She winked back.
Chapter 8
Remi got up at 3:30 A.M. the next morning. He showered and got dressed, then sat in his living room, his lights off and the windows open as he watched Riley’s house. He’d waited all night, watching for Cristie to come home — and she hadn’t. Which meant she’d spent the night with Kaiser.
He ground his teeth, his jaws clenching tight as the words echoed in his brain.She spent the night — With. Another. Male.
His nose wrinkled up as his lip lifted in the beginnings of a snarl. He caught himself and shut it down. He went to the kitchen and scrambled himself a few eggs and made some toast. Ate it quickly, then finished off his coffee as he waited for the lights in the store to let him know somebody was there.
As soon as those lights flashed on, he left his house, locking the door behind himself and set out on foot to the restaurant. As he approached he decided to detour to the store. He opened the back door and walked into the front. “Good morning!” he called as he walked through the door.
“Good morning, Remi! How was your first night in your new home?”
“Quiet, relaxing,” he lied. “I really like it here.” That part wasn’t so much a lie as his first response. He was anything but relaxed all night waiting for Cristie to get home.
“Good. We’re glad to have you here,” Mrs. Constance said.
“Anything in particular you’re waiting on other than the same as yesterday?” he asked.
“I think Richie mentioned he was going to make some breakfast burritos in addition to the breakfast croissants, but other than that, no.”
“Alright, just wanted to check in before I get over to the restaurant.”
“No problem. I think Richie’s over there already.”
“Good deal. I’ll see y’all shortly, I’m sure,” he said. He turned and left Mrs. Constance and Moe to handle the store, as he headed toward the restaurant. He opened the front door, then the interior door, and strode across the dining room.
“What took you so long?” Richie teased from the kitchen.
“You know I’m early,” Remi teased back.
“Yeah, I do. You could have slept in. I know you had a long day yesterday with all your driving the night before and working all day,” Richie said.
“Nah, I’d rather be here being productive and taking my mind off things.”
“Good news is, you’re no longer a surprise to her,” Richie said.
“There is that,” Remi agreed. “So, what are we making today?” he asked, watching Richie slicing poblano peppers, red bell peppers and sweet yellow onions.
“If you don’t mind, can you handle the breakfast sandwiches? I’m working on breakfast burritos.”
“You got it,” Remi said, going to the walk in freezer and taking out all he needed to get started. Just like yesterday morning, he found trays already prepped for cooking. He heated up the grill and got to cooking.
Couple of hours later he was delivering his third batch of sandwiches, and fourth batch of burritos to the store when a distant rumble caught his attention. He finished setting the sandwiches out in groups of like sandwiches under the heat lamps — three rows of bacon, egg and cheese, three rows of sausage, egg and cheese, and two rows of just egg and cheese. He put all the burritos, wrapped individually and marked with breakfast burrito stickers into a large, rectangularmetal container with its own set of heat lamps. “That’s it, Mrs. Constance,” he said. “You’ve got all the breakfast stuff earmarked for the store. We just opened the doors over at the restaurant, and we’re prepping for lunch as we serve breakfast. Let me know if you need something, other wise, I’ll see you later,” Remi said. He hesitated, then looked at the large quart size to go plastic containers that Moe sold his caramel frappes in. “You mind if I take one of these?” he asked.
“Of course not. Go right ahead. You want some frappe in it?”
“No, thank you. Just coffee.” He walked over and put quite a lot of sugar and creamer in the bottom of it, then grabbed a sausage, egg and cheese croissant and a breakfast burrito. He walked over to the counter and handed Mrs. Constance a twenty dollar bill.
“Baby that’s too much. And you forgot your coffee.”
“I’m going to fill it at the restaurant. And keep the money. I appreciate how nice you’ve been to me.”
“Thank you, baby. I’ll be over there for lunch as soon as the next shift comes in here to cover the store.”
“I’ll see you then,” he said, heading toward the back door. He walked outside onto the walkway between the store and the restaurant and stood quietly as he watched the bright red sports car pause at Riley’s front gate and wait patiently for the gate to swing open and grant him access. The car drove through, and the gate closed behind it. He listened quietly as the car’s engine cut off, then both Cristie’s voice, and a male’s, presumably the Kaiser guy, chitchatted and laughed. They spoke for only a short while before he heard Riley’s front door open and close, and Cristie’s car start up and drive down the driveway toward the front gate. The gate opened and Cristie’s car pulled through, then took a left and drove away.
Remi stood there, trying to figure out what was going on. Why would she leave, and leave her friend there, unless he was afriend of the family and comfortable with Riley and the family? He shook his head as he remembered Richie saying that Kaiser and his family were related to Roman, and were in fact members of the Pride. “Well, fuck me,” he muttered as he went back into the restaurant.
