Chapter Eighteen
I had lunch at Eat at Joe’s with Liam before work both Thursday and Friday. It was fun to see Sally again. At work, the new manager and I were planning our first new event for the following Wednesday, a trivia night. She was a big help since she was a huge trivia buff herself. We brainstormed, working out a food menu, points system and advertising.
Saturday, Liam and I rode to work together in his truck. It had drizzled all morning, the pavement still slick with the remnants of rain. It was the kind of day I just wanted to curl up in front of a cozy fire and watch a musical, but instead I had to work.
At least, Liam and I had the same shift. We were opening together and had planned to get there early for prep. When we pulled into the empty parking lot, the little shed behind the building was open, one of its doors leaning crazily to one side, and I mentioned it to Liam.
He sighed. “I’ll go check it out.”
“I’m coming, too.”
He started to get out of the car, then groaned. I frowned, waiting for him to explain, and he gestured to his shiny black dress shoes. “Not exactly made for tromping around in.” He grinned like he had a plan. “Which is why I have my truck shoes.”
What does that even mean?I watched him hop out of the truck and into the back seat where he rummaged around, looking under seats. A frown appeared, deepening when he seemed to come up empty handed. He shut the door, grumbling, then his face appeared in the back window before it disappeared as he lifted the lid of the cargo box.
A moment later, he slid back into the driver’s seat, looking puzzled and defeated.
“No luck?”
He shook his head.
“Um, what exactly are truck shoes?”
His mouth twitched. “I usually keep a pair of rattier shoes in here just for occasions like this. As a business owner, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go walk around a property in my nice shoes. I got sick of it, so I came up with a solution.”
“Smart.” I pursed my lips, wondering what was next. “Any idea what happened to them?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I mean, they were getting pretty ratty so I probably just tossed them.”
I couldn’t fathom getting rid of a pair of shoes and not remembering, but Liam had the money to replace something like that more easily than I could. “Nothing else is missing?” It seemed prudent to ask after the incident with his Porsche.
“I didn’t see the gas can I usually keep in the box, but…” He shrugged again, and I frowned.
“Why would you have a gas can? This thing runs on diesel.”
He laughed. “When you drive a truck, everyone thinks you can help with everything. Give me a tow, pull me out of the ditch, let me borrow a gas can.”
My heart warmed at how generous my boyfriend was, keeping a gas can on hand just to help others.
He shrugged again. “I’m sure I lent it to someone and just didn’t get it back.” His frown returned as he glanced at his shoes. “Of all the days. Oh well, let’s get this over with.”
The shed didn’t have much in it. The backup generator lived there, along with a couple of gas cans containing fuel for it, plus a few miscellaneous tools. It was usually secured with a padlock, whose key hung on the wall in the office. The lock was still intact, but the metal door had been pried open, obvious scratches covering it.
“Damn,” Liam said, examining the door. “I was hoping it was the wind or something, but there’s no way.”
Both gas cans were smashed to bits. The generator’s main cord had been cut and several of its sides dented in. A generator big enough to run a business wasn’t cheap, so Liam would need to file an insurance claim.
He stepped away to call the police, and tension coiled in my gut as I surveyed the damage. First his car, now the shed? The incidents happened so close together and were simply destructive with one common denominator. Liam.
I called one of the new girls to see if she could come in early, since Liam would be tied up for a while. She was happy for the extra hours and arrived as soon as she could.
The whole night was stressful. We were pretty slammed, and he had to deal with explaining the situation to the officer plus calling the insurance company. My shift was over by the time he wrapped things up. He seemed so tired, slumped at his desk. I frowned as I perched next to him then ran a hand over his short hair.
The framed picture of him between his sisters caught my eye. “How’s Desi doing?”
“Fine.” He glanced at me warily. “Why?”
“Well, I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out who would have any sort of grudge against you, and Brad came to mind.”
He sighed. “Yeah, he crossed mine too.”
“What did he do? For his job, I mean.”
“Some sort of accounting. I gave his name to the police, but it appears he fled the country as soon as he was out of the hospital.”
“Oh.” I looked around the office again. “And when you bought this from Weston, it was a mutual thing right?”
“Yes, Gina.” He swiped a hand over his face. “Look, I’ve been over all this with the police, and I’m going to leave it in their capable hands. I’m ready to go if you are.”
I didn’t like it but I understood, so I shifted gears, knowing he needed to be taken care of. Not interrogated. “On one condition.” When he arched an eyebrow, I held out my hand, palm up. “I’m driving.”
It was a sign of how tired he was that he didn’t argue. He just reached into his pocket, fished out the keys and plopped them into my hand. I took us on a quick detour to a nearby market.
