Saving Toby by Suzanne McKenna Link Read Free Book Online Page B

brains.”
    Pissed off, I couldn’t wait to get home and into the shower
to scrub the nasty off me.
    Freshly showered and dressed, I slipped in across the hall
to check on Julia. She was sitting up, reading in bed when I came in. I was
relieved to see that she looked rested.
    “What’s on the agenda tonight, Ma? Strip poker, male dancers,
and Jell-O shots?”
    She laughed. “Oh, no, something even more exciting.
Claudia’s making me soup!”
    “Soup! I love soup. Maybe I should stay home, too.”
    Her laughter was strong. “No, no. Go out and have some fun. Give
me a hug and then get out of here. I’m in good hands.”
    My stomach growled when I smelled the sautéed onions and
garlic in the kitchen. At the table, Claudia was busy chopping carrots.
Stopping at the doorway, I put my palms on either side of the opening. I had
stepped up my weight training, and I knew my arms looked powerful. Flexing, I
leaned forward into the room.
    “What are you making?” I asked, willing her to look at me.
    “I found a recipe for this soup loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants.”
Claudia glanced up, but only briefly. “It’s going to kick your mother’s immune
system into high gear.” This made her smile and, in turn, made me smile.
    Focused on her chopping, she appeared uninterested in my
presence. I don’t know how she managed to be so sexy and so damn cute while
making Julia ‘cancer-fighting’ soup, but she was.
    I wanted to keep talking to her.
    “Listen, a guy who graduated with me, Jim Ryan, is having a
party this Saturday,” I said.
    “My friend April mentioned it,” she replied.
    “April DeOro?”
    “You remember April?”
    “Sure. We were good friends in high school.”
    “Good friends?” she asked doubtfully.
    “After Ray and Dev, I understand your shock.”
    “I’m not shocked. She just never mentioned you two were
friends.”
    “Well, ask her. We had some good times together.” I leaned
against the doorway. “She still with Dario?”
    “Yes. In fact, he and I go to Stony Brook together.”
    “I should give him a call.”
    “You should. He’s a good guy.”
    “Unlike my other friends.”
    Claudia simply smiled.
    “So.” I crossed my arms over my chest and flexed again. “You
going?”
    “Maybe. If April wants to,” she shrugged. “Are you?”
    “Oh yeah. It wouldn’t be much of a party without me.”
    “Too much,” she giggled and shook her head. “I guess I’ll
see you there.”
    “Definitely.” I hoped the party would be an opportunity to
impress her. So far, she wasn’t giving me anything to work with.
    * * *
    I spent another night looking for a quick thrill with Dev
and Ray. I took a few pulls from the bottle Ray offered, but it wasn’t long
before I was feeling out of sorts. I wanted to go home and try to make a little
more headway with Claudia.
    Dev pulled into an unbranded gas station the next town over.
I was planning on cutting out when the gas station attendant came out to pump
the gas. The Hispanic attendant’s English was limited, his speech broken and
choppy.
    Dev lasered in. “Yo, speaka da English, man.”
    It was sort of funny and at first, I laughed. But then Ray
joined in, rolling his window down. Both of them started hassling the guy.
    “Hey, you,” Ray called out. "Go back to M-mexico.”
    I grunted aloud. The guy didn’t even look Mexican. He was
too dark.
    “Where’s your legalization papers, Paco ?” Dev cackled.
    The guy was smart enough to ignore them, but I could tell he
was uncomfortable and probably intimidated by us.
    I bowed my head and avoided looking at him. “You sound like
assholes,” I grumbled.
    “If he lives here, he should speak the fucking language,”
Dev shot back.
    Another attendant came out. He must have been watching from
the kiosk.
    “Listen, guys, we don’t want any problems. I’ll finish
taking care of your gas, and if you need anything else, you deal with me.”
    He took over the transaction, filling Dev’s gas