Page 57 of Bean
Hell no. I’d have to be dead before moving back in with my parents, and even then, I’d stipulate I wanted to be buried somewhere in San Francisco. “Because operating heavy machinery is a good idea in my condition? The noise alone would drive me bananas.”
““It was just a thought…” She sounded offended.
“My life is here, Mom.”
“Living with strangers.”
“They’re not strangers to me, Mom. I served with them for a decade.”
She clicked her tongue. “I find it hard to understand that in your current predicament, you’d prefer their company over that of your family.”
I had to end this before I’d say things I’d regret, like telling her that, as far as I was concerned, Iwaswith my family. She was more of a stranger to me than Nash, Creek, and Tameron. They were my true brothers, not the ones I happened to share DNA with. “Anyway, I have to go, or I’ll be late for work. Happy birthday, Mom. Say hi to everyone from me.”
I ended the call before she could reply. I was bound to hear something about that next time, but I wouldn’t remember anyway, so whatever.
The drive to work was long, with heavier traffic than usual due to a persistent fog. My head hurt even more by the time Iarrived, but my heavier meds made me too sleepy, so Ibuprofen would have to do.
“Morning,” Jordan said as I walked in. He was already peeling potatoes, doing a double-take when he saw me. Did I look that bad?
“Morning.”
“Rough night?”
Apparently, I did. “Didn’t sleep well.”
“Been there, done that. Take it easy today, kid, okay? Respect your limits.”
Easier said than done, but I still nodded. The first hour was fine since we were just doing all the prep work, like washing and cutting onions, garlic, and vegetables, plus making our soup of the day—French onion soup—and boiling potatoes. Jordan’s favorite rock music radio station played in the background, but it didn’t bother me too much.
A wave of dizziness rolled over me, and the knife dropped from my hand as I held on to the counter.
Where was I?
Darnit, my head hurt.
I ground my teeth as my brain rebooted until I could finally open my eyes again.
“Bean… Bean… Bean!”
I blinked, staring straight into Jordan’s concerned face. He stood inches away from me. What had happened? “What?”
It came out snappier than I had intended, and he stepped back, holding up both hands. “Just checking in on you, man. You were spacing out.”
“I was?”
“You stood there for a good twenty seconds, and I was worried.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’m sorry. Like I said, I’m tired.”
“Take a fifteen-minute break, wouldya?”
“I don’t need a?—”
“I wasn’t asking.”
His tone was deceptively mild, but I recognized the threat behind it. Dude had pulled a Nash on me. “Yes, sir.”
He flashed me a grin. “Don’t call me sir. I work for a living.”