Chapter 18
Jude walked downstairs and found his early morning team standing outside waiting for him. Again. He weaved through them to the front and reached for the lock on the gate, unable to meet anyone’s eye. He feared he had an ‘I’ve just been fucked’ face and didn’t need them to see it.
“Sorry, guys,” he said, gazing around without allowing his eye to rest on anyone. He hoped his face wasn’t red considering how warm it felt.
“Another morning jog?” his apprentice cutter, Mario, asked with a wide grin on his face.
“He does have a rosy glow like he’s been exercising,” Margot, his cashier, said to Mario.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jude muttered.
He unlocked the security gates over the windows and doors and rolled them up before he shoved another key into the lock on the heavy silver door.
A cool breeze of air rushed out to greet him when he opened the door.
Jude cursed that he’d forgot to lower the temperature a couple of degrees before he left, but he’d been in such a fucking rush to slip into Foster’s bed that he’d forgot.
After he ushered everyone inside, he heard complaints of the cold.
He was batting a thousand that morning.
Paulie was the last in line. He paused a moment, waiting for the others to be out of earshot.
“I’ve you gave me some keys, I could’ve let them in,” Paulie said. “And let you sleep in.”
Or climb back into bed with Foster. Jude’s face warmed again, and he turned his gaze from Paulie. “I haven’t forgotten your suggestion.”
“You could take an occasional day off, too,” Paulie added.
“I get every Sunday off,” Jude said.
“Most people don’t work six days a week.”
“They do if they’re the owner.”
“If you had a shit crew, I’d understand you wanting to be here all the time, but we can handle things without you every so often. You need to relax. I’m surprised you haven’t already burnt out a couple of times.”
“I take time off when I need it,” Jude said.
“Rarely,” Paulie griped. His frown faded into an expression of concern. “Do you not trust me?”
“Of course I trust you,” Jude replied.
“I know I didn’t agree with all the changes—and I was vocal about a lot of it. But I’ve seen the light—and you know that.”
“I’m aware you’re fully on board, Paulie.”
Before anyone knew about the Alzheimer’s, his father had started burning through customers, losing them to newer, nicer butchers or the local grocery stores.
Jude had understood why. He’d begged his father to invest and upgrade the place, but he kept getting the ‘I just remodeled a few years ago’ line.
A few years had actually been well over twenty but even that truth hadn’t gotten through his dad’s thick skull.
Sales had been slipping for some time. Between that and the constant repairs they were calling in for their old equipment and cases, a refresh had been desperately needed. Once his father’s memory loss had reached a certain point, Jude was handed the keys and full ownership.
In the lucid moments, he’d discussed the changes he’d wanted to make veiled in the story of helping a friend open their own shop.
It had been the only way to get the feedback Jude had needed without pushback or adding anxiety onto his dad’s shoulders.
His father had been in business for decades and his know-how had been invaluable—and surprisingly creative at times.
Not only that, but he’d learned his father had bought the building next door years before, with the intent to expand the business. Some of his father’s plans were eerily close to ones Jude had suggested. With that knowledge, Jude formulated a plan he sensed his father would’ve approved of.
Few on the team who’d worked during that seismic shift had been too happy about the changes in store, especially when they’d had to close for a month to gut the place and rebuild.
While he’d paid everyone through that month to ensure they knew he was serious about them returning, he’d still lost two people due to fear and reluctance to change.
Paulie had been his most vocal opponent.
They’d gone nose-to-nose a few times, but Jude hadn’t stayed angry long.
He knew Paulie was a loyal employee who simply wanted to ensure the business stuck around as long as possible.
A lot of his concerns had been legitimate ones that Jude had worried about, as well.
Luckily for Jude, he proved all the naysayers wrong, including Paulie.
After seeing the new, expanded high-end shop and then watching the business grew exponentially within the first few months, Paulie had finally gotten with the program.
He’d admitted he’d been wrong and apologized, and he’d not been the only one.
Since then, Paulie had worked his ass off every single day and was usually a hundred percent behind Jude’s decisions.
In the rare moments he wasn’t, his debate was respectful and done in private.
There was no one at the business Jude trusted more, and that was saying a lot, given his incredible team. It was time to honor and reward that. “I have no idea what I’d do with another day off, but I suppose I could give it a try every so often. After the holidays, that is.”
