by Mandy Baggot
“And it’s really dirty. I mean, I don’t know if I really want to even have a drink here,” Sarah continued.
“I know.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay, you’re right. The place is wrecked,” Robyn admitted.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to clean it, decorate it, and re-launch it,” Robyn informed her.
“That’s going to be a hell of a job,” Sarah replied.
“I know, but hey, I’ve got nothing else to do,” Robyn answered with a half-hearted smile.
Chapter Six
“I can’t tell you how good this pizza is. I mean, in England they have loads of pizza restaurants, but they just don’t taste like this,” Robyn said as she ate her third slice of pepperoni thick crust.
Milo had cleaned up the empties from the floor and started the dishwasher, before Robyn had dismissed him until the following day. He was still shaking when he left, but seemed grateful he still had a job. She didn’t think a little fear of your boss was a bad thing.
Now the three friends were eating pizza and sharing a pitcher of beer. It was just like old times and Robyn couldn’t stop smiling. It was her gang, back together again.
“So you still love food, that’s obvious,” Brad said, watching Robyn eat.
“Oh God yeah! Pam and Bob took me to the Old Country Buffet after they picked me up from the airport. Oh man, that place has just got better, if that’s possible,” Robyn remarked.
“Her accent’s coming back, have you noticed that? Three beers and half a pizza and it’s back,” Mickey said with a laugh.
“It’s so good to see you,” Robyn said.
“You’ve said that five times now,” Sarah told her.
“So? Come on, tell me what I’ve missed. Who’s doing what? Who’s dating who? Who’s feuding? I want to know everything,” Robyn said energetically.
“We’re still dating,” Mickey announced with a laugh, snaking an arm around Sarah.
“We’re hardly dating. We live together,” Sarah reminded with a tut.
“But you still go on dates. Look at you! Pizza at Eddie’s Roadhouse,” Robyn said.
“Yeah, it’s pizza vouchers and a burger at the Texas Ranch House if we’re lucky,” Sarah announced with a sigh.
“There ain’t nothing wrong with pizza and burgers, and you gotta love the discounted ones,” Mickey said.
“Things aren’t so good here right now, Robyn. You know, economically,” Brad informed her.
“Yeah, well, I know. It’s like that the whole world over.”
“People aren’t going out as much as before or buying houses…especially buying houses,” Sarah said with another sigh.
“Come on, how many you sold this week?” Robyn asked, wanting to know.
“This week? None! This whole month only four. Things are quiet.”
“Well, what about hockey? How many spectators on average per game?” Robyn asked.
“Approximately one hundred and thirty-four last game,” Mickey told her.
“There was no approximately about it. We counted them,” Brad added.
“No!” Robyn couldn’t believe it. “We used to have a crowd of at least a thousand every week!”
“Not for a long time. To be honest, we’re not sure how long the town’s going to have a hockey team,” Brad told her.
“You’re kidding me? Things are that bad?”
“We’ve only got a squad of ten,” Mickey added.
“Guys, what’s been going on?! A squad of ten! How did this happen? And why hasn’t Bob told me this?” Robyn said in horror.
“We lost a lot and missed out on promotion. Some of the guys went to play for other teams, and when Eddie got sick we…” Brad began.
“That’s it, I’ve heard enough. Can you tell everyone to meet at the arena tomorrow night? We need to strategize and get things back on track,” Robyn said. She tugged hard at her ponytail and nodded her head.
“Well, Grant’s been kind of managing the team since Eddie went into hospital and…” Mickey started.
“I know he has and he barely knows the difference between hooking and roughing,” Robyn announced.
“He’s done his best and he’s a good guy,” Mickey replied.
“Yeah, course he is,” Robyn answered in an unconvincing manner.
“I don’t think he has much contact with Jason anymore,” Sarah spoke up.
Robyn felt her stomach contract, and a shiver ran over her whole body. She fought the urge to show any emotion and tightened her grip on her beer glass. She’d been here a good few hours but it was inevitable his name would come up sooner or later.
“We don’t need to talk about him tonight. Robyn’s just come home for Christ’s sake!” Brad blasted. He slammed his beer glass down onto the bar top.
“Sorry, I just…you can’t blame Grant for what Jason did and…” Sarah began.
“I don’t blame Grant,” Robyn piped up.
She let out a breath to try and compose herself. She’d said the words, but she didn’t know if they were true. She wanted them to be, but perhaps she was fooling herself.
“I just don’t think he’s the best person to manage the team, that’s all,” she finished.
“Well, I think you’re exhausted and jetlagged. I don’t think you should be worrying about the hockey team right now. You should concentrate on spending some time with Eddie,” Brad said, changing the subject.
“Did that already, right after the Old Country Buffet. He’s still the same arrogant, pigheaded, stubborn ass he always was. No, I need something else to focus on—the roadhouse and the hockey team. Tomorrow night, at seven, can you do that? Can you get everyone there?” Robyn asked Brad and Mickey.
“Sure,” Mickey agreed with a nod.
“Good. So, who’s the best person to get in to redecorate this place? Does Old Man Harrison still do painting and stuff?” Robyn asked.
