Beast asked when they were back behind the counter.
“Talia’s still out on disability,” Orlando explained, stacking up some of the more messed-up stacks of paper. “Not sure when she’ll be back.”
“Then have one of the guys standing out there come in here and do something while they’re doing nothing.”
“Will do.” Orlando glanced out the window until Beast interrupted his thoughts again.”So how are things coming along?” Beast asked as he searched the drawer. “This week, right?”
“Better be this week or my lawyer will be all over them. I’ve jumped through every hoop those bastards have asked me to. And I have a house now—with a yard,” he added, his tone as annoyed as he felt. “So, they can’t give me shit over where I live anymore. If I don’t have him by this Friday, someone’s ass is getting sued.”
“You’ll get him.” Beast pulled his ring out of the drawer and put it on. “I know it feels like forever, but it’s only been a couple of months, right?”
“It’s been three fucking months. I’m tired of this shit. I want my boy home already.”
“It’s gonna happen.” Beast clapped him on the back as he walked back around from behind the counter. “No reason why it shouldn’t.”
Orlando nodded, not feeling so sure about it, but said good-bye to Beast as he walked out then glanced back at the two still in the waiting area. Only this time he addressed Ted. “Should be just a few more minutes, Chief.” Ted nodded as the girl stood up, making her way to the customer bathrooms. Orlando did a double take, his eyes going from that ass to her face, when he noticed her wiping away tears. At first, he thought maybe he’d been mistaken. But sure enough, she wiped again, and Orlando thought he even saw her brows pinch together as she rushed into the bathroom. When he glanced back at Ted, the guy was eyeing him—hard. Could this asshole have been a dick to her just because Orlando had started to flirt with her?
“Check it out.” Nine’s words kept Orlando from locking eyes with Ted as his friend walked into the shop, holding a piece of paper up. He handed it to Orlando, who read what looked like a kid’s school assignment. A very young kid because the answers were written in crayon and barely legible. Already he knew this was Nine’s stepdaughter’s school assignment.
“What is it?”
“Read it.”
Orlando started with the title of the paper. “My favorite things.” He glanced back at Nine, who was still smiling like a fucking Jack-O-Lantern. Chuckling, he glanced back down at the paper again. “Food: Hot dog and eggs.”
“She means hot dogs and eggs. As in weenie slices mixed in with her eggs,” Nine said proudly. “She’d never had her eggs like that until I cooked them for her that way.”
“Ah, yes.” Orlando nodded with more chuckling. “Nine, her Top Chef stepdad.”
“You know it. Keep reading.” Nine pointed at the paper with a big proud smile. Orlando read through her favorite colors, animals, places to visit, then got to her favorite number. “Nine. Bam!” Nine clapped loudly and jumped in place. “You see that? When I first met CC, her favorite number was two because she had two dads. But when Dee asked what number she’d want on her T-ball jersey, she said ‘nine’ and I knew.” He pointed at the paper, smiling big. “How you like me now?” Shaking his hips obnoxiously, he then pointed at himself. “Nine, baby! Right here!”
“Alright, alright.” Orlando shook his head, handing Nine the paper back. “Calm your nuts. So, she likes the number nine. Doesn’t mean anyth—”
“Bullshit! You know exactly what it means! Three dads and who’s her favorite?” He took the paper, stretching his neck out to look out into the shop. “Beast here? He’s gotta see this.”
“Favorite number,” Orlando reminded him, laughing. “He’s gone now. But maybe you should make a copy and hang it on the bulletin board so everyone can see it.”
Nine spun around and pointed at him. “Excellent idea.” He started to the copier. “If Talia is gonna hang her grandkids honor-roll shit up. I’m hanging this up too.”
Orlando laughed again, shaking his head. Several minutes later, the door to the bathroom opened up, and Ted’s girl walked out. Her face looked freshly rinsed, and she didn’t appear to be crying, though she had been in there for a while. Beast’s younger brother Byron walked in from the shop, holding a clipboard, and walked right up