Page 13 of Love By the Slice

Greg finally replied with, “I disagree.”

Ezra replied, “Of course. But if you get together with Shelly, you’re going to screw things up by Valentine’s Day.”

That was uncalled for. “I would never.”

“It’s a whole month away,” Ezra sent. “No way you’d last that long. She’s not going to let you ignore her.”

Which, since Greg had no intention of ignoring her, wouldn’t be a problem. “I like that she stands up for herself.”

“Oh, she will.” Ezra texted a wicked smiling face. “Then I’ll have to schedule you on opposite shifts for the rest of eternity.”

Greg didn’t reply. Ezra sent, “Just because we sell loveless pizzas on Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean we need an actual broken-up couple to top them with spite and regret.”

Yes, that was perfectly rational. Greg sent, “What if I were able to keep her happy until Valentine’s Day? I bet I can do it.”

Ezra replied, “I won’t take that bet. I know your track record.”

First off, there was nothing wrong with Greg’s track record. Secondly, Ezra was talking which meant Ezra was teetering. If Ezra accepted the bet, that allowed Greg free access to Shelly for the next month.

And third—Shelly was a grown adult who wasn’t going to be begging her brother for permission to hang around with her coworker. That made it just a matter of getting Ezra out of the way.

Ezra replied, “Don’t mess up her life.”

Ezra couldn’t really mean that. He’d back off once he saw how happy Shelly could be.

Back to sending invoices, then. If Greg couldn’t be getting together with Shelly this Friday, then at least some localbusinesses ought to be getting together their bank accounts with the machine shop’s.

And then, from Ezra: “Did you promise a half price pizza to a kid named Rowan?”

The instant the phone screen lit up with that, Greg’s heart stuttered. “He came back?”

Ezra replied, “Says you promised some kids a pizza if they brought him, so he came solo to get a pizza for bringing himself.”

Greg sent, “He likes ham and pineapple, and you need to get Shelly there right now. If not, I’ll come.”

Ezra texted, “Interesting.”

Followed by, “He doesn’t actually like pineapple.”

Greg rolled his eyes.

Loveless was fifteen minutes from the machine shop. Greg could get there before the kid left. But should he? Would that just scare Rowan off? What should Ezra ask the kid? Should he warn him to look out for signs that the kid was hungry or neglected?

A text came from Shelly: “HE’S HERE!!!”

Greg laughed. He didn’t have to go after all.

He texted, “Go get ‘em.”

Nothing came for a while, as Greg expected. Shelly would talk to Rowan while Ezra made the kid’s pizza. Shelly would feel better because everything was fine, and the school would have intervened by now. All that for half the price of a ham and pineapple pizza, or whatever the kid actually liked.

Plus, no matter what Ezra said, Greg could get Shelly talking about how she’d helped. Her eyes would light up, and she’d get animated about all the possibilities. Greg could keep her talking, and it would work out. It always did.

Greg hadn’t quite hit the bottom of the stack of invoices (he was past the “second notice” invoices and into the “we’re aboutto take legal action” letters that went out in pink envelopes) when Shelly replied. “He says he’s fine, but I don’t believe him.”

Greg texted, “Why not?”

She sent, “More later, but we gave him free pizza, and I’ve got a bit more information. I’ve got a delivery now. Talk to you later.”

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