Page 42 of Lucy
“Uh huh. Crazy.” Hush shook his head then headed to the back door. “My truck?” He asked over his shoulder.
“Yes,” I nodded, stuffing money back in my bra. I ran behind him and hopped in the passenger seat when he unlocked the door. “Blue Bayou again. I want more fried fish.”
“Greedy ass,” he laughed.
“Plus I want to see if the waiter we had is still there. He likes me. He’ll give me free whiskey.”
“That’s what you really care about isn’t it?” Hush chuckled.
“Yes.” I scrolled through his iTunes and played a song while we rode. I lucked up and we got the same waiter from the previous night. He grinned at me and Hush hid his laughter as I got free whiskey.
“Thanks, love,” I smiled at him and he said something that I didn’t pay attention to. The only thing I listened to was that glass of liquor. “Okay, so tell me how you ended up working at On the Rocks.” I tucked my foot underneath my body and stared into Hush’s eyes.
“I got out of jail. Needed a job. Treasure hired me. The end.” My skin buzzed at the mention of jail. I leaned in closer and finished my first drink.
“You already know that shit isn’t going to fly. Tell me why you were in jail.”
“No,” he ate a bite of food and tried to ignore me by staring at his phone. I snatched it from him and he tried to take it back until I dropped it in my bra. He wasn’t going down there and he knew it. He folded his bulky arms and grumbled.
“Lucy, give me my phone.”
“Give me an answer, Chase.” His gaze snapped to mine. He didn’t look mad, just shocked that I used his real name. I like his name though. It was nice.
“Stop being difficult. Why can’t you take the answer I gave you?”
“Because it’s short and vague. I want to know more about you. I can’t do that with short, vague answers.”
“Why do you want to know more about me, Lucy? You have the entire world trying to know more about you, I’m sure. I see the way customers gawk at you and talk your ear off.” I smiled a little and shrugged.
“You’re right, but that’s not what’s important. Those people don’t matter. I see you every day, Chase.You. Not Hush. The real you. I want to know more about you. You’re my new friend. You’re my only friend.”
“You have siblings,” he pointed out.
“And that’s what they are. They’re my family. I don’t have anyone I can call a friend though. Now, stop distracting me and tell me what the hell you were in jail for.”
“And here I thought you’d forgotten,” he laughed.
“I never forget. Spill it.” After a lot of moaning and groaning and acting like a toddler, Hush opened up to me.
“I punched a guy one night during a fight and…he didn’t wake up.”
“Oh my God, you killed him?”
“No, he was in a coma for a long time though. Six months. I crushed some important stuff in his skull. My time was contingent on if he lived or died.” He dragged his eyes to mine. “I prayed every day that he woke up and one day…he did.”
“So they let you go?”
“After a lot of back and forth with lawyers, yeah, but now I’m on probation.”
“Shit, Hush. That’s a lot. Now I see why you keep to yourself. I would too. Fuck that.”
“Exactly,” he huffed. “I don’t want anyone or anything messing up my probation. It’s bad enough I’m a six foot eight black man. I don’t need to talk and make myself more intimidating.”
“Damn. You’re six eight?” My eyes went wide as I stared at him. I was off by an inch. I knew he was tall though.
“That’s all you heard, Lucy?” His smile was absolutely fucking ridiculous. I wanted to see more of it. It was blinding and it was such a contrast from the scowl I was so used to seeing.
“No. I heard that you have a really good reason for why you don’t talk much. You can talk to me though.” I held his hand across the table and he gave it a squeeze.
