“So you say.”
“I’m right, though. Food service is just a trash business. You’re better off investing in some cryptocurrency or green tech. Even if there’s nothing developed in either field, we both know that a shit ton of government money is going to be poured into those areas. Might as well take advantage of it.”
“I’m sure you’re right, which is why you have my money to invest, but this grocery chain could drain my bank account and I would not care a single iota.” I sign the last of my contracts with a flourish and get to my feet. “Are you coming to lunch or are you going to continue to rub your dirty soles against my hand tanned leather hides?”
Blank clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Are you buying?”
I nod.
He hops to his feet. “Then yes, but let’s go to the deli at the grocery store. I want to see what I’m advising you against buying. Who knows? One look and maybe I’ll agree with you.”
“Buy it,” Blank orders as we step out into the sunshine. “Buy it and then give me the personnel records for the Cindy girl. I want her.”
“I thought you said marriages were for the miserable.” I tap out another message to Orchard, who wasn’t present when I arrived for lunch. Instead, her co-worker helped us out and by helped, I mean showed us the deli counter and told the butcher to give us half the meat in our sandwiches than he ordinarily used because we didn’t deserve good treatment. The butcher followed her orders, which Blank found hilarious. I wasn’t laughing, but I appreciated the loyalty. At least I knew my wife had a good work environment...although that manager set my teeth on edge.
He was nice—overly so. He was nice in the way that people who want something are nice. It stank of fakeness. I hope that Orchard isn’t fond of him, because he’s the first one that needs to go when we take over the company.
“That was eons ago. Can’t a man change his mind?” Blank complains. He climbs into the towncar idling on the side of the street and yells, “Buy it and send me the information or if you don’t buy it, I will.”
Half the street heard him. I sigh. The price of the grocery chain just went up by a fuckton. I swipe open my phone and check the stock price, just so I can see how much the asshole hosed me.
“What are you doing here?” Orchard says.
I look up to see my wife approaching. She hasn’t talked to me since last night. When I got up this morning, she had already left for work, despite her shift not starting for three more hours but according to the pink dot, she went straight to the grocery store. With a little questioning of Cindy, I learned that Orchard read a book and had a donut and coffee before her shift started.
“Your nails look nice.” Cindy also shared that my wife had gone out at lunch to get her nails done because there was a surprise special today—as if she has to scrimp and save. “I thought I’d surprise you for lunch,” I explain.
“You mean check up on me.” She shoves her hands in her pockets. “Although why don’t you just check your GPS software? I know you track me.” She taps her sneaker on the ground. Yes, all of her shoes have tracking devices. It’s the most efficacious way to monitor a person.
“It’s not the same as seeing you in person.”
“Right. I could take my shoes off but there’s always them.” She jerks a thumb over her shoulder toward the three men that have been tailing her. “Why three though? I usually only have the one.”
“It could be that you failed to show up for dinner and then snuck out three hours before your shift to come and have grocery store coffee.”
Her chin comes up. “So you’re saying you don’t trust me?”
A muscle in my jaw jumps and I clench my teeth together before I say something I regret. I had come here with good intentions to—well, what had I come here for? To look at my investment? To keep an eye on my wife who is thinking about running away? Maybe she was right to be angry with me. Have I ever given enough thought to what she wanted? No. Because I know what she wants and that is to be free of me. I can give her everything but not that.
10
Orchard
My resolve is fading. I can feel it. I left the house early this morning because I needed space from him. He has my mind toying with the idea of way too many possibilities when it comes to him and me. Things that I shouldn’t even be thinking about. I will not have children with him. No way, no how. It’s not happening. I keep reminding myself of that every chance I get.
Still, would it be so bad if I did have children with him? Especially if this is a marriage I’m never getting out of? What if we both loved them and were civil toward each other? Could that work? Would that be enough for me? I’d be fulfilling one dream but giving up on my one of a true happily ever after.
“No,” I mutter to myself, shutting my locker in the back employee room louder than I should. This entire situation has me frustrated. I didn’t sleep well last night thinking about everything. Or maybe it was him that I couldn’t get off my mind. The way his lips had felt against mine, the way it had felt when he’d kissed me below my ear, sending shivers down my spine, could have also contributed to my sleepless night.
“Damaging company property?” I turn to see Jeff standing there. Cindy is a few feet behind him but he doesn't see her. She’s mouthing for me to fire him. She’s still pushing for me to buy this place.
“Sorry,” I lie. I’m not really sorry. It’s a locker and it’s more than fine. But this is Jeff and he enjoys giving me a hard time for some reason.
“Was that your husband that was here today?” he asks as if he doesn't know. Everyone had been talking about it this afternoon when I’d gotten back. I nod my head. I wear a simple wedding band on my finger so maybe he hadn’t noticed but I doubt it. The giant one Heath had given me sits at home in the box next to my night stand.
It’s a beautiful ring. It’s an antique but Heath never told me if there was a history behind it. I never asked but it was clearly a ring of love. Not some cookie cutter one that you went down and bought at a fancy jewelry store. Even though we all know that he has the money to buy whatever he wants, he had for some reason chosen the antique one. I’m not complaining. Like I said before, it’s beautiful.
It felt disrespectful to wear it when it stood for nothing. Every now and then when I feel sad about never knowing what it will feel like to be loved by a man, I slip it on my finger and let myself dream for a while before I put it back into the box. Along with all of my hopes of love and a happily ever after.
“Why do you work here if you’re married to Heath?”
“Because I want to?”
He looks at me like I have two heads before turning to leave. Good, I’d rather him look at me like that than try to flirt with me.
“He’s so weird,” Cindy says when Jeff is out of earshot.
“I never know if he’s going to flirt with me or be a dick.” I roll my eyes. Why do men think women are confusing? They are the confusing ones. They say one thing but mean another. Ignore you but then expect you to show up to dinner with them every night at a precise time.