Charmed Life (18 page)

“Actually, I came to see her.” He pointed to Grace.

“Her?” Freddy asked.

“Me?” Grace questioned.

“Yes,” Clyde answered.

“Really?” Freddy asked.

“Yes,” Clyde repeated.

“Ok, it’s your fashion funeral.”

After a crinkled brow look to Freddy, Clyde turned his attention to Grace. “I was talking to Polly. My wife.”

“Nice woman,” Grace said.

“Yeah, so anyway,” Clyde continued. “She sent me out here. Wants to invite you to supper tonight. Fish and macaroni and Cheese. Friday dinner. No pork. Unless of course you don’t go out on Friday.”

“No, I do,” Grace said. “That’s really nice of you to invite me over.”

“Yep.” Clyde nodded. “Polly thought you can use some friendly atmosphere especially after passing out drunk on your first date with my son and joy riding with marathon man over there.” Clyde pointed to Larson. “So what do you say? Seven?”

“Seven, yes, thank you.”

“Make a left at the store go four blocks down. 1445,” Clyde said. “We’ll expect you. And we won’t serve bread. If we do, it’ll be that flat bread. No yeast. Don’t want any bad episodes at the house.”

“No episodes, thank you,” Grace said.

Another nod, Clyde stepped away. He paused before Larson, and looked back. “These leash things. They legal?”

Freddy answered. “They’re called Child Close. Perfectly legal, non abusive, of course liberal’s debate that and if they were illegal we wouldn’t carry them.”

“Bargain-Mart carries them?” Clyde asked.

“Yes, sir,” Freddy answered. “And Larson’s mom personally brought that to us, so we’re not hurting Larson.”

“I don’t give a shit about him,” Clyde said. “Just tell me where in this store you sell them.”

“Children accessories,” Freddy answered with hesitation.

Clyde lifted a thanking and waving hand and walked away … in the direction of children’s accessories.

“Princess,” Freddy said. “I wonder why he needs … oh!” he gasped out. “Oh!”

“What?”

“Oh.”

“What!” Grace yelled.

Freddy snapped his finger over and over, as if trying to get out the word. “He’s getting it for you.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Freddy nodded. “He said it. No episodes. He’s getting one in case you freak out.”

“Shit.”

“Don’t worry, just don’t eat bread.” Freddy tapped her on the shoulder. “OK. Worry.”

“Why?”

“She’s done training the greeting position.” Freddy pointed.

“Damn it.” Grace shook her head and turned around. “Hey, Louise.”

“See you’re taking good care of Larson,” she said with sarcasm.

“He was pulling me,” Grace replied.

“You’ll get used to it.”

“How was training for greeting?”

Louise put her hands on her hips. “How the hell do you think it went? Good fucking God it was a greeter position. Now, let’s go see how you did on….” Louise stopped, looked up, and then did something she rarely did. Smiled.

With a ‘huh’, Grace looked at Freddy.

Bright and cheerful, Louise called out. “Muffin!”

Freddy tilted his head. “Is she calling me muffin or you muffin.”

Louise snapped a glare at him. “I’d never call either of you tarts, Muffin. Her.”

Freddy spun. Immediately, his eyes fluttered and he blinked a million times at lightening speed. “Muffin?”

A huge woman, tall and masculine approached. Short spiky hair, no make up, the only thing that made her distinguishable to Freddy as a woman were her breasts, Even then it was confusing with the thin mustache.

“Lulu, I missed you.” She embraced and hugged Louise. “Had to stop and see you.”

Freddy questioned again. “Muffin?”

“Problem?” she asked Freddy.

“No, not at all,” Freddy replied. “Just trying to figure out if Muffin is short for something or was your mother just hungry when she named you.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “My name is Tina. Learn it.”

Freddy asked, “By any chance did you two met in the joint?”

Louise twitched her head. “That’s the queer I was telling you about.”

Tina nodded and looked at Grace. “And is that the chick that’s been giving you a hard time.”

“Yep, that’s her,” Louise said.

Tina stepped to Grace. “You bullying my woman?”

Grace’s eyes widened. “What? No. I don’t bully her. She bullies me.”

Freddy cringed. “Wrong answer.”

“You saying she’s a liar?” Tina blasted.

“Um…”

Tina stepped closer to Grace.

