Barrie Abelard The Baker's Man [DaD] (pdf)

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faces. Most of the men, however, went back to their
steaks and alcohol as if nothing had happened.
Nothing a man did here surprised the regulars.
Jackson laughed hard, almost missing his chair as
he sat.
Bobby cocked an eyebrow at him. Can we
please get on with the fun, now?
Yes, Jackson managed to sputter. We re
square.
Fine, then. Bobby told the waiter, Thanks for
waitin out that little speech of mine. I want a Grey
Goose martini, twist of lemon, and my buddy here
will have a single malt. You have Glenfiddich
Vintage Reserve, the stuff that s over thirty years
old?
Nodding, the waiter glided away.
Jackson objected. Scotch? Damn you, what
happened to our plan of my not drinking too much
tonight? I do have to drive back, you know.
Besides, I don t even like the stuff. I d rather have a
pale ale.
Jack, it s time you appreciated such things. No
man doesn t like single malt scotch. You ve been
livin in that housewifey suburb for too long,
drinking white wine with the ladies. Bobby smiled
slightly. Besides, Allred Equipment put me up in
one of the Plaza s finest rooms, as well they should
for the new Assistant Vice President of Sales. You
can crash on the extra bed if you can t drive.
Jackson met Bobby s gray eyes. Assistant Vice
President of all sales?
Today, North America, tomorrow, the world,
Bobby crowed.
56
The drinks arrived. They clinked glasses and
toasted each other fervently, Jackson overjoyed
that his old friend, originally a dirt-poor southern
guy fresh out of the Marines, had made good.
His first sip of the scotch made him grimace, but
he tasted it again. The scotch was silky-smooth,
even if not his preference in drinks. The third
mouthful tasted a little better, and by the fourth
Jackson enjoyed a happy buzz, lapping the alcohol
as if it were a wine spritzer.
Whoa, you re supposed to sip that stuff. Make it
last. I thought you didn t like scotch?
I thought I didn t, either.
No more for you, buddy, till you tuck away
some meat.
So, why aren t you looking for a place in the
city? Surely an Assistant Vice President of North
American Sales can afford a Boston condo.
Ahhh, well, Bobby slicked his hair back with
both hands in frustration, I send a lot of money
back home to my momma and daddy, ever since
they both became disabled. And my sister s boy
needs an operation their insurance is crap. So, lots
of money comin in flows right back out again.
I m sorry.
Hell, you do what you got to do for family,
right?
Remembering his long-gone parents, Jackson
stated quietly, Yes, you do.
So, what s available in your neck o the woods
where a man can lay his tired head and
considerable torso down?
Lots of condos to choose from, depending on
how much you want to spend. Are you still going to
be around on Sunday? Come out for the
Gainesborough Food Fair. I m serving. We can look
at properties afterwards.
When s it end?
Around three, but I can ask Ricky to handle the
last hour or so.
57
No, you take care of your business. I ll check
some properties before the fair on my own. I ll drop
by around two, eat a little and chew the fat with you
over what I saw. Maybe afterwards we can look at a
few more places, or go back to the more promising
ones. Can Ricky clean up for you?
Sure, he s my right-hand man.
Is he the weird guy with the green hair? Not
my idea of a he-man with all those earrings, but he
seems all right.
Ricky s the best, even though he did rope me
into this food fair without my permission.
That little whippersnapper. What d you do
about it?
I accepted graciously, of course. It benefits
local orphans.
Huh. I know why that would hit the spot with
you.
Ricky, too. He s been living with friends of the
family ever since he was fifteen. His mother never
married, and one day she disappeared, with no
money left behind for her son, of course. The food
fair proceeds benefit the charity that funds one of
his college scholarships. He s put together grants
and loans and work money for his education with
spit and baling wire.
Enough about Ricky. How are you doing these
days? Have you seen Tess since, you know?
Since she walked out on me? Jackson slugged
back the rest of the scotch in one big gulp. He
couldn t give a Tess update without it. Haven t
seen or heard from her since she ran off with her
personal trainer, all of our excuse me, all of my
business savings in her hot little hand. She acted
normally right up till the day she left the note,
coolly stating that our life together bored her silly,
and Stefano was so much better in bed, you know.
Christ, you don t have to dig this dirt up for me
again. Bobby s face was a mirror of the pain on
Jackson s.
58
Shrugging, he finished the story. I heard
through the friend of a friend that they settled in
the Cayman Islands, where you can open up secret
bank accounts and live well on little if you know
how. It turned out she d been siphoning money
from the business for nearly a year into an Islands
account. I was so busy cooking food, I didn t notice
that my business-partner-slash-fianc�e was cooking
the books. And you know what? Our life plans for a
family and a home together supposedly bored her,
but I heard that Stefano gave her a big belly, and
they re living merrily together in a little grass shack.
Or something like that. The pain hit Jackson again,
so clearly, so purely keen, it was as if someone had
driven a railroad spike into his chest.
Bobby motioned for the waiter. After he hurried
over, Bobby ordered, with one eye on the crumbling
Jackson, Another scotch for my friend. Have it here
within sixty seconds, and you ll have an extra
twenty added to your tip.
Forty-five seconds later, Jackson drank almost
half of his freshened drink without stopping. He
knew he was going to have a big head tomorrow,
but if he didn t numb some of the pain now, he
might produce tears right here at the table, and
embarrass both him and Bobby. Neither one could
stand public scenes. He set the glass down before
rubbing his eyes, muttering, Allergies.
Bobby s eyes were soft with sympathy. Tell me
about this woman that had you so upset that you
drank yourself into a hangover last night.
Oh, she s just a woman I saw who got to me.
And why s that?
She s got a body like you ve never seen, with a
face to match.
Are you going after her? I hope so.
She s the competitor who s been stealing my
business.
A rival caterer? What were the chances of
that?
59
My usual luck. Jackson downed the rest of the
scotch. I think I m going to give up women.
The steaks arrived, and for a few moments the
two men silently enjoyed their dinner.
Actually, I think the next time she sees me,
she s going to have me arrested. Jackson half-
smiled, remembering the argument they d had.
Whatever for?
She seems to think I m stalking her.
Bobby s grin was sly. Well, are you? Not
seriously, I hope.
Jackson rubbed his face with his hands. Of
course not. I guess it might look like it, to someone
who doesn t know me. I can t seem to stay away. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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