Chapter Seven #2
“Sounds good,” Gannett notes before looking over his shoulder, flipping Gordy the bird, and taking off.
Gannett Waters is Lauren’s friend, Sarah’s, ex-husband.
Everyone around town knows him as one of Wagner Waters’ sons—the one who stayed in Ternbay to become a lobstering legend, just like his father.
More recently he’s become known as Evan Waters’ straight younger brother, since Evan’s coming out was big news in the gossip mill around here—but I have to wonder about just how straight Gannett is.
He hangs around Portside Pub an awful lot, and I don’t think it’s strictly for the drinks either.
When Lo mentioned to me that she’d heard from Sarah that Gannett was looking for help on his boat, I just knew I’d find him here.
That’s always been a rule around our house: if I want to quit my current job, I had better have another one lined up and ready to go.
I don’t think I’ve stripped out of that shit-brown outfit so quickly in my life as I did today to be here to informally interview with him.
Knowing that I got the job has me internally beaming, because there is nothing I’d love more than to brown-bag that uniform and deliver it—preferably on fire—back to the warehouse…
along with my resignation. I may not be stoked about working alongside an old fuck buddy, but I’ll make it work somehow because, to be honest, this job actually sounds like fun.
After all, I’m getting paid to spend a day out on the ocean shooting the shit with Gannett, whom I’ve always thought of as a chill guy.
A hot, single guy too. One who might not be looking for any strings since getting out of a long marriage.
One who probably isn’t completely hetero, given the way he was ogling Gordy earlier.
I can’t help but wonder if maybe I can get his heart-eyes to stray a little from the straight bartender and onto me instead.
I might not even be Gannett’s type to want to experiment a bit with, but hell, there’s a little something to be said about the thrill of a good chase, am I right?
The sensation of a glare boring holes into my temple has my mind launching out of the gutter. “What?” I croak at Caleb, my brows knit in confusion.
He scowls deeper, a huff of air puffing out his nostrils.
Without a word, he hops up from his seat to go pay his tab at the bar, where his untouched drink is now behind the counter with Gordy.
Not that I think Lauren would ever muster up the courage to step foot into a bar ever again, but if she were to, I’d like to think that having a bartender like Gordy—who silently looks out for his patrons and always seems to have their back, even though he looks big and threatening—would be of some comfort to her.
When he hands over his card, Gordy refuses the payment and passes him his drink back. “It’s been covered already.” Gordy then nudges his chin in my direction.
As soon as I saw Caleb step foot in Portside, I asked Gordy to put whatever he ordered on my tab.
I was already planning on trying to make things right between us, even before he asked Gannett about the job opening.
Caleb shoots me a glare over his shoulder, then shakes his head to Gordy.
He tries, once again, to force his card towards the bartender.
Gordy puts his palms up and backs away, muttering, “I’m not getting into the middle of whatever business you two have.”
Caleb huffs again before leaving his unfinished drink behind on the bartop and storming out of the pub.
Even in full tantrum mode, the man is still infuriatingly hot.
Maybe more so, actually. Not wanting to waste the cocktail, I find my way back over to the bar and plunk my ass down on the stool in front of it.
I’ve downed about half of the fruity concoction before Gordy comes back from cleaning the other end of the bar. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a stubborn guy on your hands,” he notes as if he’s a man who knows a thing or two about being in such a predicament.
I nod. “Yeah, well, I kind of earned his wrath, I guess.”
“Hopefully he can eventually see what a kindness you’ve extended to him today, by giving him a voice again in a world ill-equipped to understand signed speech. How’d you come to pick up sign language?”
“My son Brody was born with congenital deafness. He has a cochlear now, but me and his mother both wanted to know it as an additional means of communication.”
Gordy nods. “That’s good. All too often those in the Deaf community can feel ostracized in a world geared towards hearing.
I bet it’s even more challenging for a man like Caleb, who can hear but just can’t verbalize.
That’s got to be lonely.” Once again, his mention of loneliness makes it sound as if he’s well-versed in what it means to not fit in.
“Yeah, I agree. However, I’m fairly certain the last person Caleb would be willing to find camaraderie with is me.”
Gordy snorts. “I’ve seen less likely friendship pairings come to fruition. Take me and Wee-Waters, for example. Guy’s obnoxious and his brother hates my fuckin’ guts, but… I don’t know. My life would be a hell of a lot more boring without him in it, I guess.”
I chuckle before polishing off the last of my drink. “I have a feeling my new boss is going to be an odd-ball, but no complaints from me there.”
Gordy fixes me with an expression I can’t interpret before asking, “Hey, do me a favor?”
“Sure, name it…”
He leans in, lowering his voice to barely above a whisper.
“Make sure he gets his shit together out there, please. Don’t tell him I’ve spoken to you about this, but I worry about his life spiraling out of control on him.
Hold him accountable for showing up to work on time and maintaining his rig out there, or whatever… ”
My brows pinch. I don’t know what I thought he was going to ask me to do, but it sure as hell wasn’t that. “So, basically, you just want me to make sure he acts like a mature adult? That doesn’t seem like too tall of an ask.”
Gordy scoffs. “Oh, you wait…”
I bat him off, sure that I’m up for the task. “I gotta get heading. I’m on supper duty tonight.”
“You good to drive?” Gordy asks me.
“Walked here. I don’t live far, so I’m fine. Thanks, man.”