“Maybe you could spend some days off with your new friend,” Paulie said.
Jude froze. “Who?”
“The guy that came busting out of the alley a few ago,” Paulie answered. “Mr. Mercedes.”
Jude’s face burned. Had the whole team saw Foster leave?
Fuck.
“I didn’t get a good look at him. He pulled his hood up too fast.”
Jude relaxed, glad to hear that.
Paulie grinned. “But the California license plate was a bit of a giveaway. You should tell Foster it’s time to get Jersey plates back on that ride of his.” Paulie searched Jude’s face. “That is… if he’s planning to stay and not go back out there.”
“He’s planning to stay,” Jude said, hoping that was as close to an admission as he needed to make. “As far as I know.”
Paulie smiled. “I’ve never seen anyone coming out of your place in the morning. It makes me wonder if this is serious?”
“No,” Jude replied. “It’s not.”
Paulie’s smile faded. “Ah, that’s too bad.”
“Why too bad?”
Paulie shrugged. “In all the time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you with anybody. You know, romantically.”
“That’s because I don’t do relationships.”
“That sounds lonely,” Paulie said.
Jude met his stare.
“Granted, when I was younger, I hopped from bed to bed without any thoughts to the future, but I had the occasional girlfriend when one felt like she might be the keeping kind. Until I met my Lisa, of course, and then I knew.” Paulie looked him over.
“How are you supposed to find a husband if you don’t test out some boyfriends first? ”
It was no secret that Jude was gay. Hadn’t been since high school.
Even so, he didn’t discuss any parts of his sex life with his team—even Paulie.
Work was work, and he didn’t kiss and tell.
But that strict separation also meant he’d had no idea how any of them would react if he’d defied the odds and got serious with someone.
With a cutting room filled with big, gruff, assumingly straight men, he’d had some doubts. He’d never been close enough to relationshipland to be interested enough to test their reactions.
Paulie’s concern—and the open acceptance—made the backs of his eyes tingle a little bit.
As long as he’d worked there, the guy was almost family. Paulie was the pain-in-the-ass uncle who sometimes talked too much shit and then occasionally stepped in it, but you couldn’t help but love him regardless. His heart was bigger than his head and almost always in the right place.
“I appreciate your concern, but I don’t plan on ever getting married.”
Paulie chuckled. “Sure, you say that now, but one of these days, the right guy is going to turn your head, and you won’t be able to look away. I’d bet money on it.”
“We’ll see,” Jude said. He eyed Paulie. “But thanks.”
“For?”
“I think you know what for,” Jude murmured.
Paulie smiled at him before clasping his shoulder. He squeezed it and then walked inside the building without another word.
Jude followed him inside and looked around.
Everyone had a job to do and had jumped in to do it, just like every other morning.
Most of them had been with him for years.
A couple of the retail folks had been there since his father was still running the place, too.
He rarely had to look over anyone’s shoulder, besides Mario—who was technically Paulie’s apprentice since he was the only Master Butcher in the place.
They all pitched in to teach Mario, but everyone else, including Jude, were only journeymen. Paulie outranked them in that regard.
And he was right.
Jude didn’t need to be there every single day. It was him who’d needed to be there—a place where he’d felt needed. Somewhere to his mind occupied and away from the dark thoughts that sometimes plagued him.
He’d missed a chance to spend a day in bed with Foster because he’d been too blind to see that. Although, it was probably a good idea not to. He was already way too deep with Foster as it was.
After getting a till out of the safe and handing it over to Margot, Jude peeked into the back. “Hey, Paulie… I think I’ll take a couple of hours off. Walk over to the hardware store and get a set of keys made up for you.”
Paulie spun to face him, sharpening one of his knives. “I think we need to educate you on what the meaning of time off is. Going to get keys is technically work.”
“Whatever. I won’t be here, will I?” Jude asked, grinning. He shoved his work keys into his pocket and headed out. As he walked down the street, he tried to stop smiling, but his face had other plans. His cheeks hurt by the time he walked into the hardware store a few blocks over.
Jude greeted the owner. “Hey, Bob.”
“Hiya, Jude!” Bob said. He had a broad smile as he sidled up to the counter. “What can I do you for?”
Jude pulled out his keyring as he walked over to the counter. “I need to a full set of keys made up for the store.”