Read Online Pieces of it All by Tracy Krimmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tracy Krimmer
Ads: Link
pushed his hat further down on his shaved head. "Well, well. Harvey fucking Etheridge. Nice of you to come back to town and not even let me know you're here."
"You weren't on the top of my list to visit."
"Is that right?" He wandered into the first aisle of the store. Pull your damn pants up, Harvey thought. He didn't need front row tickets to Ricky's rounded rump covered by only a thin layer of cloth. "The way I see things, I should be number one on your list." He picked a carton of oil off the shelf and pretended to read the label. "You go sober yourself up and now you're too good for everyone else, that it?" He put the container back.
He had to get rid of Ricky while Nelson was occupied in the stockroom. If he witnessed this, he'd probably be fired, something he couldn't afford. "I don't need to be around the likes of you."
Ricky slapped himself on the knee. " The likes of you? Is that really what you just said? You got yourself all fancied up while you were gone. I thought only hicks lived up north."
"I meant that I don't plan on associating with the people I used to."
With air quotes, he repeated, "Associating." He stepped into the next aisle. "My, my. Such big words for you." He ran his hands down the inseam of his coat. Ninety fucking degrees out and Ricky wore a coat.
"Look, I don't want any trouble. I'm at work, okay?"
"You went and got yourself a job. How's someone gonna hire a drunk?" He unhooked a windshield wiper from the rack in front of him. His bony hands shook as he massaged the blade. He was always thin, but his eyes now looked sunken in and dark. "Oh yes, I forgot. You're sober now." He flicked the tip of the wiper with his finger.
Harvey squeezed his hand into a fist, his clenched jaw sending pain to his forehead. "How did you find me?" He hadn't exactly had a homecoming party, and only met up with a few people who didn't associate with Ricky.
"People talk, Harvey. You owe people money, and they talk."
"I don't owe you shit."
As if in slow motion, Ricky put the wiper back. He continued down the aisle. "Is that right? I seem to recall you borrowed my car and returned it to me a little, ahem, damaged?"
Harvey remembered the night quite well - the same one he decided to enter rehab. After he and his father had another terrible argument leaving each with cuts and bruises, he drove to Ricky's apartment and they went on a drinking binge together. Once they drank all the hard liquor Ricky had, they decided Harvey was the most sober to drive for more. He didn't even make it down the block before he ran Ricky's car into a fence. The incident led to rehab, and community service. The front end had some damage, but it could've been a lot worse.
"Fine. I'll give you two hundred dollars for any damage I caused, but I can't pay you for awhile."
"Two hundred dollars? It cost me almost a grand to get fixed!"
Harvey flinched back as Ricky spat his words. "I'm sorry, Ricky. I can't do any more right now. I probably can have it by the end of next month." He shouldn't even have been offering to pay him, but in a way, he owed Ricky for the rehab stint. Had the night never happened, he still could have been drunk off his ass all the time, probably in the street. Or dead.
"We can start with two hundred." He reached the end of the aisle where Harvey had just completed the car wash supply shelving. He shoved the containers to the ground. "Welcome home, Harvey. Clean up in Aisle Seven."
Cinnamon enveloped Beth's nose, dragging her out of her replay of her day with Harvey. She didn't want to leave his soft lips and his gentle hand on her cheek, but the sweet and spicy aroma lifted her from her bed and she followed it down the stairs. Her mom pulled a tray out of the oven as she entered the room.
"That smells absolutely incredible." She complimented the baker.
Her mom lifted the tray of cookies and set them on the stove top, shoving the door shut with her hip. "Thank you!" she replied as she took her oven mitts
"You weren't on the top of my list to visit."
"Is that right?" He wandered into the first aisle of the store. Pull your damn pants up, Harvey thought. He didn't need front row tickets to Ricky's rounded rump covered by only a thin layer of cloth. "The way I see things, I should be number one on your list." He picked a carton of oil off the shelf and pretended to read the label. "You go sober yourself up and now you're too good for everyone else, that it?" He put the container back.
He had to get rid of Ricky while Nelson was occupied in the stockroom. If he witnessed this, he'd probably be fired, something he couldn't afford. "I don't need to be around the likes of you."
Ricky slapped himself on the knee. " The likes of you? Is that really what you just said? You got yourself all fancied up while you were gone. I thought only hicks lived up north."
"I meant that I don't plan on associating with the people I used to."
With air quotes, he repeated, "Associating." He stepped into the next aisle. "My, my. Such big words for you." He ran his hands down the inseam of his coat. Ninety fucking degrees out and Ricky wore a coat.
"Look, I don't want any trouble. I'm at work, okay?"
"You went and got yourself a job. How's someone gonna hire a drunk?" He unhooked a windshield wiper from the rack in front of him. His bony hands shook as he massaged the blade. He was always thin, but his eyes now looked sunken in and dark. "Oh yes, I forgot. You're sober now." He flicked the tip of the wiper with his finger.
Harvey squeezed his hand into a fist, his clenched jaw sending pain to his forehead. "How did you find me?" He hadn't exactly had a homecoming party, and only met up with a few people who didn't associate with Ricky.
"People talk, Harvey. You owe people money, and they talk."
"I don't owe you shit."
As if in slow motion, Ricky put the wiper back. He continued down the aisle. "Is that right? I seem to recall you borrowed my car and returned it to me a little, ahem, damaged?"
Harvey remembered the night quite well - the same one he decided to enter rehab. After he and his father had another terrible argument leaving each with cuts and bruises, he drove to Ricky's apartment and they went on a drinking binge together. Once they drank all the hard liquor Ricky had, they decided Harvey was the most sober to drive for more. He didn't even make it down the block before he ran Ricky's car into a fence. The incident led to rehab, and community service. The front end had some damage, but it could've been a lot worse.
"Fine. I'll give you two hundred dollars for any damage I caused, but I can't pay you for awhile."
"Two hundred dollars? It cost me almost a grand to get fixed!"
Harvey flinched back as Ricky spat his words. "I'm sorry, Ricky. I can't do any more right now. I probably can have it by the end of next month." He shouldn't even have been offering to pay him, but in a way, he owed Ricky for the rehab stint. Had the night never happened, he still could have been drunk off his ass all the time, probably in the street. Or dead.
"We can start with two hundred." He reached the end of the aisle where Harvey had just completed the car wash supply shelving. He shoved the containers to the ground. "Welcome home, Harvey. Clean up in Aisle Seven."
Cinnamon enveloped Beth's nose, dragging her out of her replay of her day with Harvey. She didn't want to leave his soft lips and his gentle hand on her cheek, but the sweet and spicy aroma lifted her from her bed and she followed it down the stairs. Her mom pulled a tray out of the oven as she entered the room.
"That smells absolutely incredible." She complimented the baker.
Her mom lifted the tray of cookies and set them on the stove top, shoving the door shut with her hip. "Thank you!" she replied as she took her oven mitts
Similar Books
