“Check our books and see if I’ve got a block of time to do any interviewing over the next few days,” I instruct. “I don’t mind us doing it, but I’d rather have a service. Hell, I’ll get Mongrel down here and see if he’ll give us a hand until we get someone in.”
The more I think about it, the better I like that idea. Gotta keep the prospects busy and it may as well be working on something at a club business. Mongrel’s close to patching in, too, so it would be good to see how he interacts with someone I plan to make my ol’ lady.
The microwave beeps and she pulls out her lunch and sets it on the table. “I’ll get to that after I eat if that’s okay,” she replies.
“Hell yeah, it’s fine, babe,” I tell her.
I don’t miss the slight flush on her cheeks and bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning at her. I may have a huge mountain to climb where she’s concerned but I’ll take any sign of interest I can get.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Shelly
By the timeI’m done working for the day, I have all the pertinent information for Abyss as well as appointments set up for the following day. Since he’s prepping his room for the party that’s about to arrive, I call out, “I’m leaving everything on your desk. See ya in the morning, Abyss.”
“Good night, Shelly. Be careful driving home.”
“I always am, I promise.”
While it took quite some time for me to heal from my injuries, the first few times I was a passenger with either Uncle Mack or Marcella, I had to be medicated because I would have panic attacks. Then, when the doctor released me to start driving again, it took another six months or so before I was willing to get behind the wheel. Needless to say, my Jeep has all the bells and whistles, plus I’ve added front and rear dashcams.
I decide to stop at the grocery store on my way home because even though I just went, I have a craving for some fried chicken.Thank goodness for air fryers, it’s made cooking an absolute breeze. Plus, even though Uncle Mack went out to the clubhouse for a few beers, it’ll still taste good served cold. I’m not going completely crazy, because I plan to pick up pre-made sides since I’ve already been on my feet for hours and they’re aching. Oh, and chocolate, I’ll need a lot in my stash since Ididcheck my calendar, and my period is right around the corner. It’s always best to be prepared as far as I’m concerned.
As I walk up and down the aisle, I see other things I want so I toss them in the basket, then because I’ve been watching TikToks where people make cake pops and treats, I quickly do a search about the items I’ll need and add that to the pile as well. I’ll go online and order the molds, food color, bags, and sticks. If nothing else, it’ll be something fun to do to keep me occupied at night so I’m not wasting away in front of the television. By the time I’m done shopping, my cart is overflowing and I start laughing as I place things on the conveyor belt.
“What’s so funny, hon?” the clerk asks as she starts ringing me up.
“Well, I came in for a few things, like maybe a basket worth, and you see what I managed to grab,” I say. “Which wouldn’t normally be a horrible thing, except I literally did the shoppingyesterday!”
She starts laughing as she continues her task, quickly and efficiently bagging my stuff as she goes. “So, you’ve got the munchies?” she asks as she rings up the three bags of pretzel rods.
“Actually, I’m going to try my hand at making cake pops and chocolate-covered pretzel sticks,” I admit.
“There’s some teenager I follow on TikTok who is so talented,” she replies. “He does strawberries too, and when I saw how he made his rattle pops, I was beyond impressed. You’ll have to let me know how you like making them because I’m sure there’s a market for them around here, especially with the various festivals and stuff.”
“I’ll do that, I have to order some stuff online since we don’t have a Michaels or Hobby Lobby all that close, but that’s okay, I’m an old pro at one-clicking what I want.”
“Same, girl, same, which is why I’ll be working up until the day I day,” the clerk says, grinning.
When I see the total, I shrug and pull out my debit card. I ended up with a hefty settlement after the accident since I was so grievously injured and Amberlea died, and while most has been invested for my future, I’m more than financially stable. Looking at the name tag on my clerk, I say, “Susie, when I figure out how these work, I’ll be sure to come back and let you know, maybe even bring you some samples so you can tell me how you like them.”
“I’d like that,” she says. “I’m usually here every day, late afternoon until close. I take care of my momma in the morning but once her nurse arrives, I come in to work.”
“Then it’s a plan.”
Even though I want to jump into creating, I decide to make dinner first. While I eat, I do some more research and then place a hefty online order with the molds for designs, the special foodcolor, the sprinkles, basically all the things, including a nifty machine that will allow me to individually wrap the pops and pretzel sticks.
I clean up dinner, wrapping a plate for Uncle Mack and placing it in the fridge, then divvy up the rest into containers for quick meals for the rest of the week. Once the kitchen is spic and span, I wander through the house and do a quick reset. I’ve found that it helps me a lot to have everything neat and tidy, which is kind of funny since I didn’t used to be like that. My old therapist said it’s because I can control my environment and while I was healing, my brain needed that in order to cope with everything.
Thankfully, the habit stuck. The house isn’t magazine worthy by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s comfortable, inviting, and suits me and Uncle Mack. I turn on the lamp that’s on the end table, make sure the outside light is on, then head into my room to do a little bit of pampering.
Okay, I lied. I’m going to demolish the pint size container of rocky road ice cream,thentake an everything bath and shower so I can exfoliate my skin, shave, then lotion, powder, and moisturize the hell out of my skin. I don’t really look my age which is a testament to the lessons Marcella instilled in me about using SPF-based skin care items. I may have a light tan, but my face ‘tan’ comes from my makeup application, not because I bake in the sun.
After lighting a few of my lilac candles, I hop in the shower to rinse off while the tub fills. I used to just get into the bath until I had back-to-back urinary tract infections. The doctor said I should shower first to keep from sitting in what amounted todirty water. Ever since I switched, I’ve been fine. As the scent surrounds me, I think about everything Beth and I talked about earlier today and realize that what I told her was correct.
Idon’twant to stay stuck in the past. It may take me some time to come around to the fact that it’s okay for me to find happiness again, but based on how I feel whenever Abyss is around, I don’t think it’s going to be that difficult. I mean, it’s not like he’s asked me out or anything, but I think he’s attracted to me and the feeling’s definitely mutual. Still, I’m not sure I’ll say yes if he asks me because I may not want to be mired in the past, but I’m also scared of what the future holds.
