The Grey Tier by Unknown Read Free Book Online

sort of flirtatious. The next, he’d be cold and act like I wasn’t there. I didn’t know what to make of him. I had never been one to make the first move, and honestly, with him being so wishy-washy, I’d pretty much lost interest in him as a prospect. Not that I was prospecting. I had to steer away from hand holding for a long time with someone and try to get to really know them before I took a good look at their most painful life experience. It made me shy of dating.
    “Evie, g’see you. Got black eye.” Mumbles pointed to his good eye.
    Whoa! So he did. “How did you do that?” I asked, staring at the huge shiner spanning his eye.
    “Oh, he fell off the stool last night. We missed you,” Candace said.
    I shook my head and sighed. “Someone really needs to check you two into rehab.”
    “Ouch! That hurts.” Candace waved a hand in front of her face. “But know what, honey? You may be right, but what’s the point? Ain’t nobody out there who’d care one way or another.”
    “Oh, Candace, that’s not true. I think you just like to be the victim.”
    “Damn girl. Don’t talk to Auntie Candace that way! Be nice and pour me another Special.” She lowered her voice suddenly and sidled over. “You know what, sweet pea? That boy over in the corner has it bad for you.”
    “He’s weird,” Mumbles mumbled. “Questions. Movie. Dunno ‘bout him.”
    “Huh?” I said.
    “He’s not weird,” Candace slurred. “He’s an artist. A filmmaker. I think Nick is being an idiot for not helping him out.”
    “Creeps,” Mumbles mumbled.
    I was definitely getting interested in this conversation.
    “Slow down you two. First you.” I pointed at Candace while I stepped behind the bar to fix her a drink. ”You think he likes me?” I tilted my head toward Jackson.
    “Oh yeah. He has the hots, big time.”
    “Creep,” Mumbles said a bit more clearly than usual.
    I leaned in closer to him. “What’s the problem, Mumbles?”
    “Dunno. Feeling. Looks at you. Don’t like it.” He glared down into his glass.
    “Oh, Mumbles, you’re a softy.”
    “Youse a kid. He’s . . . not right.”
    “Evie, honey, don’t listen to him. He’s an old drunk,” Candace said.
    “What are you?” Becky butted in from her seat a few stools down the bar.
    Candace pulled herself upright and nearly launched herself at Becky. “You know what, bimbo? I’ve had about enough of you. In fact, I had enough of you twenty-five goddamned years ago.”
    Whoa! This was getting good.
    Becky narrowed her eyes to angry slits, her mouth pressed into a thin line across her face. “I can say the same thing about you, you lush. And it’s been almost thirty years!”
    “Ladies, please!” Nick rushed out from the kitchen, his arms spread wide. “Can we please leave all of that in the past? Just let it go and let’s move on.”
    “You mean like how we let Roger go?” Candace asked, her voice dripping with hostility.
    Becky rolled her eyes and looked away, sullenly sipping her wine.
    Nick leaned in close to Candace and lowered his voice. “I warned you, Candy. I have told you time and again to let that shit go. It’s done and buried. I don’t need any problems. You and I are friends now. All cool, right?” He glanced quickly over to where Jackson sat, his dark eyes trained on the entire scene. He looked the way a dog does when it’s got an injured squirrel in its sights. For a split second, I understood Mumbles’ comments about Jackson, and a shiver spun its way down my spine.
    Candace sat back and crossed her arms. She eyed Nick for a long second and to me, it looked like a warning. I might just be a small town girl from Brady, Texas, but even I could tell things were heating up good, as my mama would say. And that’s when a really big dude walked in.
    When Nick spotted him, he recoiled.
    Big Guy didn’t waste any time getting to the point. “Hey, you skinny, stupid fuck! We need to talk,” he pointed a thick, meaty finger at