Chapter 18 #2
“We can do that for you,” Bob said.
He slipped the first one off and handed it over before tackling the second. “You know, I don’t know if I have a spare set of these myself. Might not hurt to get two sets, if that’s not too much trouble?”
“No trouble at all,” Bob said. “If you don’t mind giving me a sec, I’ve got a new guy in back. H needs to learn how to use the key machine. This would be the perfect time to train him on it.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Jude said, continuing to peel keys off the ring. “Take your time.” He smiled to himself. “I got all day.”
“I’ll be right back,” Bob said before disappearing into the back.
He hadn’t realized he’d have to get so many done, but as he stood there and pulled them off the ring, he ended up with ten different keys. Bob returned just as Jude got the last key off.
Jude lifted his gaze and came face-to-face with Rick Harwood instead of Bob.
Jude’s body tensed, his heart racing. The flight instinct kicked in and kicked in hard. He eyed the keys on the counter and considered his escape.
“Well, if it isn’t Judith? How’s it hanging, Judy-baby?” Rick asked.
Rage filled Jude’s gut, replacing some of the fear coiling there.
A slow, satisfied smile stretched over Rick’s face.
Jude glared at him, silent.
“Sorry it took me a minute back there, Jude. We’ll get these keys done for you lickety-split,” Bob said after he burst from the back room.
Bob picked up the keys Jude had set on the counter. Then handed them to Rick.
“No!” Jude yelled.
Bob and Rick froze and turned to eye Jude, frowning.
“He doesn’t touch anything of mine,” Jude growled, his gaze turning to Rick.
Rick’s eyes narrowed. “Then maybe you should get the fuck out of here, Judith.”
“Or maybe you should,” Bob snapped at Rick.
The surprise on Rick’s face would’ve made Jude chuckle if he hadn’t been full of rage. At the very least, it calmed him down a fraction of an inch.
“I don’t speak to my regulars like that, and you won’t either,” Bob barked before he focused on Jude. “I’ll have these done for you in just a few seconds.” He looked back at Rick. “You can go back to reorganizing the stockroom. We can teach you this later.”
Jude nodded to Bob and backed away from the counter, trying to ignore Rick. He wanted to leave and put as much distance between them as possible, but he wasn’t going to give Rick the satisfaction of running.
He wasn’t that same eighteen-year-old kid anymore.
Rick snarled in his direction before storming into the back.
Once the loud machine started and Bob’s back was to him, Rick ambled back out and closer to where Jude stood.
“Trying to fuck up my life? I need this job, Judith.”
Like you didn’t already fuck up my life once? He rolled his eyes. “Then act like an adult and you should have no problem.”
“Says the baby who wouldn’t let me touch his keys,” Rick spat. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. “You know, I’m glad I ran into you.”
Jude knew that treacherous smile all too well. Rick had worn it every single time he’d bullied Jude. He dragged his gaze away and tried to appear unaffected.
“I have to drive past your place on my way here in the mornings. You still live above the butcher shop, right?”
“It’s none of your business where I live,” Jude replied cooly.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Rick said, leaning on the counter to get a bit closer. “It was pretty early when I drove past this morning. We open up here at seven, so it must’ve been about quarter till.”
Jude pretended to read a woodworking magazine near the register instead of paying Rick any attention.
“I noticed Foster’s SUV parked not too far away from your place and thought, hey, maybe they picked up where they left off in high school.”
Jude swallowed his surprise, turning the next page in the magazine.
“I mean, why wouldn’t you both want to see what would’ve happened if I hadn’t interrupted you that afternoon.”
Jude silently begged Bob to hurry so he could leave.
“I’m curious. Who’s the fucker and who’s the fuckee?” Rick asked. He grinned. “I’ve seen Foster naked, so I know he’s tearing that ass up if he’s giving you the D.”
Jude’s gaze whipped to Rick’s. “You’ve checked out Foster’s cock?” Jude chuckled. “Sounds pretty gay to me.”
The last time he’d said that to Rick, he’d nearly gotten his ass beat. Nothing better than waving a red flag at a charging bull first thing in the morning to fully wake up.
Jude was shocked when Rick went on the defensive instead.
“We showered together for four years between gym class and football. We were all naked. Foster was kind of hard to miss,” Rick said from between clenched teeth, his face growing redder.
“Ah, I can see it now. There you were in the showers, washing your little dicklet and staring lovingly at Foster’s monster,” Jude said, grinning. First the bull and next the hornet’s nest. Clearly, he had a death wish. “Imagining him giving you the D, I bet.”
