer can’t take his eyes off of Layla. That’s how he ends up in a violent head-on collision with a display of car air fresheners. Little scented pine trees sail to the floor.
“Oh my gosh!” Layla gasps, hand over her mouth as she rushes around the counter. “Are you okay?” Her eyes are wide with concern.
Archer hurriedly scoops everything up, fumbling to place the packets back on their hooks. “I’m okay. I’m okay.”
Layla quickly takes them from his hands. “Here. Let me.”
Archer mumbles an embarrassed ‘thank you’. He limps away, head hung, holding onto his shin.
I shake my head.
Seeing my brother in this pathetic state only makes me appreciate Ziggy even more. I drop my eyes to my phone, sending her a quick message to let her know that I’m thinking of her and that I can’t wait to get home.
Ziggy: Hurry up. I miss you
She attaches a selfie. She’s in my kitchen, wearing a tank top and cut-off jeans, making a kissy face at the camera as she cooks up a buckwheat feast. If that isn’t something to look forward to, I don’t know what is.
“Come on, guys. Hurry up,” I hustle my brothers along.
Archer doesn’t actually need a screwdriver so I have no idea why I’m even humoring him when I have other shit to do. Even still, we all file over to the tools section of the store and begin browsing the selection of screwdrivers.
Through an open doorway, I catch sight of Greg sitting at his desk. Archer heads in that direction and I wander after him.
My oldest brother pokes his head inside the office. “Hey Greg.” He gets the usual grunt and nod in response. “Just wanted to thank you for giving Layla this job. It really means a lot to her. As a single mom, she’s been having a hard time keeping—”
“You probably shouldn’t be thanking me,” the man grouses without looking up from the calculator that he’s stabbing resentfully with his blunt fingertips.
Alarmed, Archer takes a step into the office. “What does that mean?”
Greg sighs heavily. “Been a long time since this place was really profitable. I’m getting too old to be working so hard with nothing to show for it.” He pushes a stack of bills aside. Some of them flutter to the floor. “I think it’s about time that I throw in the towel and close my doors for good.”
I see the color drain from Archer’s face.
Right then, Nolan steps up beside us holding three star-tipped screwdrivers in his hands. He fans them out in Archer’s face. “Okay. Pick one of these and let’s get the hell out of here,” he commands.
Archer numbly selects a screwdriver and we nudge him to the cash register where he pays, offering Layla a forced smile as she hands him his change .
“Bye guys,” she says brightly as we leave.
We each offer her a wave in response. I can’t help but feel bad for her. She seems to actually like this job, and unbeknownst to her, she’s about to lose it.
Out on the sidewalk, I clamp a hand on Archer’s shoulder. “You okay, man?”
His head wags from left to right. “I can’t…” he mutters. “I can’t let Greg close that shop. I can’t let Layla lose that job. She needs it. She…she doesn’t have any help. Not financially, not otherwise. She needs this job.” He pulls on his hair.
“So what are you going to do?” Mason asks, twirling the basketball around on his index finger.
Archer straightens his shoulders, holding his head high with determination. “I’m going to buy the shop. I’m going to get a bank loan or…a business partner…or…or…I’ll sell feet pics, if I have to. I’ll do what I’ve got to do.”
Nolan flinches. “Damn. That’s a bit extreme.”
“No one’s paying money to see those ugly bunions and chipped toenails of yours.” Felix gags.
Archer’s eyes shoot poisoned arrows across the air.
Nolan shrugs. “Not trying to burst your bubble, bro, but there’s just not a market for what you’re selling.”
“Shut your face hole.” Archer growls menacingly, fists on his hips as he paces back and forth on the sidewalk.
I stand there, arms folded across my chest, waiting for him to remember that he has a billionaire brother. Heaven knows that if I’m the one to offer him my assistance, he might turn me down just for the heck of it.
After a long moment, a lightbulb flicks on behind his eyes and he turns to me. “You asked me what I want in life?”
“Yup.” I nod, already knowing where this is going and more than ready to help.
“ This is it,” Archer says, motioning to the brick building looming behind us. “I want to buy the hardware store and I’d like you to be my business partner.”