Chapter 105

The perfect cap to my day came in the form of a state trooper pulling me over for a missing mud flap. Then he asked to check my log book. Thank GodI’d updated it this morning while I waited at the second delivery stop. The trooper let me go with a warning, after making me sweat for twenty minutes. The last thing I did before I went back to ConcreteXpress was top off the fuel tank.

I parked near the pit and took the time to clean out the rig, a weekly task to get rid of dust, mud, and trash. I preferred to have a decent-smelling ride come Monday morning.

When I went inside the office trailer, Adrian was on a phone call and focused on his computer screen. Sounded like he was about to get a new client. I hung up the keys myself, threw the delivery receipts and carbon copies of my log book for the week on his desk, and headed out to my pickup truck. I was happy that the day was over, and I wouldn’t have to drive a big rig for the next two days.

Before Herc and I could leave, however, someone knocked on the roof of my truck. It was Adrian.

“Something you need, boss man?” I asked, with an emphasis on the need since I was ready to call it a day. Plus, I really didn’t want to talk to him ‘cause I was still raw from the last twenty-four hours.

“You got a minute?”

“What for?”

“Come inside for a sec?”

“Why?”

“Look, just humor me, okay? Please?”

“Fine.” I opened the door without waiting for him to back away. Good thing Adrian was pretty nimble.

“Jesus, Trev. Warn a guy, would you?”

“Let’s get this done, okay? I’m hungry and tired. It’s been a fucked-up day.” I followed him back to the trailer. Adrian sat behind his desk and I stood in front of it, arms crossed.

“Okay, I’m here. What’s up?”

“Would you sit down, at least?”

“Is this gonna take long?”

“No.”

“I’ll stand.”

“Fuck, you’re stubborn.”

“That all you wanted to say to me? It’s not news.”

“No, just…” Adrian ran his hands through his hair, which was usually a sign of stress, or an unpleasant task he was about to perform.

“I’m sorry.” Okay, that, I didn’t expect.

“Sorry for what?” I let my hands fall to the side.

“I’m sorry for being a condescending prick.” That’s a first.

I couldn’t help needling him, just a little. “It’s part of your charm.”

“Cut me some slack, would you? Last night, as I was lying in bed with Brandon, it occurred to me that I shouldn’t have said all that shit to you yesterday. It’s no business of mine how you lead your life, and I should just butt out.” Of course, he had to mention Brandon. I let him sweat a little and said nothing.

“Will you accept my apology?” he pushed, after ten seconds of silence.

“That all you got?”

“What more do you want?”

“Maybe a little bit more honesty, like you mean it.”

“Of course I mean it.”

“Whatever. We done?”

“Guess so.”

I went over to the trailer door and opened it. I heard Adrian say, “Why can’t you just—” but I slammed the door closed behind me, cutting off the rest of whatever he said. My life was in an upheaval, and he wasn’t helping.

As I drove home, I realized that I needed to talk to someone. Not Adrian, who, frankly, I could do without seeing for a few days. I didn’t have anyone close, because I deliberately kept things casual. The only family I had still living was my dad, and he was in prison. I wanted nothing to do with him, no matter how many letters he wrote begging for forgiveness for deserting me and my mom when I was five. I would never, everforgive him.

I wondered if it was too soon to call Grant. Shit.

* * * *

“I can’t believe you called me,” Grant said, as we ate together at Red Lobster. It was after eight o’clock in the evening.

“Maybe there’s a blue moon outside,” I replied, as I enjoyed my blackened salmon.

“Must be. I’m still in shock, though.”

“You’ll get over it.”

“So why’d you call?” he asked as he worked his way through stuffed tilapia.

I wasn’t ready to talk about my issues—not yet. “I wanted to see a friendly face.”

“Hey,” he said, as he put his fork down. “I wanted to say again how sorry I am for going off on you this afternoon. I had no good excuse, not really.”

“We all have bad days, Grant. But if you want to talk about it, I’m all ears.” And I meant it.