“I dunno.”
The mumbled response is the first thing he’s ever spoken to me.
Ridiculously pleased with this triumph, I smile up at him. “I’m glad to see you back. You left early last night. Sorry if I made things weird.”
He stops walking, so I turn to face him. His eyes are sober as he gazes down at me. “No.”
It’s not entirely clear what he means by no, but I assume he’s saying I didn’t make it weird.
“Okay.” My heart flutters strangely, and I couldn’t explain why. It just feels like something is about to happen.
“I brought extra,” he says. “For tonight.”
My eyes go wide. Extra. He must mean…
“If you still wanna,” he adds.
“Oh. Yes. That’s good. That works. That’s good.”
Well, fuck. I’m not sure how one should reply eloquently in such a situation, but this isn’t it.
“I’ve got to clean up before shift starts, and it looks like folks are already lining up. But I’ll see you in there.”
He nods. “See you.”
He doesn’t move, so I gently take the bucket from his hand and carry it and my mop inside.
I’m spooning out the first round of stews in the kitchen later when Nell comes in. She has a round body and brassy red hair she continues to color with scavenged dye.
“Hey, Jill. Good work talking Cade into a fuck.”
“So he paid?” I ask, glancing back at her.
“Yep. Already good to go. Make sure to give him a good time. He’s not one of the militia cheapskates, so it’d be good to turn him into a regular.”
“I’ll do my best.”
When Nell moves to the back of the kitchen, Danny leans over to ask in a hushed tone, “So he’s going for it?”
“I guess so. Nell said he paid her for the fuck.”
Danny is younger than me. Around twenty, I’d guess. He’s been working here as a server for six months, and he’s quite popular with both male and female customers.
“Why do you like that big woodsman so much?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “I might be totally wrong about him, and I know he’s not all that handsome or charming. But he seems… nice. He’s a good tipper, so there’s that, but it seems like there’s more going on under the surface.”
“Maybe you just like them big and hairy and gruff.” Danny is busy plating up meals, but he slants me a teasing smile.
“Maybe so.” I shrug and pick up the tray full of bowls of stew. “Or maybe I’m in for a big disappointment tonight.”
Customers have started clearing out at closing time when I’m wiping down the last of my tables.
Cade is still in his normal spot, leaning back in his chair, his eyes following me as I work.
“I’m almost ready,” I tell him, waving away an annoying guy who has asked me three times if I’d change my mind and go upstairs with him tonight.
I head to the back to put up my cleaning rag and apron and grab a condom from Nell’s stash. Then I return to the main room to stand by the stairs, gesturing toward Cade.
