I stared at the ground and sniffed. “I lost my job.”
“What for?”
“Fighting.”
Terry’s eyes widened. “Fighting? At your age?”
“I’m not even fifty, Terry,” I shot back, and Alec sniggered.
“You look it.”
“Get fucked,” I told him, and he grinned.
“I’m teasing you, man.”
Something made me keep confessing.
“Lost my truck, too.”
I knew they were gonna ask questions, but I was so fucking tired.
“Yeah? How?” Alec was watching me with interest.
“My wife set it on fire.”
Both men stared at me.
“Thefuck?” Alec muttered, and Terry made a face, his eyes wide.
“Jeez, man, what did you do to her?”
I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. “I fucked up. Another woman.”
“Oh, boy,” Alec crowed. “Been there, done that. My wife ran off to Mexico.”
“Mexico?” I echoed, and he nodded.
Mine went to Greece.
“You’re down on your luck. That’s all,” Terry said, rolling his eyes at Alec. “If we can help…”
“We? I’m a busy man; I can’t help no one.” Alec grunted, stomping away. “Volunteering me up for shit, like I’m on community service.”
Terry waved him off. “Ignore him. We all screw up. Just shout if you need another sandwich or something.”
I perked up at this, an idea forming in my mind.
“I don’t suppose you know of any other work going?”
Terry scratched his bald head and hummed again.
“I don’t. But I can keep my ears open. But son, you already work morning till evening here. What time have you got spare?”
“Any,” I replied, searching the sea of faces on the building site. Someone must know something going locally. “Nights, probably.”
Terry huffed. “You look half-dead now, no offense. Nights would probably finish you off.”
“I don’t have a choice,” I explained, remembering Lila’s face as she’d told me she was pregnant.