The height difference, weigh difference. Freddy feared … then suddenly, it rushed through him. He heard the song, “Holding out for a Hero’ in his head, and a jolt went thought his body.

What was it?

Courage?

Yes.

Suddenly, Freddy felt like Superman only in a more flattering outfit. With one full motion, he stepped before Grace and held up his hand to Tina. “Look, toots, don’t come into this department and harass my friend. Keep it up and you and I might have to step outside after my shift.”

“I’d flatten you,” she said.

“Probably. But I stand a better chance than she does. Now, shoo.” Freddy waved her away. “Go on … with your… bad self.”

Tina huffed and pivoted to Louise. “Come baby, take your break.”

“Yeah, I can use one.”

Holding hands, they walked off.

Freddy huddled to Grace. “They have sex.” He grunted out a verbal shudder, and then faced Grace. “You OK?”

“A little shaken.”

“I would be too.”

“Thank you for stepping in,” Grace said. “That was brave.”

“Princess, I don’t know what came over me. I saw you in danger and I didn’t think about myself.”

“I know. I was so proud.”

“Must be the Right Guard,” Freddy said, then exhaled. “Well, at least she’s gone. You get another break from Louise, and can work in peace for a spell.”

“True,” Grace said. “Fuck.”

“What?’

Grace pointed. “Larson’s gone.”

+++

They found him out on the highway. Thank God a trucker saw him, noticed the uniform, and returned Larson to Bargain-Mart.

Larson’s mother wasn’t a bit happy. Especially since she invested in the Child Close latching system so he wouldn’t wander off.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Chip said to Grace. “I mean, there isn’t a policy about losing another store employee.”

“I didn’t mean to lose him. He set himself free. He’s not dumb you know.”

Chip only looked at her.

“I’m sorry.”

“He was supposed to be attached to you. You said you can handle him.”

“I did. I was wrong. It won’t happen again,” Grace held up his hand.

“Grace,” Chip sighed out. “I hate doing this to you.”

“You’re firing me?”

“No. No-no.” Chip shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m gonna have to put you elsewhere in the store.”

“But I like being a floor walker,” Grace said. “I’m learning where everything is.”

“I know. I know. But Larson’s mom is threatening to go to the state. We work with the State with Larson.
 
She said if we don’t keep you away from her son, she will file a complaint with the state mental retardation unit. I mean you can understand her reaction. First the joy riding, prison, now this.”

Grace nodded.

“I know Larson is the only friend you have here besides Freddy, and you have a kinship with him. But it has to be done.”

“I understand.”

“Ok, I’m gonna let you go a bit early. I know Freddy isn’t done, but go sit in the break room or walk the garden center. That running the wrong way down the highway looking for him must have worn you out.”

“It did.” Grace stood up.

“Grace, it’ll get better.” Chip smiled.

“Thanks, Chip.”

Better. Grace could only hope. Actually, she was pretty positive things would get better, because there was no way in hell they could get worse.

+++

Polly whizzed around the kitchen. Rushing from sink to table to stove, she checked her watched intermittently while cooking.

The back door opened and Bobby walked in.

“It’s about time.” she said. “You’re late.”

“I know. The second coat of blue at the Hollworth’s didn’t turn out. I had to redo.”

“Well, hurry and get cleaned up. But before you do, can you grab me the bag of salad from the fridge.”

Bobby walked to the fridge, opened it and grabbed the salad. “Why am I hurrying and getting cleaned up?”

“We have company coming for dinner,” Polly said.

Bobby walked to the stove and opened it. “Fish sticks and Kraft Macaroni and cheese. Bag of salad. Must not be very important company.”

“You have a problem with it?”

Bobby shrugged. “No. But if you’re trying to impress someone, it’s not the way to do it.”

“Well, I worked all day. Sorry.”

“Then why’d did you invite company.”

“She needed a change of pace.”

“She?” Bobby asked. “Who is coming to dinner?”

“Grace.”

“Grace?” Bobby barked in shock. “You invited Grace for dinner?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Polly shrugged. “Got busy.”

“Mom …”

“Robert, get cleaned up. Now, please.”

“Ok, wait, stop,” Bobby said. “Why did you invite her?”

“I thought you liked her.”

“I do. I was even gonna ask her to go get a drink tonight.”

“Hopefully not beer.”

“Mom.”

“Well … she started it. And you were gonna ask her to go out tonight, when?”