Page 19 of UnScripted

“Huh. Have you heard of a woman named Dee Dee Stanton?”

He jumps off the chair like his pants are on fire, pulls a twenty from his wallet and slaps it down on the counter. “That’s a cursed name. Don’t ever say it.”

“Toad? Spill. I smell a story here…,” my foot taps, my cheeks are red, but I bite my tongue. I’m pissed as hell that he just disrespected Dee.

“Hey, Dev… you better show up for Tina’s lunch shift or my ass will be on the line,” he answers, choosing to ignore me.

I turn around meeting his gaze. “Fine. But I’m not done with you yet.”

“Jesus H. Christ. What’s next?”

“You’ll see,” I answer with a wink.

“How many more bags?”

“Ten.”

“Christ.”

I just smile and point to the heavy bag filled with gardening soil and watch as he loads it all onto the cart.

“I need tools too.”

He rolls his eyes but does whatever I tell him to. Toad’s a good guy and I’m working this whole bodyguard thing to my advantage. Besides, it’s a lot less creepy than having him following me all day without speaking.

He rolls the heavy cart over to the checkout, and I swipe my card feeling giddy. I can’t wait to dig my hands into the earth and plant my bulbs for spring, line the rows with my favorite herbs that I bought last week, and watch as the flowers bloom with bursts of color.

The total reads over two-hundred dollars because I kept adding shit on top of the already packed cart.

“Hey, Dev?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re crazy,” he shakes his head eyeing the bill.

“I know. But guess what? You are going to be my lawn boy.”

“Fuck no.”

“Yep.”

“I’m toast. I’m never gonna live this shit down if anyone catches me out in your yard with a friggin’ sunhat and a pair of gloves on.”

“Don’t give me any ideas.”

I lift the gate of my Subaru, and together we load my treasure in.

“You’re gonna be late for your shift.”

I shrug, “We better drive fast then, because you stink.”

I make quick work getting back to my rental. He takes the keys from me and gets his Glock out, checking the door like an actor in a film as he unlocks the main entrance and climbs the stairs to my second-floor walk-up.

He unlocks my door motioning for me to wait until he checks out my apartment.

“It’s clear.”

“Well, yeah. I’d hope so.”

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