8-Track by L.J.Lahage Read Free Book Online

close then dashed across the lot to the other side. Hiding in the shade he scowled, where you at Billie? His frown quickly turned into a grin once he heard the music. 
    Bouncing up and down on its fat Goodyear tires, the Renegade Jeep CJ5 came around the bend, its black canvas top flapping in the wind. Bill drove into the lot parking at the very end, opposite Eli’s Lincoln. Licking his dry chapped lips and rubbing his sweaty hands together Hubble watched as Bill left his car and entered the armory. Oh Billie, so fucking good of you not to lock the doors. Young dumb trusting fool . 
    “Boo-yah,” Hubble uttered walking briskly to the Jeep. Its tailgate opened with a rusty creak that startled him. Wasting no time he reached into the side pocket of the tool belt, Bingo. Hubble placed it back just as he had found it.
    ***
 
    “Hubble, so good of you to make it, won’t you please grab a chair?” Bud cast heavy eyes on him making it known how he felt about the guy. Hubble sat down next to Eli who took a sip of his coffee before talking.
    “What’s up man?”
    “Oh, not much, just, you know, fucking good being back ta work,” Hubble replied in a low voice.
    “Supposed to reach a hundred by the end of the week,” Eli said placing his styrofoam cup under the beat-up chair.
    “Yeah, fucking hot.” Hubble wiped the sweat from his palms on his jeans. He was feeling the high full force and it was all he could do to hold it together and appear normal.
    “In case anyone hasn’t met Bill,” Bud said to the group, pointing Bill out, “he’s new and just moved here from Rhode Island.”
    Bill was sitting back in the last row, his right leg crossed over the left. He had done a head count when he first walked through the door, fifteen plus the creep makes sixteen. Raising his right arm he called out “Hi.”  Most of the men in the room said hello or nodded. Hubble didn’t.
    Bud spent the next forty-two minutes speaking about several new contracts that were starting in August and the Business Roundtable, a program to reduce building costs by replacing unionized with non-union contractors.
    When the meeting ended a few of the members went to the kitchen for coffee and donuts. Bill followed a small herd outside, he was eager to get home and start working on the yard, before it got to hot, before the sun went down. He was opening the door to his Jeep when he heard his name.
    “Bill,” Eli called out. Bill could feel his trapezius muscle coiling over his shoulders. He shut the door with an expressionless look on his face. Here we go, now he ’ s going to ask me about yesterday. Bill noticed Sig talking to Hubble nearby. Hubble appeared to be listening to Sig but his full attention was on the conversation between Eli and Bill.
    “Bill, I promised Bitty we’d drive to Portland on Wednesday and spend the day with her sister. I know I said we’d work Thursday,” he paused to light the Winston he’d removed from his vest, “so if you wanna work on the house feel free, you can finish hanging the drywall in the kitchen.”     
    “Right on.” This might be the lead in to what happened at the lake?
    “Any plans for tomorrow?” Eli asked with tendrils of smoke flowing from his nose. Bill dropped his shoulders.
    “Uh, no. It’s supposed to rain most of the day. I was gonna work around my house. Ya know, finish unpacking some boxes, maybe paint a bit.”
    “Dig it. I’ll be home if you wanna come by,” Eli said as Sig and Hubble drifted over. 
    Sig lifted his silver rimmed Aviator sunglasses, placing them on his forehead. “I’m having a few people over today Bill, a little BBQ and some fireworks. You’re welcome to come by and hang, can you dig it?”
    “Yeah, we're all going over.” Eli said taking a long drag from his cigarette.
    “Thanks but I’ve really gotta get some stuff done.”
    “Well if you change your mind, come’on by,” Sig flipped his shades back down onto his chiseled Roman-like