Chapter 3 #2
Daisy had turned her back to the door to watch Carson as he moved toward his favorite station. She quickly looked over her shoulder while stepping back from the door when Charlie spoke to her. “Oh! Hi, Charlie. I didn’t know you were there.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to say hello and ask if Carson needs anything before I head back to work.”
“No problem. It’s my own fault. I jump at my own shadow,” she said with a soft laugh. “But, no. He’s doing beautifully.”
“Has he participated in any of the classes? If so, then I owe you for more than his usual fees.”
“He’s taken a few of them. But he tends to wander back to his easel once a particular new technique is set in his mind.
He’ll work on that technique for a little while until he masters it, then create an entire painting before he finally sits in on another class.
He hasn’t finished an entire class yet. I’ll let you know when he does. ”
“If I owe you anything other than his usual fee, please let me know. You have no idea what a difference this place has made in his life — in our lives. I’ll never be able to make you understand how grateful I am.”
“I have to admit, I adore Carson. He makes me smile. He’s made a difference in my life, too.”
Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets as he stood there awkwardly, trying to think of something else to talk to Daisy about.
His gaze wandered over the other three students in the room.
All were varying ages from preteen to late teens.
“Is there a particular time that’s better for Carson to come, maybe with younger kids? ”
“Not really. Everybody that comes to classes here are here for the same reason. They love art and being able to express themselves through it. Age has nothing to do with it.”
Charlie smiled and nodded.
Daisy lowered her voice. “Besides, I keep an eye on Carson. He’s fine at any time. And if he decides he’s had enough peopling, he’ll go set up an easel in the children’s art room.”
Charlie laughed. “Yeah, when he’s had enough, he’s had enough.”
Daisy lifted her cup in a mock toast and sipped her milkshake, as she looked around the room.
“Let me guess… herbal iced tea?” he asked.
Daisy looked at him, realized he was looking at her cup and grinned at him. “Oh, no. Strawberry milkshake. The best picker-upper there is! In my opinion, anyway. I’m afraid I’m a little addicted.”
Charlie grinned at her. “I’m a chocolate fan myself.”
“Vince’s Place has the best ones around. But it’s a bar and grill, too.”
“I’ve heard it’s really good, but I haven’t had time to try it yet.”
“It is good! There are a lot of other restaurants around, but I still go there more often than the others.”
“Bar and grill… burgers and fries?”
“Oh, yeah. Best burger you’ll ever eat. Fries of course, but oh my goodness… their onion rings. And they have other sandwiches, and fried chicken, and some pastas, too. The usual appetizers and desserts and such. But I’ve been going there since it was just a bar, so I’m partial to it.”
“It recently change over to a grill, too?”
“Oh, no. It’s been a bar and grill for about twenty years.”
Charlie’s brows rose. “You looked old enough to get in a bar when you were a kid?” he teased.
Daisy laughed. “No. Vince is my uncle. All my cousins and I went in there with our parents to eat from time to time. And they’d bring it home to us if it was later in the evening when the bar was really hopping.”
“So I’m guessing you spent some time there as an adult, too. Hopping right along with everybody else?”
Daisy nodded enthusiastically while she laughed. “You have no idea.”
“Maybe you could introduce me to it sometime. I’d love to experience it.”
Daisy’s smile deflated instantly. “Yeah, maybe.”
Charlie picked up on her mood change instantly.
He didn’t know what he’d said, but was sure whatever it was, it made her throw up an instant wall.
“Alright, well, I guess I’ll be getting back to work.
I’ll pick Carson up on my way home. Thanks again for letting him stay here after school. He loves it here.”
“It’s not a problem. I love having him here. He’s taught me a thing or two!”
Charlie nodded and raised a hand in a wave. “I’ll be back in a little while, Carson!” he called.
“I know,” Carson said, not even looking up.
Charlie started to leave, but then turned back to Daisy. “Hey, if I said something to offend you or make you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”
“What?! No! Why would you think that? I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m absolutely fine.”
“Alright. I’ll see you later, then.”
“Bye! And be sure to check out Vince’s when you get some time.”
Charlie nodded and quietly made his way back out to his car.
By the time he got in his car, Daisy had already closed the door to the studio.
He sat there for a few minutes wondering what he’d said to set the pretty artist in defense mode.
