The Holiday Toast Duo by Nya Rawlyns

Author:Nya Rawlyns [Rawlyns, Nya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PubRight
Published: 2014-12-09T23:00:00+00:00

The lady at the temp agency had been confident they’d find him part time work eventually, but full time was off the table. She’d made the usual suggestions: returning to school for an MBA being number one on everybody’s list. Unlike most people, he never considered himself management material. He was solitary in his habits, too opinioned to be a team player and not good with the whole delegation strategy, preferring to do it himself, whatever “it” was.

That last trait got him and Jack into a few my way or the highway situations when it came to kitchen duties, generally resolved amicably with one or the other of them bent over the counter and taking it like a man. He grinned.

For the first time since the big boss had sauntered in with a cardboard box and his pink slip, he felt optimistic. He’d been stupid to hold it in. And Jack was right. He needed to tell his relatives and suffer their concern and well-meaning efforts. They were family and that’s what family did, they shared shit.

Funny how a newly minted twenty-one year old could be such a font of wisdom.

Before he could insert the key in the door, it opened. Jack took his elbow and steered him backwards. “Um, we have company.” Alan raised his eyebrows, questioning. “My sister.”

“Oh, good. I had invited Rae but she’s got a thing…”

“And Ted.” Jack’s color had gone from normal to guilty-as-sin in the blink of an eye.

“Wanna tell me what’s up?”

He shook his head no. “Come in. I’ll let them tell you.”

Alan stared down the hall, then at his apartment door. He had a choice. Bearded dragon and front-loaded crickets. Or the brother-in-law from hell, the infamous homophobic Ted Mayer of Mayer Automotive New and Used Vehicles.

The beardie was about to win out when Jack yanked him into the apartment and shut the door securely. He might have imagined the deadbolt being thrown. Clutching his paperwork to his chest he yielded to Jack’s prodding and approached the living room, feeling much like a condemned prisoner heading for the firing squad.

Marie he knew slightly. The two kids very well, especially young Mark. Ted was a complete unknown. And if half of what Jack said was true, he’d have been content to leave Mr. Mayer an unsolved mystery. Indefinitely.

Ted stood, held out a hand. Alan had dated a linebacker once. Ted reminded him of number fifty-two. He couldn’t recall the man’s name to save his life but his jersey number? No problem. Ted Mayer was a big man, the kind who’d once been an athlete and still carried himself with power and grace. Alan could see where young Mark had gotten his height, though the kid had yet to grow into his frame.

Marie rushed into the kitchen. Alan listened to the noises of coffee brewing, cups and spoons settling on the counter, the refrigerator opening, then closing. He sat in the chair across from the couch and Ted the homophobe. Jack perched on the chair arm, close but not touching.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.