Page 58

Cary was in Windsor for the rest of the summer. Something to do with a ‘hiccup in the Detroit line’. Nick didn’t pay attention as he really didn’t care – border transport wasn’t his job. He was responsible for prepping shipments, not moving them.

By the time early August rolled around, things were running pretty damn smooth. With Cary gone, everyone was more confident, more relaxed, and more efficient. Even on his best days, Cary had you checking your pockets for a weapon – he was a ticking bomb, and nobody ever wanted to be the one to set him off. Once the guys stopped walking on eggshells, they were a helluva lot more productive. John kept things in line when they slipped up, but overall it was a good summer.

“Nick!” John smiled at him and clapped him on the back. “Can you do me a favour?”

“What’s up?”

“I need you to run by Cary’s other place. He hasn’t heard from Laney in a few weeks, been calling and there’s no answer. Linette’s supposed to be there but…”

“What am I, a babysitter now?”

“You’re whatever I tell you to be.”

For a guy with a sunny disposition, John had a way about him that meant business. He levelled a stare at Nick.

“Alright, alright, don’t get your boxers in a twist,” he grumbled.

“Give me a call when you get there. Just let me know what’s what.”

“Do I need to like… do anything?”

“No,” John said, “those kids take care of themselves just fine. Just check in, make sure there’s nothing wrong with the phone, let me know if Linette is there, and tell Laney to give Cary a call.”

Nick drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, the sunroof of his Sunfire open, seriously irked about being the day’s errand boy. John was a good guy, he didn’t make anyone do crap jobs for no reason and tried to keep it fair. But it was generally understood that Nick was higher up in the pecking order, that he was more valuable at the shop than doing menial tasks.

The downside of their summer efficiency was that Nick had more downtime.

He knocked – no answer – and after a minute or two he tried the doorknob and it wasn’t locked. He let himself inside.

“Hello?” he called.

He heard shuffling, and a skinny, unfortunate-looking boy with weirdly nice hair poked his head around the corner. He pushed his glasses up his nose and frowned at Nick.

“Who are you?” he asked. His voice was strange, nasal and kind of hoarse, like he didn’t use it much.

“I’m Nick. I’m a friend of your brother’s.” The boy scowled. “He sent me to check in. Make sure you guys are okay.”

“We’re fine,” the kid said, in a voice that sounded like you can go now. Nick bristled at the dismissal.

“Linette around?” he asked, voice sharp. The boy shook his head. “What about your sister? Cary’s been calling her.” The boy’s face tightened, but he said nothing.

Nick sighed. “Look, kid, I can’t leave until I talk to her, okay? You know how Cary is.”

The kid scowled again but nodded his head towards the stairs leading to the basement.

“She’s in her room,” he said, and then disappeared back around the corner.

Nick stomped down the stairs, his sweat-soaked shirt sticking to his back from the crushing August heat. It was cooler down there, but not by much and still too humid to be comfortable.

No wonder Cary doesn’t stay here in the summer, he thought. Cary kept his shop and apartment as cold as The Beer Store.

There were only two doors that he could see in the basement and one of them was a tiny bathroom, so he knocked on the other.

“What,” came a voice from inside.

“My name is Nick. Cary sent me.” There was a rustling noise and then the door opened.

Nick took a step back and grinned. It was the blonde rocket he’d talked to on New Year’s Eve, right after the countdown. He’d managed to say about two words to her before she’d disappeared into the crowd; he hadn’t seen her again the rest of the night.

The girl had been a total smokeshow. Like other-level hot. He chuckled, realizing of course she was Cary’s sister. He’d been stupid not to realize it at the time – you didn’t really encounter people as good looking as Linette or Cary in real-life, not in this town. He should have figured they were related.

He remembered John’s warning about Cary’s sister and smirked. You sent me, buddy.

She was young. Like, definitely not-legal young. And she had dark shadows under her eyes, as if she hadn’t slept in a good long while. But even drowning in that stupid giant t-shirt, she was still the hottest little piece he’d seen in forever.

“Hi,” he said, holding out his hand. She took it warily and they shook.

She just stared at him, and he shifted awkwardly under her intense scrutiny. Like she’d just stripped him and found him lacking.

“Did you need something?” she finally asked.

“Oh. Yeah. Cary wants you to call him.”

“Okay,” she said. “Is that all?”

Nick bristled again. “Can you call him while I’m here? So I know you done it?”

“Fine,” she snapped, and brushed past him and up the stairs. He followed her, staring at her tan, bare legs. He didn’t know if she was wearing shorts or not, the t-shirt hung past her ass and he couldn’t see anything else.