Rick’s face grew even darker. Veins started to pop out in his neck and forehead.
“You know, I have a serious question for you,” Jude said. “Why did you protect Foster? Why was I the only one who suffered?”
“We needed him to make it to state,” Rick snapped. “Then the asshole choked and we never made it. Such a waste.”
“Football was over in, what… November. Right? You still had half a school year left, yet you still covered for him from what I heard. Did he have some dirt on you?” Jude grinned when an odd look came to Rick’s eyes. “I wonder what it was.”
Rick’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have dirt.”
“Or maybe you had a crush on Foster.”
“Fuck you,” Rick snapped.
Jude grinned, loving seeing Rick on the defensive for once. “Is that why you got so mad at me? I was kissing your man, hmm?”
Rick’s face went full red. “I didn’t have a crush on Foster, Judith.”
“Ah,” Jude said, grinning like a fool.
“Do you know how easily I used to get under your skin?” Rick asked.
“It was so much fun seeing you all flustered and tripping over yourself. You took everything too serious. Foster wasn’t oversensitive like you, so he wasn’t anywhere near as fun.
That’s why I didn’t come after him once we ended our season. There was little point.”
Jude blinked at Rick. Jude wasn’t oversensitive. Rick had been the bully at the top of the food chain, unafraid of anyone else.
Or maybe there had been someone…
“You were scared of Foster,” Jude said, eyeing Rick. “Weren’t you?”
“Scared? Please. Your little boyfriend’s a pussy. He let a stronger man into his wife’s bed and lost her because of it.”
Jude froze.
“What? He didn’t tell you his wife kicked him out because he was a weakling bitch?
How he begged to stay by her side and be her precious little cuck?
” Rick chuckled. “How he’d gotten off watching that other dude plow his wife and then sucked his dick after?
” Rick smiled, arrogant anger radiating off him sickening.
“You two are perfect for one another, really. The boy’s weak. Always has been. Always will be.”
“Says the guy who hits his wife,” Jude said under his breath.
“Those charges were dropped… it never happened.”
“Sure,” Jude said, grinning. “I bet. You still landed in county for a couple of months from what I heard. Did you get fired from your last job because of that? Is that why you’re working here now, as Bob’s errand boy?”
The key machine stopped just as Rick said, “Motherfucker, let me tell you som—”
Bob spun when he heard Rick’s raised voice. “Rick!”
Rick’s lips closed, and he slowly spun to face Bob.
“In the back,” Bob growled. “Now!”
Rick muttered under his breath, glaring at Jude. He turned and walked to the back without another word.
Bob closed the gap between them. “I’m so sorry for whatever he’s said to you. It has no business here.”
“It’s fine,” Jude said even though it wasn’t. “It’s not your fault he’s a prick.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you want him to touch your keys?”
“Wouldn’t put it past him to make a duplicate to cause some havoc,” Jude replied. While that wasn’t a false concern, it sounded better than the fact he simply didn’t want Rick touching anything of his.
He wouldn’t trust Rick with anything.
Bob sighed. “I was doing a favor for his dad by hiring him. I knew he’d had troubles in the past but hoped them not turning a blind eye this time might’ve scared some sense into him. Jail often does that. Apparently that’s not the case here.”
“Do me a favor. Don’t fire him,” Jude said.
Bob frowned. “He’s been here three days and has to be the laziest man I’ve ever met. What he just did to you might be the final straw.”
“If you fire him, make sure it’s after he fucks up a couple more times. I don’t need him blaming me for losing his job—because he will. I don’t need him harassing me.” Again.
Bob shook his head and sighed deeply. “I suppose I could wait until my back room is clean and reorganized at the very least. If he ever gets it finished.”
Jude grinned. “That’s the spirit.”
Bob handed him the original set of keys—along with two new sets. “No charge.”
Jude shook his head. “No, you don’t gotta do that.”
“Yes, I do. He’s in my employ, and he was rude to you. I don’t want to lose your business.” Bob shoved the keys into his hands. “Lemme know if you have any problems with them. I’ll recut any, if need be.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Jude said. He glanced toward the door Rick had disappeared through before nodding to Bob and walking out.
As soon as he was outside, he could breathe a little easier.
His legs felt shaky, and his gut was still clenched too tight.
He made it back to the shop, but instead of going to work, he detoured upstairs and collapsed onto his sofa, allowing his body a moment to recover.
His arms and legs felt like weak noodles and fatigue had set in.