“Wait here, okay?” I asked, wanting to do something nice for him for a change. I hurried inside, coming back with a few grocery bags. The smell of rotisserie chicken permeated the truck before long, and my stomach growled.
“You got dinner.” One corner of Liam’s mouth tipped up as he reached for a bag, and I smacked his arm.
“You can wait till we get home.”
A dopey grin stretched over his face.
“What?”
“You called it home.” He reached over to rest his hand on my thigh, a contented smile lighting his face for the rest of the ride.
Inside the apartment, I pulled out the chicken, along with potato wedges and a tossed salad. Another bag held an assortment of our favorite snacks for later. “Okay, comfy clothes and a movie marathon while we stuff our faces?”
“Where have you been all my life?” Liam pulled me into his arms, kissing my cheek. “You’re the best.”
“I know.” I laughed as he tickled my ribs and I squirmed out of his embrace. Then we started arguing about what movies to watch.
* * * *
Sunday was donuts and coffee with Avery and Derek. It took some heavy convincing on Liam’s part, but I finally agreed to stay for afternoon football. I made Liam sing Music of the Night later that night to make it up to me. Twice.
Monday and Tuesday I had school during the day, followed by nightly meetings with the other manager where we pulled together last-minute details for our trivia night. The hard work was worth it to see our plan coming together. Our special for the night was a pulled pork sandwich with a side of coleslaw and fries.
Just before we opened, Liam came into the kitchen where I double checked my list. He kissed my cheek. “Everything all set?”
I nodded. “Let’s do this.”
And we did. The trivia portion went off without a hitch, starting with a line out the door. We situated teams and established rules, thankful we’d scheduled extra staff. The patrons kept the spirit of competition to a healthy, friendly level while the bystanders had fun watching. Everything was perfect.
Until about two hours after we opened, someone started puking their guts out. Another person ducked out, and another. The vomit train barreled through our little establishment, ending with the health department itself shutting us down.
After an in-depth investigation, the common denominator seemed to be the pork. I’d verified it myself. It had looked and smelled just fine though we had gone through a new vendor. The inspector left, putting up a sign saying we’d be closed until further notice. We’d need a thorough inspection before they allowed us to reopen.
We emptied the kitchen, not wanting to risk cross-contamination. Everything would have to be deep-cleaned, and we’d have to completely restock, so we’d be closed all of Thursday.
Once everyone had left except Liam, I walked around ripping down flyers and shoving decorations into a box. Anger seared through me, all directed at myself…for letting this happen, for getting my hopes up and for thinking I could do this. I should have known better, should have known my luck would follow me.
I threw the box on the bar as Liam appeared. He took one look at me, and his shoulders sagged. “It’s not your fault, Gina.”
“Then whose is it?” I whirled away, gathering the glasses next.
We’d taken care of plates and silverware because of the food. We’d planned to leave the glasses for tomorrow, but I had so much furious energy swirling in me that needed an outlet. Stupid—that’s me.
Liam touched my arm, but I jerked away. “Stop it, Liam.” I set my armload on the counter, turning to get more.
He stepped in front of me. “No, you stop it.” I tried to move around him, but he blocked my path. “Gina, this is bigger than you. It’s not your fault.”
With every movement, my frustration built, coming to a head at his words. I clenched my fists, stepping backward. “Yes, it is,” I yelled. “It’s because it’s me. I’m cursed, remember?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them, tears leaking down my cheeks.
“I can’t be happy. The universe won’t allow it. Whenever I get close, something like this happens. Every fucking time.” My chest heaved with each shaky breath, my whole body trembling. I stared unseeing at the floor.
“Gina.” He breathed my name.
I kept moving backward until my butt hit the side of the bar, then I slid to the floor. “I had three different families try to adopt me.” The quiet words stabbed me as they left my mouth, and I pulled my knees to my chest.
The words tumbled out, as if today’s pain had unlocked the door to that vault, and the memories refused to be kept prisoner any longer. “Three. The first set, the husband was in a car accident, becoming paralyzed from the waist down. The next couple went bankrupt right after they started the process. And the third.” I blinked through the haze of tears in my vision. “The third died in a house fire. I was almost thirteen at the time, and I’d stayed over at a friend’s house that night.” My next words were barely audible. “Or I would have died, too.”
Liam sank to his knees and tugged me to his chest. I didn’t uncurl myself, just flopped against him as the sobs racked my body. He held me as I cried, rubbing my back and murmuring soothing sounds. His scent wrapped around me like an extra hug.
When my tears subsided, I sniffed. “That’s when I stopped trying to find a family. That’s when I started jumping from home to home. As soon as I was sixteen, I left.” No one else needed their lives ruined because of me.
