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I brush past him and open the fridge taking a cold bottle of water for myself and one for him.
“Strip.”
“Excuse me?” He chokes on his water.
I roll my eyes. “The bathroom’s the third door on the right. Leave your clothes on the floor outside so I can wash them.” I hand him the bag with the sport clothes I bought him.
“Jesus. Is this what having a girlfriend feels like? You sure are damn bossy.”
“Just do it,” I snort pulling out cold cuts and bread to make lunch for us.
“You have no intention of showing up at Sassy’s do you?”
“Nope,” I reply slamming the jar of mustard down on the counter.
“Fuckin’ hell. It’s gonna be my ass.”
“No, it won’t.”
“You don’t get it, do you? Meat’s word is law. Literally. He runs the whole goddamn town.”
“I’m not a mindless sheep.”
“Huh?”
“It’s like an expression. I have my own mind and won’t be led by him.”
“He’s gonna come lookin’ for you.”
“Oh, I count on that,” I answer taking out a bag of chips and munching on one.
“Dev?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I eat before I shower?”
He looks at me sheepishly, and my heart hurts. In this moment I see the lost boy in him, not the ruthless man he’s morphed into.
I take out two plates and set them on the small oak table by the window. The window is halfway open and the breeze ruffles the red plaid gingham curtains. I take a seat across from him, and we each make our own sandwiches.
“Umm, this is good,” he says through a mouthful of food.
“Slow down. Damn, I forgot how a man can eat.”
“I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. Meat had me run an errand during your shift last night.”
“Oh?”
“Club shit. You know I can’t talk about it.”
“Why do they call you Toad?”
He shrugs, “I tried kissing Chrissy Tate. She’s the sister of the Prez up in Canada. I was a pledge at the time, and she said she only kisses princes not toads.”
“She sounds mature.”
“She was fifteen.”