Yolks on You Box Set

Chapter 5-2

An eggnog seemed like a good idea, and no one would have to know it was the alcoholic version Kiko was drinking. A day like today seemed to warrant it. Thankfully, there had been a steady rate of customers despite the explosions and police presence, but even so, Kiko felt his nerves wearing. He needed either something to calm him or distract him. As he was weighing the eggnog decision, the door to the store opened and Dom entered with a large cardboard box, looking like he wanted to punch the first person to cross his path. Kiko left the counter and immediately rushed over to relieve him of the box.

“Thanks,” he said as the eggs rattled.

Dom grunted at him, glaring around the store. “You didn’t get my calls.”

Kiko winced at the anger in the statement and motioned with his head for Dom to follow him.

“I keep my phone in the basement.” Dom followed him to the door downstairs. “Was Buddy not cooperative?”

Dom pulled the door shut loudly.

“I walked here,” he said, then, “No chance there’s any drugs in those eggs?”

Kiko was not following. He set the box down against the wall and turned to look at Dom, trying his best to flash a smile and wondering how ridiculous he looked.

“What?”

“If you run drugs through here that’s probably why you’re being targeted with these explosions. And if so I want to walk away. I won’t say anything to anyone about it.”

Kiko noticed how intimidating Dom was making himself, leaning forward and scowling darkly. He was several inches taller than Kiko, which was much more a discomfort now that he was using the height to make himself appear threatening. Kiko swallowed, tried smiling again. He spread his hands, hoping they weren’t shaking. He should have had that eggnog.

“This is just a themed shop, Dom. Drugs don’t go through here, but if you really don’t trust me…you can spend the next hour going through that box. Just make sure the eggs are all put back together properly.” He tried to meet Dom’s brown eyes. “What have I done?”

Dom backed off. After a moment, he laughed a little and glanced at the old concrete wall.

“You are a nerd.” He laughed again, a little more loudly. “That’s why you talk weird.”

Kiko tried not to be offended. When Dom said it, it sounded more negative than he liked.

“You don’t believe nerds can get mixed up in drugs?”

“Not when they refer to it as ‘getting mixed up in,’” said Dom.

“I don’t know why you’d think that of me anyway,” said Kiko, trying not to grumble, trying not to think how typical it was for the white guy to think of him first when thinking of drugs. “I didn’t have anything to do with the explosions. And I should get back up to help Katie anyway.” He moved toward the stairs.

“You really don’t have any other employees?”

“No one else permanent. Katie’s full-time, Chad’s part-time, and I, stupidly, decided not to hire another part-timer this year. Thinking of putting in your application, Dom?”

“If it comes with a company car,” said Dom as he followed Kiko into the store.

“It wasn’t my intention to make you walk.”

“And I wasn’t going to,” said Dom, shutting the door behind him more quietly this time. “Alec kicked me out.”

Kiko gave Dom a sympathetic smile, wanting to offer his place to crash if Dom needed it, but he didn’t think it would come out right at the moment. As he moved behind the counter Dom hesitated, backed off. Kiko rang up the customers, gave out another two egg prizes to children, and answered the ringing phone before noticing that Dom had stuck around.

“Yolks on You, egg emporium. Kiko speaking. How may I help you today?”

“Kiko?” He tried to place the woman’s voice but couldn’t. “This is Chad’s mom.”

“Oh,” he said, then, “I am so very, deeply sorry—”

“No, no, don’t be…He said you were the one who helped him.”

“I only did what I could,” said Kiko, then as the words registered, “He’s going to be all right?”

A pause.

“Yes. They’re going to keep him awhile because of the…because he…he lost some blood, but he’s okay. I just wanted to thank you for getting him help right away.”

Kiko hung up the phone more relieved than he’d expected, his mood lifting. Chad was going to be fine. Things could have gone so much worse. Had Chad died…had he been out there, too, when the explosion happened…He shook himself. None of that was the case.

“Could I help you?” he asked Dom, who was hanging awkwardly around the egg-shaped truffle display. Dom looked up, blinked, and rolled his eyes, hands in his pockets.

“You don’t have to talk to me like that,” he said, then, when Kiko arched an eyebrow, “like a customer.”

“Maybe I’d like to serve you.”

Dom glanced around the shop at that, but the few customers inside at this hour were either listening to Katie’s reading or far enough away they couldn’t hear. Dom shuffled on his feet, took a hand out of his pocket to scratch his stubbly cheek.

“Look, I’m not into…that sort of thing. No offense.”

Kiko couldn’t help but grin.

“Not a dom, Dom?”

“That’s not clever.”

“Well, I’m not really much good as a sub.”

“You got cheerful fast,” said Dom.

“Chad’s going to pull through all right,” said Kiko. Dom seemed to relax at the relief in his voice. “I’m sure he won’t be back for any more of the Eggstravaganza, but it could have been much worse.”

“That’s good.” Dom paused. “So you’re still going to need my help with the eggs?”

“If you’ll give it.”

Dom paused to glare out the window, though he didn’t appear to be looking at anything in particular.

“Yeah. Nothing else to do.”

“I can give you a meal for your help.”

Dom glanced back at him, the glare fading.

“Asking me out now?”

“I can’t have you go hungry after running all my errands for me. The bank has their new box ready—they’re just a few blocks away. If you don’t mind walking.”

“You should get that company car,” said Dom.

Kiko watched him exit, only turning away when another child approached the counter with a found egg.