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Authors: Kate Sherwood
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already. Have you got somewhere to stay?” Dan doesn’t speak for a moment, so Chris continues. “You know you’re always welcome at my place. Or if you’d rather not, if you need some money to stay at a hotel or something, I can get the firm to advance some money out of your back pay claim….”
Dan shakes his head. “No, thanks. I’m fine. I’m staying with a friend.”
Chris winces a little but nods, and then his head swivels to look at the table where Robyn is sitting, trying not to eavesdrop on the conversation at the bar. “Yeah, okay. But, honestly, Dan….” Chris reaches over the bar, trying to grasp Dan’s forearm, but Dan jerks back out of reach. Chris pulls his hand back, and continues softly. “If you need anything, Dan. Please, give me a call.”
Dan doesn’t really answer, just nods dismissively and moves away. There are several people waiting for drinks, and he busies himself with them as Chris heads for the door. Dan had felt overwhelmed before the conversation with Chris, and now it’s like there’s even more weight being piled onto his shoulders. He has an almost overwhelming urge to just leave, to get in his truck and drive until morning and start all over again somewhere else. He’s done it before, after all.
A customer waves him over, and he goes. He resolves to lose himself in the job for tonight. Then he’ll take a bottle home with him and drink himself to sleep on Robyn’s couch. He knows that things won’t be any better in the morning, but, hey, it’s about time he got lucky—if he plays his cards right, maybe a giant asteroid will hit the Earth and he won’t have to worry about any of this anymore. With that comforting thought, he moves around the bar and gets back to work.
Chapter 7
D AN follows his plan to the letter, and wakes up feeling like his brain is too big for his skull. He almost welcomes the pain and fuzzy thinking; they’re one more way to distract himself from reality.
Robyn has already left for work, he discovers when he gets up, and he feels totally aimless. He finds coffee made, and has one more reason to be grateful to his hostess. Then he has a shower, tidies up the blankets on the couch, and turns on the television. After fifteen minutes, he’s climbing the walls.
He goes out and walks down the street to find a diner. He orders breakfast and reads the paper. He takes a half-hearted look at the want ads, but he knows that he’s not going to find a job he wants in the classifieds. He’s asked his boss at JP’s to keep him in mind for extra shifts, so he’s not exactly destitute, especially as long as Robyn will tolerate him sleeping on her couch. And he trusts Karl and Molly to get him his back pay and severance, although he’s not really sure how long all that will take.
At ten thirty his phone rings, and he almost breaks a finger he’s so eager to get it out of his pocket. It’s not that he wants to talk to anybody specific; he just wants to do something. He hadn’t realized how busy his job kept him until he didn’t have it anymore.
He checks the call display and finds the caller identified as a local hotel. Probably Kaminski, then. Dan doesn’t really want to talk to the guy, but….
“Hello.”
“Hi, Dan, it’s Jeff Stevens.” This is a little easier to take, Dan decides. He may not be sure about the relationship between Jeff and Evan, but at least Dan can talk horses with Jeff.
“Hey, Jeff, how are you?”
“I’m good, thanks. Uh, Chris gave me your number.” Jeff pauses. “Listen, Dan… this whole thing has gotten pretty jumbled up, but we’re trying to get it back on track. Would you be free for lunch today? Evan has a business proposal for you. I know you’ve heard rumblings, but we’d like a chance to present the idea properly.”
“Look, I don’t want to waste your time… I can come by if you like, but I’m really not interested in leaving Kentucky.”
Jeff’s voice is level. “Yeah, we’ve got some ideas
Dan shakes his head. “No, thanks. I’m fine. I’m staying with a friend.”
Chris winces a little but nods, and then his head swivels to look at the table where Robyn is sitting, trying not to eavesdrop on the conversation at the bar. “Yeah, okay. But, honestly, Dan….” Chris reaches over the bar, trying to grasp Dan’s forearm, but Dan jerks back out of reach. Chris pulls his hand back, and continues softly. “If you need anything, Dan. Please, give me a call.”
Dan doesn’t really answer, just nods dismissively and moves away. There are several people waiting for drinks, and he busies himself with them as Chris heads for the door. Dan had felt overwhelmed before the conversation with Chris, and now it’s like there’s even more weight being piled onto his shoulders. He has an almost overwhelming urge to just leave, to get in his truck and drive until morning and start all over again somewhere else. He’s done it before, after all.
A customer waves him over, and he goes. He resolves to lose himself in the job for tonight. Then he’ll take a bottle home with him and drink himself to sleep on Robyn’s couch. He knows that things won’t be any better in the morning, but, hey, it’s about time he got lucky—if he plays his cards right, maybe a giant asteroid will hit the Earth and he won’t have to worry about any of this anymore. With that comforting thought, he moves around the bar and gets back to work.
Chapter 7
D AN follows his plan to the letter, and wakes up feeling like his brain is too big for his skull. He almost welcomes the pain and fuzzy thinking; they’re one more way to distract himself from reality.
Robyn has already left for work, he discovers when he gets up, and he feels totally aimless. He finds coffee made, and has one more reason to be grateful to his hostess. Then he has a shower, tidies up the blankets on the couch, and turns on the television. After fifteen minutes, he’s climbing the walls.
He goes out and walks down the street to find a diner. He orders breakfast and reads the paper. He takes a half-hearted look at the want ads, but he knows that he’s not going to find a job he wants in the classifieds. He’s asked his boss at JP’s to keep him in mind for extra shifts, so he’s not exactly destitute, especially as long as Robyn will tolerate him sleeping on her couch. And he trusts Karl and Molly to get him his back pay and severance, although he’s not really sure how long all that will take.
At ten thirty his phone rings, and he almost breaks a finger he’s so eager to get it out of his pocket. It’s not that he wants to talk to anybody specific; he just wants to do something. He hadn’t realized how busy his job kept him until he didn’t have it anymore.
He checks the call display and finds the caller identified as a local hotel. Probably Kaminski, then. Dan doesn’t really want to talk to the guy, but….
“Hello.”
“Hi, Dan, it’s Jeff Stevens.” This is a little easier to take, Dan decides. He may not be sure about the relationship between Jeff and Evan, but at least Dan can talk horses with Jeff.
“Hey, Jeff, how are you?”
“I’m good, thanks. Uh, Chris gave me your number.” Jeff pauses. “Listen, Dan… this whole thing has gotten pretty jumbled up, but we’re trying to get it back on track. Would you be free for lunch today? Evan has a business proposal for you. I know you’ve heard rumblings, but we’d like a chance to present the idea properly.”
“Look, I don’t want to waste your time… I can come by if you like, but I’m really not interested in leaving Kentucky.”
Jeff’s voice is level. “Yeah, we’ve got some ideas
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