Love Songs Box Set

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction-6

Toward the end of May, I went to the grocery store to do some shopping. It was a Sunday afternoon and warm outside. As I walked through the produce section choosing gala apples and bananas, I almost ran into Ry, focused as I was on texting Roger, with whom I’d been spending some time—he, his boyfriend, and I. He’d sent me a funny picture and I was giggling as I typed.

“Watch where you’re going, Georgie,” Ry said as I came to a sudden halt before smacking into his broad chest.

I glanced up briefly, then looked away as I stuck the phone in my back pocket. “Apologies.” I started to go around him, but he placed a hand on my arm.

“Hey, wait up. Can I talk to you, please?”

I shook him off. “I’m a customer today, and it could be construed as flirting and completely inappropriate behavior for you to be seen cavorting with me. After all, you’re not the desperate one, I am. Isn’t that the gist of what you said a while ago?”

He frowned. “I may have phrased my words poorly. I—”

“But you probably said what you really meant, right?” I asked, talking over him. This wasn’t the best place to go into this, but it needed to be done. “Look, I apologize for my tone and the disrespect I showed you as your subordinate that day. I meant what I said, but that didn’t mean I had to be so snarky about it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish shopping as I have other errands to run before catching the bus home. Have a nice afternoon, Mr. Archibald.” I stepped around him and went in search of sweet potatoes.

Damn it, he followed. “Are you ever going to talk to me without that f*****g stiff upper lip of yours?” he groused as I chose two bunches of organic kale. Thank God for the employee discount. That s**t was pricey.

“We have nothing to say to each other. I’m sure you have your hands full with Trent. Wouldn’t want him to get jealous or anything.”

“He offered it up, and I took it a few times. He’s a hot lay, and it’s a free country. What the hell is wrong with that?”

I felt my stomach drop but ignored it. “Nothing at all, unless you’re feeling guilty, for some reason. What, his ass wasn’t tight enough for you? He is used goods, after all.” Okay, that was uncharitable of me. I sighed. “You’re both adults. What you do with each other is none of my business.” I tossed hair out of my eyes, which were kohl-lined, something I did only when I was away from work. “Don’t you have manager things to do? Bye now.” I left him in my figurative dust and headed toward the health and beauty section, thankful he’d been waylaid by a customer.

I finally had all the items on my list and checked out in record time. I made my way to the hardware store across the lot to get some parts for my leaky bathroom sink, then headed to the pharmacy for painkillers and Band-Aids. At last, I crossed the parking lot and trudged toward the bus stop, since I didn’t feel like walking a mile home with all my purchases. Yeah, I was being lazy. It was my day off, after all.

As I waited for a car to pass before crossing to the sidewalk that led to the traffic light, I heard a horn beep close by. I looked up and saw Ry sitting in a Range Rover.

“Give you a lift?” he asked.

Unbelievable. “No, thanks,” I replied and crossed in front of him before standing at the corner, waiting for the walk signal.

“Come on. Why are you being so difficult?” Ry asked when he stopped next to me at the light, leaning across the seat to speak through the open passenger-side window.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you.” I crossed the street and sat in the bus shelter next to an old man who smoked a smelly cigarette. We waited in silence for our ride.

Not a minute later, Ry pulled up in front of the bus stop and parked, his emergency flashers on. That did not endear him to motorists, who beeped their horns at him and hurled invectives when they had to go around his vehicle.

“What the f**k are you doing?” I yelled at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw ashes fall to the ground from my companion’s cigarette.

“Offering you a ride, dumbass. Get in the f*****g car.”

“No.” And then I saw a bus in the distance. This could get ugly.

“There’s a bus coming. A cop could show up at any moment. Get in the damn car, Georgie. Right now.”

With the bus bearing down upon us, I huffed and puffed, then threw my things into the backseat, the door to which he’d unlocked, and jumped into the passenger side of the car just as the bus arrived.

As he spun his tires to haul ass down the road, Ry said, “Now was that so hard?”