Page 52 of Size Queen

“Hey!” says Damon with excitement. “Noelle! How are you?”

“Hey. I’m okay. How’ve things been for you?”

“Well, they’ve been absolutely perfect,” he responds. “At the risk of jinxing it—knock on wood—I believe things are looking up majorly.”

“How so?”

“Well… I think that conversation would be much better suited for in person. I know it probably sounds like I’m just trying to make up an excuse for us to see each other, but I mean it. Big things are happening—good things. Do you think maybe you’d be able to come by my place soon and I could tell you about it?”

I hesitate at first, but I want to hear his story. Any good news is welcome, as far as I’m concerned.

I don’t goover to his place immediately. I make myself look pretty, putting on a nice dress that’ll help me forget how pregnant I’m becoming, forgoing makeup due to my now-natural glow.

I get to his place, parking on the street by his mailbox. I think he was waiting for me, because he opens the door as I’m walking up to it.

“I’m so glad you could make it,” says Damon, pulling me in for a hug.

We embrace and hold, neither of us wanting to pull back first.

“I missed you,” Damon whispers in my ear.

“I missed you, too,” I tell him. “Sorry I took so long.”

“Please,” he dismisses with a wave. “I can’t believe you made yourself look all fabulous for me. I mean, you always look great, but you know, you’ve got the dress and, you know—”

“It’s okay, Damon,” I laugh. “I know what you meant. Thank you.”

Inside, he has a beer by his chair and a meal cooking in the kitchen.

“I was making some chili,” he informs me. “If you’re hungry…”

“I’m good, thanks.”

We sit on the couch to talk. He beams, clearing his throat proudly before giving me the news.

“It’s finished,” he says. “It’s all been cleared up as of late this morning.”

“What has?” I ask, confused.

“The war between the Rolling Heads and the Hell-Snakes is done,” says Damon. “Tom Wright is being held by police until further notice, and the club is being investigated for a shitload of reasons.”

“Are you serious?” My eyes are wider than dinner plates.

“I’m absolutely serious,” he confirms. “It’s done. The cops traced the arson back to Wright’s second-in-command. He started the fire, and the police are done sticking their noses in our business. We’re free!”

I hear him, but the words don’t seem to be fully sinking in. It sounds too good to be true, but I know it’s real.

“So… the cops aren’t investigating you anymore?” I ask timidly.

“Nope. The cops know it was all them for a fact.”

“I can’t believe someone would burn down their own building like that,” I say with a literal sigh of relief.

“You’d be surprised. They were already in a lot of trouble for some other stuff. They were either going to burn us all alive and flee town or watch us live and try to sue us out of town. Now those shitheads are never going to bother us ever again.”

“This sounds too easy,” I say, unable to contain my smile. “Are we really okay…? Just like that?”

“Just like that,” he concurs. “We don’t have anything to worry about.”