She picked up the phone off the wall and dialed, wrapping the curly cord around her forefinger.

“Cary,” she said in a sweet, gentle voice that didn’t match her expression. “Your friend is here. Says you’ve been calling… mmhmm… mmhmm… Yeah, I know. There must be something wrong with the phone.” She threw Nick a look that seemed to dare him to say otherwise. “Mmhmm… No. Ma’s been in and out, you know how she is…”

Then Cary said something and her fist tightened around the cord, her eyes darkening. “Shane hasn’t been here in a while,” she said. The words came out hard and bitter. “Mmhmm… Yeah. No, Dusty’s done school so he’s got no reason to come by.”

She was practically spitting, and Nick got the distinct impression that there was a lot more to that story. “Mmhmm… yeah he’s right here…” Laney stuck the phone out to him.

“Hello?”

“Nick,” came Cary’s voice. “Something wrong with John? I asked him to go by.”

“Nah, just got his hands full with…” Nick trailed off and glanced at Laney, “stuff at the shop.”

There was a rustling noise and the sound of a lighter, and then a female voice in the background. “ What are you doing baby? Come back to bed…” The whooshing of air as Cary exhaled his smoke into the receiver. Nick almost rolled his eyes. Cary had a girlfriend in every city and several here at home, though Sarita seemed to be the only one with actual girlfriend status. She’d been hanging around all summer, making eyes at the guys and generally making everyone’s day less comfortable. It’s not like any of them would risk touching her. No pussy was worth pissing Cary off that bad.

Nick’s eyes slid to Laney’s legs. Well… almost no pussy…

“I’m gonna be stuck out here for another few weeks, maybe a month” Cary said. “I need you to drop in. Make sure it’s just the two of them. That nobody’s using my place as a crash pad.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Nick said, looking Laney in the eye. “I’ll look in on the place for ya.”

“Thanks,” Cary said. “And tell John to call me.” Then he clicked off.

Laney sighed and pulled out a bottle of lemonade from the fridge. She walked over to a cabinet but she was so short she had to stand on her tiptoes, stretching up to reach a glass. Her shirt hem rode right up to the curve of her ass cheek.

He swallowed. She wasn’t wearing shorts. Just a pair of light blue panties that said Wednesday on the butt.

She poured the lemonade and then leaned back against the counter, propping her bare foot up on the lower cabinet behind her and cocking her head at him.

“I know you from somewhere,” she said, sipping slowly.

“New Year,” he choked out, unable to tear his eyes away from her lips.

“Mm… right,” she said in a bored voice. Like she didn’t remember and didn’t really care. She took another sip. “So… you can go, now.”

“You’re not much of a host,” he said, taking a step towards her.

“You’re not a guest,” she shot back.

Little bitch…

She pushed herself off the counter and stepped up into his space.

“I think it’s best you be going, now. Before my brother” she spat the word at him “finds out you’re picturing me bent over his kitchen counter.”

Nick forced her backwards against the countertop, his hands gripping the edge on either side of her.

“And if I don’t care about your brother?” he asked, dropping his head so their noses were almost touching.

Something flared in her eyes – surprise, wariness, uncertainty, and then… heat.

“You should,” she breathed.

“Consider me warned." They stood there glowering at each other.

He was no stranger to women. He wasn’t the tallest guy, but he was in okay shape and reasonable looking, had a car and his own place. He’d always done okay with girls in school, and these days he usually had his pick once the girls were done pining for Cary. But this girl was something else. Everything about her screamed good time – from the way her back bowed against the counter to her teeth scraping her lower lip. He hadn’t been this amped up without being naked since high school.

His hands dropped to her ribs and he lifted her up onto the counter, her bare legs wrapping around his waist.

“Are you going to ask how old I am?”

“No,” he said, running his hand down the outside of her thigh and over her knee.

“You don’t care?” she murmured.

“Not right now I don’t,” he said, their lips almost touching. He snaked his hand up her inner thigh, and just as his fingers brushed the cotton of her panties someone cleared their throat, loudly.

He jumped back and whirled around. The boy was standing in the doorway to the kitchen with an angry look on his face. But he wasn’t looking at Nick, he was looking over Nick’s shoulder at Laney.

They just stared at each other for a few moments, and then the boy huffed and walked off, slamming his bedroom door shut. Nick discreetly adjusted his cock.

Laney slid off the counter and brushed past him, running her hand over his belt buckle as she walked by.

“See you around,” she said, and disappeared without looking back.

I’m gonna be stuck out here another few weeks, Cary had said.

Suddenly 'errand boy' didn't seem so bad.