“Okay, so far I’m glazing over with boredom. Is there more?”
“Let’s just say I keep his girlfriend’s picture in my wallet.”
“Why would you do that?” Sometimes bigger did mean dumber. They called his number, and he stepped up to the window and then spun around with wide eyes. “Do you mean the picture ?”
“Yeah, the picture .”
He swept up his load of food. “Christ, Nix, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Cause of the whole asshole thing.” I walked up to the window and picked up my burger and shake, and we found a table.
“What the hell are the odds on her walking into the shop?” Clutch wasted no time shoving a burger in his face. “So, this guy is rich, huh? Hope he shows. I’m running out of prospects on that car. Everyone is so flippin’ cheap these days.” The third bite demolished the first burger. Clutch was definitely a chew-talker, and he didn’t let a mouthful of food stop him from continuing. “What’s she like?”
I didn’t answer. Scotlyn wasn’t the type of girl you could describe with words.
Dray sat down with his usual subtlety of a raging bull. “I told them I wanted actual beef in my burger this time, and the lady in the window snarled at me.”
“You do realize they are the ones handling your food, right?” I asked.
Dray stared down at his box. “Shit, now I don’t know if I want it.” Then he picked up the burger. “What the hell, I’m hungry.” He had the chew-talk thing down to an art too. “I didn’t see you before I left this morning. How’d the tattooing go?”
“So you told him before you told me?” Clutch asked.
Dray pushed his glasses onto his head. His face looked as if it had been bounced off a wall a few times. “Dude, you may be the size of a Viking and have the strength of fucking grizzly bear, but sometimes you sound just like a chick.”
Cassie threw her leg over the bench and sat down next to Dray. “I take offense to that. I don’t know any chicks who talk with ketchup smeared on their chin and chunks of beef jammed in their teeth.”
Dray looked up at her. “Really? I know some.”
“That’s because you hang out with cavewomen. And it looks like one of them took a club to your face. You look awful.”
“Thanks. I’m a fighter, so I consider that a compliment.”
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” I said to Cassie.
She shrugged. “I’m meeting someone here.”
Dray’s face shot toward her. “Do you mean that asshat doesn’t have the decency to pick you up at your place? How come you always have to meet him somewhere?”
“None of your business,” Cassie said.
Dray normally had little interest in anything that didn’t have to do with fighting or getting laid, but he was sure as hell taking a big interest in Cassie’s dating life.
“Yeah, you’re right. Don’t care anyhow.” He refocused on his food.
Cassie stood abruptly. “I don’t know why I bothered to stop at this table.” She turned and walked away.
“Ah, come on, Cass,” I called to her, “you know he’s an idiot.”
She waved me off and disappeared into the sea of shiny chrome and tattoo sleeves.
I looked at Dray. “You’re an idiot.”
“Yeah, it suits me.”
“It’s true,” Clutch said still chewing like a cow. “It does suit him.”
Dray took the lid off his cup and chugged back the rest of his drink and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I invited Kelly and Bridget back to the Lucy tonight.”
“Why did you do that?” I asked.
“Man, you’re as boring as shit these days. Don’t you long for our party, party, party days? What did we call them— our party to the third power days?”
Clutch laughed. “Well, what do you know? You do use math in everyday life.”
“Waking up shitfaced in some girl’s bed and then spending the rest of the night puking,” I said. “Good times.”
I’d lost Dray’s attention. He was staring over my shoulder at something, and I wondered if Cassie was
“Let’s just say I keep his girlfriend’s picture in my wallet.”
“Why would you do that?” Sometimes bigger did mean dumber. They called his number, and he stepped up to the window and then spun around with wide eyes. “Do you mean the picture ?”
“Yeah, the picture .”
He swept up his load of food. “Christ, Nix, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Cause of the whole asshole thing.” I walked up to the window and picked up my burger and shake, and we found a table.
“What the hell are the odds on her walking into the shop?” Clutch wasted no time shoving a burger in his face. “So, this guy is rich, huh? Hope he shows. I’m running out of prospects on that car. Everyone is so flippin’ cheap these days.” The third bite demolished the first burger. Clutch was definitely a chew-talker, and he didn’t let a mouthful of food stop him from continuing. “What’s she like?”
I didn’t answer. Scotlyn wasn’t the type of girl you could describe with words.
Dray sat down with his usual subtlety of a raging bull. “I told them I wanted actual beef in my burger this time, and the lady in the window snarled at me.”
“You do realize they are the ones handling your food, right?” I asked.
Dray stared down at his box. “Shit, now I don’t know if I want it.” Then he picked up the burger. “What the hell, I’m hungry.” He had the chew-talk thing down to an art too. “I didn’t see you before I left this morning. How’d the tattooing go?”
“So you told him before you told me?” Clutch asked.
Dray pushed his glasses onto his head. His face looked as if it had been bounced off a wall a few times. “Dude, you may be the size of a Viking and have the strength of fucking grizzly bear, but sometimes you sound just like a chick.”
Cassie threw her leg over the bench and sat down next to Dray. “I take offense to that. I don’t know any chicks who talk with ketchup smeared on their chin and chunks of beef jammed in their teeth.”
Dray looked up at her. “Really? I know some.”
“That’s because you hang out with cavewomen. And it looks like one of them took a club to your face. You look awful.”
“Thanks. I’m a fighter, so I consider that a compliment.”
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” I said to Cassie.
She shrugged. “I’m meeting someone here.”
Dray’s face shot toward her. “Do you mean that asshat doesn’t have the decency to pick you up at your place? How come you always have to meet him somewhere?”
“None of your business,” Cassie said.
Dray normally had little interest in anything that didn’t have to do with fighting or getting laid, but he was sure as hell taking a big interest in Cassie’s dating life.
“Yeah, you’re right. Don’t care anyhow.” He refocused on his food.
Cassie stood abruptly. “I don’t know why I bothered to stop at this table.” She turned and walked away.
“Ah, come on, Cass,” I called to her, “you know he’s an idiot.”
She waved me off and disappeared into the sea of shiny chrome and tattoo sleeves.
I looked at Dray. “You’re an idiot.”
“Yeah, it suits me.”
“It’s true,” Clutch said still chewing like a cow. “It does suit him.”
Dray took the lid off his cup and chugged back the rest of his drink and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I invited Kelly and Bridget back to the Lucy tonight.”
“Why did you do that?” I asked.
“Man, you’re as boring as shit these days. Don’t you long for our party, party, party days? What did we call them— our party to the third power days?”
Clutch laughed. “Well, what do you know? You do use math in everyday life.”
“Waking up shitfaced in some girl’s bed and then spending the rest of the night puking,” I said. “Good times.”
I’d lost Dray’s attention. He was staring over my shoulder at something, and I wondered if Cassie was
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