He liked her. He really did. And his son adored her.
But for some reason, he couldn’t seem to get past small talk.
Each time he tried to make their conversation a little more personal, she slammed him back into the business zone in the most polite friendly way he’d ever seen.
Sighing, he started his car and backed out, his mind now shifted to the mountain of work waiting for him on his desk.
~~~
Brandt glanced several times toward a still drunk Remi riding beside him in the passenger side.
Remi’s eyes were closed, his head resting against the window, one hand over his eyes. He gave every indication of being asleep, but Brandt knew without a doubt that his Dragon was wide awake, though, Remi rested.
Remi’s phone buzzed for the second time since they’d started for home, causing Brandt’s hand to reach out and refuse the call yet again.
“Leave my phone alone,” Remi croaked in a scratchy, cracked voice.
“So, you are awake.”
“Been awake. Don’t touch my shit.”
“Thought I was doing you a favor, letting you get some rest, Remi. That’s all.”
“Yeah, right,” Remi mumbled.
“Look, I’m not sure how I became the bad guy in your pity party, but I haven’t done a damn thing to you that wasn’t called for.”
“You know exactly what you did.”
“Fine. For the sake of argument, enlighten me. What is it that you think I did?” Brandt said condescendingly.
“You came into my house — uninvited I might add — insulted my girlfriend and told her she wasn’t allowed in my own private fucking house,” Remi growled, turning his head to stare at Brandt.
“I went to your home, which is built on land provided by me to each of our clan members to get your ass up and to work — you know, that thing we do to be able to continue paying the bills. Your friend decided to be completely disrespectful and insulting. At that point I most certainly did tell her get off our property and that she is not welcome there. For the record, and make sure you pay attention to this, Remi; if she continues to be rude and provoking of the rest of our clan members, she will answer to me. If she does it on our property, I will personally ruin any sense of self-confidence she might have ever thought she had.”
“She don’t even speak to any of them!”
“She makes offensive comments under her breath, making sure for them to hear. She shoots dirty looks at anyone whose eye she catches, and makes it her point to try to intimidate anyone connected to you.”
“You’re out of your mind. She’s kind, and she’s sweet and everybody loves her.”
“Remi, you’re completely blinded.”
“I won’t stand for it. You give her the same grace you give me or we won’t be a part of whatever it is you think you’re doing.”
“You are a part of what we’re doing. You were raised to be part of it. She was not. She will not be accepted into this clan, this family, or even a friendship among us. She is not trustworthy.”
“You just don’t know her!” Remi bellowed.
Brandt shook his head slowly, as he turned onto the road leading through the clan property.
“Remi, you don’t know her. You’ve for whatever reason seized upon the idea of building a life with her, and you think we all have to accompany you.
News flash… you can build a life any way you want, but no one else has to accompany you.
She’s draining your bank accounts, driving wedges between you and your friends, and I’m pretty sure the last time you went to see your parents was the day after the night y’all met. ”
“Don’t bring my parents into this. I’ve just been busy, they have nothing to do with it.”
“Have they met her?”
“No,” he answered sullenly.
“Listen, you can’t turn her into Bailey, or into Cristie. Going off the deep end with her isn’t going to fix things with either of them.”
“You sit there so high and mighty, telling me what I can and can’t do…”
“I’m trying to keep you from losing all you’ve got. You don’t even bother to pretend to come to work. The bank called me this morning about your account. You want to know why? Go on, ask me why…”
“I’m sure you’ll tell me even if I don’t ask.”
“They told me your account is overdrawn. Overdrawn Remi, as in no fucking money in it.”
“That’s impossible! I have it set up to draw from my savings account if it’s ever over-drafted,” Remi said, his voice falling silent at the end of his sentence as he realized that meant that his savings account had been drained as well.
“Who has access to your account, Remi?” Brandt asked.
“Nobody. Me, you, that’s it.”
“Then you need to go to the bank. Tell them your accounts were hacked, and stop on the way to make a police report and take a copy of it with you to the bank. Maybe they can get some of your money back. If not, at least maybe they can find out who stole your money.”
Remi pushed himself up, straightening up in the seat.
Brandt caught just half a shake of his head in his peripheral vision. “What’s that for?”
“If it’s not one thing, it’s a-damn-nother.”