“Oh Robyn, Old Man Harrison died,” Sarah informed her.
“He did?”
“Yes, it was about what? Five years ago?” Sarah asked the two men.
“Something like that,” Mickey agreed.
“But who has the annual town barn dance now? Pam always made pumpkin pie, and I could never remember the steps to any of the dances and…why didn’t she tell me? I always rode his pony and…” Robyn started, her eyes welling up with tears.
“Okay, I think it’s time you went home. The veil of jetlag is finally descending,” Brad said, taking the beer glass from her hand and helping her down from the stool.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me about Old Man Harrison? I mean, I was only in England, we have phones there and the internet and…what happened to Bessie the tractor?” Robyn questioned.
“She’s still going. Come on, I’ll give you a ride,” Brad said, coaxing her toward the door.
“But I need to lock up. Shit, I don’t have keys! I don’t have keys to my own roadhouse!” Robyn screeched.
“Don’t worry about it. We can get the locks changed in the morning. Night guys,” Brad called as he pushed open the door.
“I’m not tired. Sarah, I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll maybe go for lunch or go and see if we can find a decorating firm. Or maybe I could do it myself. Do they still do paint in Wal-Mart?” Robyn called as Brad hurried her out of the roadhouse.
“Night Robyn,” Sarah called with a giggle.
“She hasn’t changed,” Mickey remarked with a smile.
“Nice ride,” Robyn said as Brad drove his expensive-looking station wagon up the street toward Pam and Bob’s home.
“Thank you.”
“So, you’ve gone all lawman on us,” Robyn continued.
“Yep. It’s been six years next month.”
“Well good for you. Never would have thought it, but…”
“What did you think I’d be doing?” Brad asked, glancing at her as he drove.
“I don’t know, captaining an NHL team or
playing for the Yankees or something.”
“I wish.”
“Do you?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. Your expectations change when you grow up, don’t they?” Brad replied.
“Yep, didn’t think I’d be back here helping out Dad. Didn’t think I’d ever be back here to be honest,” Robyn said.
“So, what’s England like? What do you do there?” Brad asked her.
“This and that,” she replied.
“That’s evasive.”
“It’s different. It isn’t like here. I’m an office manager for a motor company,” Robyn informed him.
“You’re shitting me! A manager!” Brad exclaimed with a laugh.
“Why are you laughing? I’ve always been good at organizing and I’ve always been good with cars. It’s the perfect job for me.”
“There is no way you would prefer sitting in an office to having your head underneath a hood,” Brad answered.
“Well, given the tough economic climate, I had to opt for the job that was going to pay the most,” Robyn told him.
It was as close to the truth as she was going to give. She answered the phone, she made appointments, and she did the filing. But all the while, she gazed into the workshop, envying the mechanics covered in grease, their hands in the engine of the latest job. It was all she could do not to roll up the sleeves of the blouse Clive had bought her from Saks and climb under the hood of a car on her lunch hour. But she knew Clive would hate that.
“My, my, Robyn Matthers the office girl,” Brad teased.
“Brad Willis the cop sounds more ridiculous to be honest,” Robyn replied with a scowl.
“I’m not so sure.”
“Sorry to hear about you and Michelle. I mean, I never really liked her much, she always called me Bobby and said she would rather die than wear jeans, but Pam says you were dating a long time before she ran off with…” Robyn began.
“Randy Dennis. Yeah, Randy Dennis, the ugliest kid in school,” Brad interrupted.
“That surgery he had must have been pretty extensive.”
“Yeah, right,” Brad agreed with a sigh.
“Plenty more fish in the sea, right? No point looking back when forward’s the only way you can go,” Robyn said.
“So they say. So, are you dating?” Brad asked.
“Nope, too busy being an office girl.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Believe it!”
“I can’t imagine you’re short of male admirers working in a garage, though. All that testosterone and having to look at a pretty manager all day.”
“Most of them are over forty and married.”
“Bet they’ve thought about it.”
“Eww! Brad, don’t! That’s creepy!”
He laughed and pulled the car up outside Pam and Bob’s.
“They don’t know you’re out, do they?” Brad said.
“Well, Pam worries and she wouldn’t understand that I had to go to the bar tonight. She thinks I need sleep and…”
“You do need sleep. Did you sneak out the window?”
“Kind of,” Robyn admitted.
“You’ll be okay getting back in?”
“Of course. It isn’t like I haven’t done it before, right?”
“It’s great to see you, Robyn,” Brad said as she opened the car door.
“You too, and you won’t forget about tomorrow night. Seven at the arena, the whole squad of ten.”
“I won’t forget,” Brad promised.
Robyn shut the car door and hurried up the driveway, hugging her sweater to herself.
Once at the house, she eased open the window and climbed up onto the sill. She looked back to Brad who was still watching her from the car and she waved, before disappearing inside. One mission was accomplished.
Chapter Seven
She tried to open her eyes, but it wasn’t working. They felt so heavy and sticky, like they were glued together. She grabbed hold of the pillow and hauled herself up into a sitting position, rubbing at her eyes with a fist. Her head ached, her mouth was dry, and she smelled bad. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, and that hurt her eyes, too. She looked at her watch. Her vision blurred and she blinked to focus on the dial.
