Chapter 3 #3
Only out of frustration with the situation, I forced myself to move, to act like a normal human being. I thumbed through the bills. Surely, this was more than enough money, including the steaks.
Out of uncertainty, I fished through my other jeans pocket, searching for the money clip usually there.
“What’s there to do around here?” Wyatt asked.
“You’re lookin’ at it,” Lori said, splaying her arms out from her position at the rear of the vehicle.
“The bar stops servin’ meals around two-thirty in the afternoon.
The nightlife happens after that. Fridays and Saturdays it’s like a circus around here.
Mace’s in charge. He has too much fun and is heavy-handed on his pours.
The town gathers here because of him. He becomes talky and fun after a couple of beers. ”
“So eatery, bar, liquor store, butcher counter, what else?” Wyatt asked.
“Mace builds furniture. We sell rockin’ chairs.” She pointed to two natural wood rocking chairs lining the outside wall of the building. “They sell really well. We’ve shipped one to Germany.” She used a louder voice that held zero remorse for her previous discourse. “Mace, the order’s correct.”
As everyone else turned to the chairs, Lori came closer to me, staring at my profile. I spotted the moment of recognition, or at the very least, she realized she should know me. “Christopher Whitaker?” she mouthed my stage name.
My index finger lifted to my lips, begging her silence. Damn, I’d spent too much time there. I needed to go.
“They’re made out of mesquite wood,” Mace added, coming closer. The tension in the rich tenor of his voice eased as he spoke of the chairs. “They take about a week to build. It’s a hobby.”
On impulse, I said, “I’d take the pair. But I’m not sure I have the cash to cover it all. Do you deliver?”
“Sure,” Lori said. “We can deliver them this evenin’. Maybe around six. Is that good for you?”
“Yeah. That fits,” Wyatt added, as if he had a say in any of this. “We’ll be there.”
“Two chairs cost three hundred dollars,” Mace stated. He crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest, coming to stand beside me and his sister. The way he said the price, left no room for negotiations. Lori, though, didn’t hide her surprise, swinging to face Mace’s direction, astonished.
“You’re saying a hundred and fifty dollars apiece?”
“Sure,” Mace replied, indicating that wasn’t their normal price. His sister’s brows dropped, her mouth opened, but no sound came out. If he were a betting man, he’d guess that wasn’t her normal way either.
“They aren’t cheaply made,” he explained, defending the price.
His right hand popped out of the tight chest hold in a way of talking with his hand, but the callouses on his palm proved what he said.
“I chop the wood myself. I also plant trees to help equal out the carbon footprint. It’s a lot of work.
A hundred and fifty dollars each makes sense. ”
My gaze connected to Mace’s slate stare and held. The unguarded moment lasted longer than it should. This time the ease within me turned to contentment.
I wanted to know this guy more than anything else in the world.
Know him with his clothes off. Inside my bed.
“My brother has an animal rescue center he supports,” Lori finally said, perhaps trying to explain the cost.
“All right. Let’s make it an even four hundred dollars,” I said to impress.
The summer months were looking so much better.
Mace nodded his acceptance of the price. Man, he was a tough nut to crack.
And that was the end of our moment. He left us without a backward glance, heading for the door.
No goodbye.
He didn’t ask me out either.
Nothing.
He’d be delivering the rockers this evening. Maybe I’d have control of myself by then.
“When we prepared your house for your arrival, I thought the rockers would look great on your wrap-around porch,” Lori said as I counted the bills in my hand. She turned the device toward me to see the total.
I controlled my reaction as I handed over all the cash I had, which barely covered the insane price. “Thanks for delivering them.”
“It’s no problem,” Lori said, pushing a button to let the receipt print. “We’ll see you this evening. It’s Mace’s night off. The chairs are heavy. He needs to lift them for me.”
“We’ll be there waitin’,” Wyatt chimed in, just when I’d forgotten he was even there.
I climbed inside the Jeep, knowing I had my work cut out for me. In a world that had consistently thrown me good fortune, how long had it been since I had to work for anyone’s attention?
That turned me on too.
First, I needed the guys to come for the week then get the hell out of here. Wyatt was drawing too much attention to me. I started the Jeep’s engine and began to pull away when Wyatt’s head popped forward between the seats.
“Dude, you gotta do better than that,” Wyatt said. “Where’s your game? You’re an actor. Act.”
On the turn, my gaze was drawn to Mace who stood in the doorway, one arm bent to rest against the frame.
A calmness descended over me again. Certainty replaced the unknown.
Getting to know him would be a great way to pass the summer months.
Yeah, I grinned and lifted a hand before driving away.