“What took you so long,” Henry Lee asked.
“Had to do something.”
“What?”
“Lexi.”
“She in trouble again?”
“Hardly. She was doing her nails.”
“Yeah and?”
“I had to help her.”
“What’d you do? Blow on ‘em?”
“Just saying.”
“Just saying what? What you saying, boy?”
“Nothing,” Bill said. He cracked the seal on the bottle and twisted the cap open. He took a long, long drink, one that he knew was gonna change his head a bit then handed the bottle to Henry Lee. Henry Lee took a long, long drink too.
“We need to get a bottle at lunch and replace this one.”
“I’ll get Lexi to go.”
“Tell her buy two and we’ll have a extra.”
“I got a good mind to just tell Drenovis we took his goddamn bottle and tough titties.”
“That’s a good way to start some trouble.”
“Sometimes I just get fed up. We’re working double and triple hard this week and the least they could do is buy us the bourbon.”
“I see you’re in a mood.”
“I guess I am.”
“What Lexi do to you?”
“She didn’t do anything.”
“Maybe that’s the problem.”
“Aw, shut up,” Bill said.
But that was the problem. He was horny. Soon as he’d finished doing Lexi he’d kissed her bye, went around the bar to get the bottle and come back to the meat room. He was realizing he wanted some and he was irritable because the little man inside his pants wanted some too and he wasn’t getting any.
“Let’s smoke a joint before you start carrying up the meat,” Henry Lee said.
As he always did, Bill carried up two meat trays at a time. He carried them the same way the waitresses carried their trays, up on his shoulder, balanced. He’d had to learn how to do this, but it was easy once he knew how.
He put the meat away in the reach-in opposite the Garland and went around back to see what Mary was doing. She was bent over checking the round which was just about ready to come out. Not even thinking about it, Bill grabbed her at the hips and pushed himself against her, grinding on her. Lexi had left him hard. He drilled that hardness against Mary’s behind.
Not even turning to face him or move from him Mary said, “Boy, I’m gonna smack the shit out of you, you don’t stop that.”
Bill paid her no mind and pushed harder until Mary forced her way up and away from him. She used one foot to kick the oven door shut and stood facing him, looking directly into his eyes.
“Goddamn you. Boy, you messed up?”
“No. A little drunk, a lot high and extremely horny. I’m about to get my ass in some trouble too, cause I’m feeling ornery.”
“Well you better check out your mind. Drenovis coming over soon. He’s doing the meat pick up instead of Alvin. We’re gonna be crazy busy all day and all day tomorrow. Even Sunday looking good.”
“Fuck it,” said Bill.
Mary was taken aback. This was so unlike Bill she was shocked. She took a long look at him, checked him out. Then she thought a moment and finally said, “Potatoes gotta come out and I know you got more meat to bring up. I could use all the help you could give me back here before the lunch starts.
Bill focused. “Yeah okay.”
“First thing when you come back up is help me get this round out.”
“Yeah all right.”
“Then we cooking off two prime ribs. Tell Henry Lee get them ready.”
“Yeah, all right,” said Bill.
“And don’t you start nothing with Drenovis,” said Mary. You keep your thoughts to yourself and your damn mouth shut.”
