Page 98 of Sizzle
“That too,” I say, one step ahead of him. “It’s upstairs. It’s rather… long. And in desperate need of attention.”
29
Alex
A few months later…
I stack up the last of the paperwork I brought home, making sure to put away the files before Elliot gets here. Last time he caught me working from home, it took me three days to find all of the client’s paperwork because Elliot swore he just couldn’t handle watching me work.
I mean, I can’t say I minded the inconvenience. Considering how those papers got scattered and what happened on that desk after.
Even so, I lock up my paperwork and set it aside, knowing he’ll be home any minute. Joelle, too. She had another meeting with Sizzle today. The pilot episode of her show aired last week to rave reviews, which surprised no one at all. She’s an absolute natural. If they don’t ask her for more episodes, they’re morons. I’ve never been so proud of anybody in my life.
Except maybe Elliot these last few months. Putting the original Duckbill to bed devastated him, but taking the restaurant on the road with a new food truck was a stroke of genius. I know he hates it that he can’t rehire every single one of his former employees, but he managed to call in favors all over town to make sure they all had jobs elsewhere after he was forced to close the doors.
Now that my work’s done, I grab my personal computer and a beer and head for the front porch. Spring is in full effect and I intend to enjoy it while I can, settling into the porch swing and pulling up my email. Sure enough, there’s today’s sales report from Elliot. There’s a screenshot attached, which is unusual. I squint at the thumbnail.
That’s not a screenshot.
I click the photo open and Elliot picks that exact moment to pull into the driveway. I’m tilting my head left, then right to get a better look as he climbs the steps.
“You know,” I say as he approaches. “It’s a damn good thing I didn’t open this on my work phone. They still check that shit, you know.” Elliot leans over to see the screen and snickers.
“What can I say? I know how to take a dick pic.”
“You’re impossible,” I say, closing the laptop and setting it aside, but not before saving the photo in a designated hidden file on the hard drive.
“And you love me anyway.” Elliot sets his fists on the swing just alongside my thighs, leaning in to brush his lips against mine.
“I know.”
Several minutes pass before he pulls back and sits down on the swing next to me. As sunny as it is this afternoon, I’m kind of surprised he packed it in for the day already, and I tell him so.
“Had to,” he said. “We sold out of everything we had prepped.”
“That’s great news. Congratulations,” I tell him, pulling the cooler closer with my foot to grab another couple of beers.
“That’s not the only good news,” says Elliot. “I got a call from Jimmy today.”
“The accounting kid?”
Elliot snorts. “He’s the same age as Joelle, you dirty old man. But yeah, that Jimmy.” Elliot sips his beer. “He got his CPA license last week, and got a job offer practically the same day.”
“No kidding? Good for him.” It had torn Elliot up that Jimmy wouldn’t take another restaurant job after Duckbill closed. Jimmy swore up and down he was getting by just fine on his savings. He’d told Elliot he just wanted to concentrate on studying the last couple of months before taking the exam. Sounds like his plan paid off.
“That’s not the best part,” says Elliot grinning. “Guess where he’s working now.”
I shake my head.
“Sizzle.”
“No shit?” Now I’m grinning too. “Helluva coincidence.”
“Tell me about it. I told him to ask for Joelle next time he goes into the office.”
“Bet he got a kick out of that. Speaking of Joelle, she should be here by now. Do you think everything’s okay?”
Elliot picks up his phone and swipes it open to show me a text.