Page 27 of A Little Christmas! Johnny
“What do you think I did? I’ve been at work all night. I told you yesterday that I was only going to call if you left any dogs other than Peanut at the house. How am I supposed to know you left all the dogs there if I haven’t been there?”
“You read my texts! You read them and then suddenly we’re getting stopped. Now, Mom, Dad, and the girls are happily waiting for the flight while the rest of us can’t get through security until this is cleared up. So you clear it the fuck up!”
While I gather all of the stuff for coffee, I put my phone on speaker to check the text thread. Sure enough, her texts said she was leaving all of the dogs. Too bad for her it wasn’t actually me that read them. A knock on the rolling door for Bay One has me leaving the phone on the counter while my sister and her friends screech on about whatever. I pull the bar to unlock the rolling door and open it up enough for Jackson to slide under before I drop it back down.
“What happened to the door, Baby Boss?”
“Paul happened,” I mutter, ignoring his newest nickname for me and head back to the breakroom to finish making the coffee for him and the other guys who will be coming in over the next few hours. My sister is still screaming about the flight and the police, but I ignore it in favor of getting the proportions right. I’ve heard that I’m the best at making the coffee even though I won’t touch the stuff, so I am meticulous about getting it right.
Jackson glances at my phone on the counter and shrugs before putting his lunch in the fridge. Ever since he swapped living spaces with his little brother, he’s been bringing in some really great food. Most of us are jealous of whoever he’s got at home cooking for him now because we all know that Jackson can even screw up instant noodles. The shop fridge hasn’t been a biohazard in a while.
Erica finally runs out of steam when the coffee starts to flow into the pot, so I grab the phone and take it back off speakerphone to finish the call.
“Look, Sis. I don’t know what to tell you. I didn’t call the cops. I only just now saw your texts – which by the way, were pretty fucking shitty to send to someone who you’re expecting to do a favor for you free of charge. If one of the other guys in the shop saw and decided to call, I dunno what to tell you. Maybe a neighbor even called in a noise complaint. You know Misty is part husky and likes to howl.”
I end the call, but not ten seconds later, a text comes through.
Erica:
We’re not going back to the house. We are getting on that plane and going to the Bahamas while you fucking rot in cold as fuck Pennsylvania. I’ll be sipping mojitos on a beach while you’re buried in fucking dogshit.
this is all you’re good for anyways
I laugh at the text, but pull out the card that Officer Reynolds gave me earlier this morning. If only for the sake of my niblings and my own peace for the next three weeks, I have to get them on that damn plane.
“Officer Reynolds speaking.”
Oh, good. At least it’s a direct number.
“Hey, Officer Reynolds. This is John Gander from Good Boys T and T. You said to call if I needed anything and I was hoping you could help me out with something.”
“What’s up, John?” He sounds amused at something. I hope I’m not interrupting his morning.
“Someone called in a complaint of animal neglect against my sister and now she’s being held up at security at the airport. I’m on my way over to her house now to take care of the situation. Can you maybe get her cleared to fly so that I don’t have to deal with her?
The officer laughs uncontrollably for about a minute before agreeing to see what he could do. Fifteen minutes later, my phone alerts me to a new text.
Jess:
is it wrong that i wanted mom to get arrested and not come on the trip?
Me:
not wrong but would u want to subject me to her while ur gone?
Jess:
no way. At least on the cruise she’ll be drunk and distracted
let’s hope she at least stays away from Santa’s package
Ugh, I think I’m gonna hurl. The last thing I want to think about is my big sister lusting after Santa’s cock. I’m not sure what worries me more: the fact that my sister would cheat on her husband with a character actor on a cruise ship or that her child knows and doesn’t seem to care.
22
DEXTER
Waking up without my boy next to me is unfortunately still a regular occurrence. What is not typical is waking up alone in his office. It takes me a bit to orient myself, but the sound of the big rolling door moving gives me an idea of where Johnny got off to when I glance up at the clock. It’s about time for one of the guys to come in for the morning, so I do my best to straighten myself up. I don’t know any of them well enough yet to know if they’ll take offense at the fact that I napped here.