His deep voice rumbled in my ear. “Is that why Aunt Thea is just your aunt?”
I nodded against his chest. “They offered to make it official, but I couldn’t let them. I love them too much.”
“Gina…” He squeezed me tighter. “Avery loves you, and she’s fine.”
My voice broke. “But she’s been through hell with her mom. And do you know when that all started? Right before she met me. It only got worse after that.”
“It’s better now though, remember? And you’re still in her life.” He rubbed his hand in a slow circle over my back. “What about me? I love you, and I’m fine.”
I sat up, derision lacing my voice as I scoffed. “Since you said you loved me, your brother-in-law got beat up, your car was smashed to pieces and the shed broken into. The first night you let me do anything here, we have a huge food poisoning outbreak.” I glared. “Yep, you’re doing just fine.”
He just laughed. “How in the world can you blame yourself for any of that?” His fingers touched my damp chin. “Did you force my brother-in-law to make those choices? Did you smash my Porsche? Did you hire someone to break into the shed? Did you know the vendor sold us contaminated pork?” He shook his head in answer. “No, you didn’t. Bad things happen to good people, too. It’s just the way life is.”
I wanted so desperately to believe him, but I knew better. “You should probably fire me now, before things get any worse.”
“No.” The word was fierce. “You’re not going anywhere, not from here and not from my life. Do you understand? You’re stuck with me, no matter what.”
A huge crack tore through the walls around my heart at his declaration as he gathered me in his arms again. I knew he’d catch me, no matter what.
Even if it meant his downfall.
* * * *
I didn’t sleep much that night. Liam slept soundly as I stared at the ceiling, replaying our conversation. I couldn’t help feeling that a giant shoe hung over my head, just waiting to drop. Easing out of bed, I managed to get my clothes on without waking him.
After I wrote a quick note, I headed to The High Five, stopping for coffee on the way. The brisk walk felt good. When I made it inside, I sipped my coffee and slipped in my earbuds. It took a moment to settle on the right musical for my mood, but Annie seemed like a good fit. Gloves on, I set about scouring every possible surface, throwing all my leftover emotion into the task.
An hour later, Liam scared the shit out of me by touching my shoulder. I almost screamed, throwing my sponge into the air. I whirled around, yanking out my earbuds to the sound of him laughing.
“You think you’d learn.” He shook his head. “Wash up, I brought breakfast.”
We ate in his office, the only place none of us had been the previous night. I carefully steered the conversation away from my breakdown, but he kept studying me as if I might shatter any second.
I felt like I had to say something. “Liam, I’m okay. Last night sucked, but we made it through. I won’t break down like that again.” I sighed, trying to find an explanation. “I just got really overwhelmed. Thank you for listening and holding me and, well, for everything.” It was mostly true. Definitely the part about me not breaking down again.
“Gina, I know it had to be really hard to talk about that stuff. You had some really awful things happen, things that would be difficult for anyone to go through, let alone a child. Did you ever…see anyone about this?”
“Like therapy?” I nodded. “It was required for me to keep going to school.” But I’d become really good at saying exactly what they wanted to hear. “I’m not sure how much it helped.” And you can only say you’re cursed so many times before people start talking about doctors and institutions. I’d learned exactly what they wanted to hear and kept my mouth shut about anything else.
“I just don’t think it’s healthy to blame yourself for all that.”
I held up a hand as I stood. “Thanks, Liam, I get it. I know how ridiculous it sounds, that I caused all that stuff.” I kept my eyes locked on him. “I’m all right now, okay?”
“If you say so.” One corner of his mouth tipped up. “Just know that I’m here if you need anything.”
“That’s one thing I’m sure I can count on.”
We spent the rest of the day working side by side. We cleaned every surface until it was spotless, then we cleaned it again. We ordered food for the weekend, making lists and calls. Our inspection was scheduled for the next day, early enough that we should be able to open.
By the time we were done, I was exhausted. I ate my dinner through half-closed eyes and fell into bed, not moving an inch all night.
* * * *
I breathed easier once we passed our inspection and we were able to open again. We’d had an endless stream of phone calls asking about the incident. We’d decided honesty was the best policy—a new vendor, one we wouldn’t be using again, then listing the steps we’d taken to clean up everything. Most people were satisfied by the time they hung up. So when I answered the phone, that was what I was expecting. “High Five, this is Gina.”
“Well, hello,” an unfamiliar male voice drawled.
The voice warbled and was unnaturally deep, as if using a synthesizer. My hackles immediately reared, and I frowned.
“The infamous Gina I’ve heard so much about. I’ve heard you like to gamble. Wanna make a bet, Gina? Or would you prefer to be called ‘Red’?”
