Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Dallas
I walk into O’Malley’s right on time for my meeting with Linc Manning, and my eyes scan the busy dining room as I try to find him. We haven’t met in person, yet, but we did have a couple of video calls during the hiring process, so I know what he looks like.
I spot him at a table in the back near a small stage, and he must feel my eyes on him because his gaze snaps over to meet mine. He grins and lifts a hand in a wave, so I wave back before navigating my way through the crowded room. When I reach the table, I see he’s not alone.
“Dallas,” he says, shaking my hand before waving me into an empty chair. “It’s great to finally meet you, man. This is my brother, Royal.”
I shake Royal’s outstretched hand, and his grin is almost identical to Linc’s. “Sorry to crash your meeting. My little brother took pity on me and invited me to join after I whined about being bored and lonely. My girlfriend is having her friends over tonight for a girls’ night, and I wasn’t invited. I got tossed aside like yesterday’s takeout.”
“So dramatic,” Linc says with an exaggerated eye roll.
Royal chuckles, and I smile. His mention of a girls’ night makes me think of Josette and her plans for tonight. It’s just a coincidence, I’m sure. Grenville is smaller than L.A., sure, but it’s not that small.
“What do you think of Grenville, so far?” Linc asks while pouring beer into a fresh glass from one of the pitchers on the table.
“Thanks,” I say when he passes it my way. “I like it, a lot. It feels sort of homey. More of a tight-knit community than my old neighborhood in L.A., that’s for sure.”
“What area are you from?” Royal asks before taking a sip of his beer.
“Culver city,” I say, and he nods.
“I attend a conference in Santa Monica every other year,” he says. “It’s a nice area.”
“And expensive,” I say, knowing what he’s too polite to ask. “My parents left me their condo after they both passed, or I’d never be able to afford the area on a carpenter’s salary.”
Owning a home on a single salary is a feat pretty much anywhere in southern California, but in West L.A., it’s damn near impossible, especially for a tradesman, like me. Hell, the property taxes, alone, are hard to manage. If this works out, and I decide to stay in Grenville, I’ll have to consider selling the property.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Linc and Royal say, almost in sync, and I offer them a small smile.
“Thank you.”
Losing my parents was hard. I was a late-in-life baby, but I never expected to lose them both in their mid-sixties. And within two years of each other, too. A few years have passed since then, and though the pain is still present, it’s not as rough and raw anymore.
“Should we order some food?” I ask after clearing my throat, desperate to change the subject.
“Do you like chicken nachos?” Royal asks, arching a single dark brow in my direction.
“Of course,” I say. “What’s not to love?”
“Good answer,” he mumbles, and Linc laughs.
“Happy to hear it since this guy already ordered a giant platter for the table,” he says, nudging Royal with his elbow.
“Sounds good,” I say, then take a drink of my beer.
“You guys can talk shop, if you need to. Just pretend I’m not here,” Royal offers, and I look toward Linc, who just chuckles and shakes his head.
“Tonight is about meeting and getting to know each other. We can talk shop later,” he says, then nods in my direction. “Unless there’s anything you’d like to discuss, of course.”
“No, I’m good,” I say, holding up my palms.
We’ve talked enough before tonight that I know what he expects of me. He’s also emailed me the plans for the job we start together on Monday. I think I’m fully prepared.
“So, were you dating anyone back in L.A.?” Royal asks when the silence stretches for a beat too long.
“No,” I say, my voice a bit sharp. When they stare at me with matching raised eyebrows, I blow out a long breath. “There was someone…someone I thought was serious, but we broke up last year.”
They both nod, obviously sensing I don’t want to say more on the subject. Linc holds up his beer and grins at me.
“I’m single, too, so if you ever want a wingman to introduce you around, I’m your guy.”
“Thanks,” I say with a chuckle.
“I am decidedly not single, but I can still be a wingman,” Royal says.
“If you want to meet stuffy teachers,” Linc quips, then pales at Royal’s pointed look. “Kidding! Please don’t tell her I said that.”
Royal smirks, and at my questioning look, his smirk widens into a full grin. “My girlfriend is a teacher, too. We actually work together.”
I jerk my head toward Linc. “And this guy is scared of her?”
“Terrified,” Royal says in a deep voice, and Linc laughs.
“No, she’s great,” he says. “I just don’t want her to be mad at me. Woman can hold a grudge like nobody’s business. Just ask Royal. ”
I look at Royal, and he chuckles. “We might’ve gotten off on the wrong foot in the beginning.”
“She hated his guts,” Linc says on a cough.
Before I can get more of the story, a voice rings out through the bar announcing the start of karaoke. Royal claps his hands, then rubs them together like an evil villain in a black and white movie. I look at Linc, who rolls his eyes.
“I’ll be right back,” Royal says before hopping up and striding toward the podium near the stage.
“He likes karaoke, I take it,” I say to Linc with raised brows.
“Both he and his girlfriend do,” he says with a shake of his head and a laugh. “They come here, a lot. Sometimes they sing together, but lately, it’s become a competition to see who can get the loudest applause. This is Royal’s chance to practice without her.”
“That’s awesome,” I say with a chuckle. “They sound like a really fun couple.”
“They are. And Royal will never win. She’s a much better singer than he is,” he says, then leans forward like he’s telling me a secret. “And what my dear brother doesn’t know is that she’s worked behind his back, convincing all the regulars to only clap for her. It’s hilarious how hard he tries.”
I grin and take a sip of my beer as he leans back to his previous position. I actually love that. A couple having fun and being competitive in something they both enjoy. My smile falls as I think about my ex. Did we ever share anything like that? Something silly and special to both of us?
Nothing comes to mind, and that’s just…sad. But also revealing. Did I build that relationship up in my head because I wanted her ? Or was it the idea of being in love and sharing forever with someone that I wanted so much?
I watch Royal as he returns with a big, goofy smile on his face. I can tell it’s not just about the karaoke. He’s thinking about his girlfriend, and how this practice will affect their little competition. I can practically see hearts in his eyes, and I know that’s what I want.
Not the singing. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. But that special connection to another person. Someone to share my life with. Someone I can have fun with on the ride.
Someone who’ll be my person and will consider me their person, as well.
And maybe Grenville is the place where I’ll find her. Whoever she is.