“Shit!”
It was almost midday.
She stumbled out of bed, caught her foot in the bedding, and fell flat on her face. God, she felt terrible! And she so desperately needed coffee.
When she had managed to stagger into the kitchen, there was a note on the table and a set of keys beside it.
Keys for you! Help yourself to everything! Dinner at six – meatball stew! Pam
The thought of meatball stew made her stomach rumble. She was starving and she needed breakfast.
She dialed Sarah.
“Hi, it’s me. Wanna meet for breakfast? Yeah, I know it’s almost lunchtime, but I slept in. Theo and Stacey’s in an hour? I really stink and need to shower. Hey Sarah, do you know anyone who could lend me a car?”
Robyn was on her third mug of coffee when Sarah joined her at the table in the diner.
“You made it! Did you manage to get me a car?” Robyn asked, signaling to the waitress that they were ready to order.
“Are you crazy? Where did you think I was going to get a car from in an hour? You’re lucky I’m here! Someone called wanting to see a property on Romence Avenue, and I had to give it to Sheryl. I should be hoping they buy, but I’m not.”
“I really need a car. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but I need something to get me from A to B, plus I need to go to Meijer’s after here and get ten tons of cleaning equipment to make a start on the roadhouse. Meijer’s is still the best supermarket, isn’t it?” Robyn asked, taking another look at the menu.
“Why didn’t you rent a car?” Sarah asked.
“Because Pam and Bob insisted on picking me up, and I didn’t really think about it. I’d forgotten how spread out everything is over here. It isn’t like that in England where there’s Park and Ride,” Robyn reminded her.
“Well, I’ll give Mickey a call. Steinberg Motors might have something, I guess,” Sarah said with a sigh.
“You sigh a lot. When did you start sighing so much? You never used to do that. Is something wrong?” Robyn asked.
“No. Shall we order? Can I have a Greek salad with everything?” Sarah asked the waitress.
“Sure. And what can I get you ma’am?”
“I’ll have sausage patties, er no, I want links, links are the long ones right? And bacon, two eggs over easy, hash browns, and wheat toast, thank you,” Robyn reeled off.
“You’re welcome, I’ll bring it right out,” the waitress said, writing everything down.
“Did you want some coffee?” Robyn asked Sarah.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just have water,” Sarah said, picking up the glass of iced water on the table and sipping from it.
“What’s wrong with you? You’re not on another bizarre diet are you? Because don’t think I didn’t notice you ordered salad. You remember I think it’s the Devil’s food, right?”
“I’m not on a diet,” Sarah said, sighing again.
“Then have some more to eat.”
“I don’t want more to eat.”
“You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“There’s nothing wrong with me!” Sarah shouted loud enough to turn heads.
Robyn’s eyes met with a middle-aged woman seated at the adjacent table, and she mouthed an apology.
“Okay, so that outburst’s really convinced me,” Robyn said, lowering her voice.
“I’m just not in a good place right now, that’s all,” Sarah spoke quietly.
“Theo & Stacey’s?”
“No Robyn, in life! I’m not in a good place in life!” Sarah yelled.
“The housing market will pick up,” Robyn assured her.
“It isn’t realty, it’s reality. It’s Mickey…me and Mickey,” Sarah blurted out.
“I don�
�t understand.”
“We’re treading water, we’re not going anywhere,” Sarah continued.
“Well, where do you want to go? Tell him.”
“I’m not talking about going to the movies or out on the lake, I’m talking about life. We’re not going anywhere in life,” Sarah said to her.
“But you’re happy together, you’ve always been happy together. You’ve been happy with Mickey since you were thirteen. You were the couple everyone said would get married and have hundreds of babies. Okay, maybe not hundreds, but at least half a dozen,” Robyn said.
“Yeah, I know,” Sarah sighed.
“So what’s changed?”
“Nothing.”
“Then I’m not seeing the issue here.”
“Nothing’s changed, that’s the whole point. Everything’s just like it was when we were thirteen. We’re not married and we haven’t got half a dozen babies,” Sarah said in frustration.
“Ah! Now I get it,” Robyn said, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Do you know how much gentle persuasion it took me to get him to even consider moving in together? I mean, to just consider it? To get him to actually do anything about it was torture. Do you know he wouldn’t move into anywhere that didn’t have a view of a lake,” Sarah said, opening up.
“Sounds expensive.”
“Yeah, too expensive! Out of our price range completely. So, I had to wait until the most run-down pit you can imagine came on the market. I think Mickey thought it would never happen, but it did.”
“So you got a crap house with a great outlook.”
“It isn’t crap now, it’s really nice. But it took a lot of hard work and, even when it was finished, he didn’t seem to want to move in,” Sarah said, taking a drink of her water.
“You think he’s a commitment phobe?”
“I don’t know, but to be honest, if things don’t move on from how they were in the beginning, I don’t see the point of carrying on,” Sarah admitted.
“Shit, you’d leave Mickey?” Robyn exclaimed.
This was like suggesting the Queen and Prince Philip were going to go their separate ways and fight acrimoniously over the Crown Jewels and Corgi dogs.