“Who is this?”
“Never mind that, I need an answer.” He paused. “The bet is simple—I bet I can make you break up with Liam. What do you think?”
I laughed at his audacity. “You’re insane.”
“I hoped you’d say that. You’ve already had a taste of what I can do. Now it’s time to play.” He chuckled. “Remember, the longer you wait, the higher the stakes.”
The line went dead, and my frown deepened.
Liam did a double take as he walked by. “You okay?”
I shook my head, trying to clear it. “Just some prank caller.” But the guy’s words lingered in my head, especially his emphasis on taste. What had he meant by that? I walked around the rest of the night feeling uneasy, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.
* * * *
Saturday, I had to open with Wyatt. Liam had a meeting with one of his other restaurants, so I was running the place tonight. I walked up to put my key into the employee entrance, but the door pushed right open.
I frowned, glancing around for any sign of anyone else. No one was in sight, and the parking lot was empty. Tension tangled knots in my stomach.
I poked my head in. “Hello? Wyatt?” But there was no answer, so I didn’t go any further, fumbling for my phone, I called him.
“Hey, G, what’s up?”
I hesitated, feeling stupid. “You’re not here already, are you?”
There was an awkward pause. “At work? No. I’m not late, am I?”
“No.” I sighed, wishing it could’ve been that simple. “The door’s open. I gotta call the police. Can you get here sooner than later?”
“I’ll be right over.”
At least I had good help. I called the police next, who said they’d send an officer out. The dispatcher offered to wait on the line with me until they arrived, but I told her that wasn’t necessary. I gave her my name and description and hung up.
I gritted my teeth, wishing I didn’t have to tell Liam. My first solo as manager, and I was already bugging him. Way to prove my competence.
He answered right away. “Gina? You okay?” He knew I wouldn’t call unless it was important.
“The employee door’s open. No one else is here.” I filled him in on the steps I’d taken.
“Shit.” Frustration and concern warred in his voice. “Okay, stay put, I’ll get over as soon as I can.”
“Liam, no. I got this. I’m just letting you know. Finish your meeting, and I’ll keep you posted, okay? Hopefully someone just forgot to lock up last night.”
But after the shed incident and the food poisoning, I wasn’t taking any chances. My mind raced to that weird phone call, and I wondered if I should mention it, but I dismissed the idea as the police car arrived, with Wyatt right behind it.
The policeman identified himself as Officer Harper, the same one who’d come to investigate the shed. I showed him my ID then went over what I’d found so far.
He glanced at me after checking out the door. “And that’s all? You haven’t gone in?”
I crossed my arms, wondering what he took me for. It was an effort not to coat every word in sarcasm. “I poked my head in, called out to see if any of my employees were here early and, when no one answered, I stayed out here. I’ve seen enough horror movies, thank you very much.”
“Good. Don’t touch anything until I’ve had a chance to go over it. Let me do a walk through, then we’ll need to make sure nothing is missing.”
He disappeared into the building, leaving me to wait some more. At least this time, Wyatt was with me. We stayed put until Officer Harper came out again, a frown on his face.
“What?” Apprehension trickled through me, my mind racing with all the possible scenarios he was about to tell us.
“The only place disturbed is the office.” He hesitated. “But with the recent events, I can’t help wondering how safe it is to let you guys open.”
Panic fluttered in my gut. “Wait, what?”
“You’re just coming off a food poisoning shut down, and you had another break in not long ago. What if they’re related? What if the culprit for all the incidents is the same person? What if they poisoned the food or rubbed raw meat on every surface, just to get everyone sick again?”
It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility at this point. I sighed. “So you’re not letting us open tonight. Are you calling the health department? Do we have to go through a whole other inspection thing? Or just throw out all the stock, clean the surfaces, and try again tomorrow?”
“I’m sorry. I have to make it official.” He grabbed his radio.
The brick wall seemed like an appealing option to beat my head against. “Can I at least go look around? See if anything was taken?”
The officer nodded, distracted by his radio crackling to life.
Wyatt shifted next to me. “You want me to stay?”
“Up to you. There’s a lot of work to be done if you want the hours. Or you can go.” I glanced at Officer Harper. “We’ll have to wait until we get the all clear from him before throwing everything out.” I cringed at the thought of wasting all our new food and starting over again.
Wyatt nodded. “I’ll stay.”
Relief coursed through me. “Thanks. Could you call the others? Let them know what’s up, that we won’t be open today or tomorrow? We’ll plan on resuming normal hours on Wednesday. And we’ll need to put something online. Maybe we can keep this under wraps so we don’t lose more business.” I understood where the officer was coming from, but it was so very frustrating.