Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

W aking up in the racecar bed was almost as epic as falling asleep in it. Mack ran his hand over the side of the bed frame. He could feel the raised striping under his fingers. Mack didn’t think he would have loved this bed more as a five-year-old than he did now. It was spectacular.

He checked the time and saw that it was nine. Mack hadn’t slept that long for years. Definitely not while he’d stayed at John’s house. Joanie didn’t have a quiet mode. She started yelling the minute her alarm went off at five. Mack shook his head. His sorrow for his friend was tempered by the recognition that this was the woman John had chosen. She had to have some redeeming qualities. Maybe Joanie was better when they didn’t have a guest.

Pushing the couple out of his mind, Mack stretched. He’d have just enough time to go for a run before figuring out the bus situation to get to work. His gas tank was full but taking his car was a hassle. Finding a parking spot in the happening area was tough and expensive. The bus would be fine.

Mack pulled on boxer briefs and shorts before opening the bedroom door. “Hey? Anyone here?”

No one answered. He used the bathroom and washed his face before pulling on a shirt, socks, and shoes. The question of how he could get back in the house after his run popped into Mack’s mind. He walked to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Maybe there was a back door he could leave open.

He stopped in his tracks. In the middle of the kitchen table stood a tented sheet of paper with his name on it. Walking over, he picked it up to find a garage door opener and a key arranged underneath. Mack flipped the paper over to read,

Good morning, Mack!

I hope you slept well. These are yours to keep so you can get in and out easily. I think you mentioned running. There’s a park about a mile away. Turn left when you leave the house and take Elmwood Lane to reach it.

Make yourself at home. Eat breakfast. I’ll see you soon!

Grey/Daddy

P.S. Onelia, my housekeeper, arrives at nine-thirty. She knows you’re staying here. Say hi. Onelia will have a million questions for you.

Mack realized he was grinning. What a contrast to yesterday morning, with Joanie pounding on the bathroom door demanding he get the hell out. He debated which opener to choose and finally took both, just in case something didn’t work.

Grabbing a glass of water to hydrate, he guzzled it down as he reread the note. Before going out to run, he returned to his room and slid the note into the pocket of his suitcase. He wanted to hold on to that.

When he returned, Mack found a short, curvy woman attacking every surface of the kitchen with dedication. No wonder Grey’s house was so clean. There was no way a germ could survive there.

“Mack! I’m Onelia. Go take a shower and I’ll have breakfast for you.”

“Hi, Onelia. Don’t go to any work for me. I can grab some peanut butter toast or something.”

“I take care of Mr. Grey and his guests. Do you like eggs? Scrambled? Maybe some ham and cheese inside?”

“That sounds amazing, Onelia.”

“Go shower. I’ll fix you some breakfast. Bring any clothes you need washed. Today is laundry day.”

“Oh, I can do my laundry,” he assured her.

“I’ll throw it in with Mr. Grey’s and save water,” she told him.

He nodded. What else could he do?

After showering and dressing for work, Mack picked out the worst of his dirty clothes. He carried them to the laundry room off the kitchen.

Onelia plucked them out of his hands. “This isn’t all of them. Go get the rest.”

He’d already turned around when he realized he’d just admitted to not bringing everything. Shaking his head at her perceptiveness, Mack went back and picked up almost everything in his suitcase. When he returned, she nodded and continued sorting.

“Go eat. It’s under the warmer on the table.”

Spinning on his heels, Mack spotted the plate with a metal plate cover, like they used in catering at Armando’s. He took a seat, noticing it was the same chair he’d sat in last night and where he’d had chocolate milk with ice cubes in it to drink. Laughing at the obvious reminder to let his food cool, Mack took off the cover and dug in.

“This is so good, Onelia,” he called as a compliment.

“You let me know what you like and don’t like, Mack. I can cook anything but tofu. You’re not one of those lacto-ovo-vegetarians, are you?”

“Lacto-ovo-vegetarians?”

She emerged from the laundry room and pulled out a chair to join him. Mack noted she didn’t sit in Grey’s place. “Lacto-ovo-vegetarians,” she repeated, pointing to his milk and eggs. “Oh, wait. I put ham in there. That wipes out the vegetarian options.”

“I’m not a vegetarian,” he assured her, making a face at the thought of only eating green things.

“What are your two favorite vegetables?”

Mack thought for a while before answering, “French fries and corn on the cob.”

“Those are both starches, but I’m glad to know that, too. Keep eating. Don’t let your eggs get cold.” She waited until he took a bite before continuing, “Now vegetables? Carrots? Green beans? Broccoli?”

“Carrots are okay. Those baby ones. I like the crunchy green beans, like with almond slivers. Not the soggy ones from a can. And I don’t eat anything that tickles on the way down.”

She laughed and tapped her temple. “I’ll remember that. Are you willing to try new foods? Anything you just don’t like?”

“Sure. I’ll try anything once. I’m not a big fried food fan. It all just tastes like grease. But you don’t have to do anything special for me. I’m good with a peanut butter sandwich for dinner,” he rushed to assure her.

“That might happen on the weekend, but not during the week,” Onelia assured him. “I take care of Mr. Grey. He’s a good man. I’m sure you are, too. Besides, cooking for two is more fun than cooking for one. You liked the soup?”

“It was amazing,” he answered with a smile.

“I’m glad. What time do you leave for work?” she probed.

“I need to figure out the bus schedule. I need to be at work at ten forty-five.”

“I use it every day. Where are you going?” Onelia asked, pulling out her phone.

“To Armando’s. It’s near Mr. Grey’s work,” Mack said, unconsciously using her name for him. The title and his first name went well together.

I wonder if there’s a story that goes with his name?

“Oh, that’s easy. There’s a bus that picks up three blocks from here and goes straight there. Let me find the number.”

In just a few minutes, Mack had a note in his phone that he could follow to get to and from work. “Thank you, Onelia. You’re a lifesaver.”

“You are very welcome. Would you eat more?” she asked, pointing to his empty plate.

Mack groaned. “No more, please. I’ll roll to the bus stop if I eat anything else.”

“You have time to brush your teeth and head to catch the ten-thirty bus if you hurry.”

A short time later, he stood at the bus stop with pleasant people—much different from the usual crowd at his previous location. He got off the bus and turned the corner to walk a block down to Armando’s. Mack was almost there when his phone rang.

“Hi, Mack.”

Grey’s voice really was as yummy as he was in person. Mack stepped out of the foot traffic on the sidewalk and leaned against a wall as he answered, “Grey. Onelia does have a million things she wants to know. She’s doing my laundry with yours. I hope that’s okay?”

“My briefs are ecstatic to be close to yours, Mack,” Grey answered with a laugh. “I just saw you walk by. Did you take the bus?”

“Yes. It was so easy. Onelia helped me map it out. She’s pretty amazing.”

“Shh! Don’t tell anyone. They’ll try to steal her away. I keep giving her raises to keep her with me. Onelia is worth every penny,” Grey confessed.

“She’s amazing. I think she’s going to make me eat vegetables.”

“Oh, you’re going to eat veggies, Mack,” Grey said, then asked, “What time are you off? I have my car here. You can ride home with me.”

“Oh. Let me check.” Mack held his phone down to check the calendar. “My shift ends at six-thirty tonight, but I’m usually here until seven. I always stick around until my clients leave. You’ll be home and sitting with your feet up by then.”

“Seven works great for me. I have a big trial tomorrow. Do you mind walking to my office? There’s a guard at the door. I’ll leave your name, and he’ll buzz you in.”

“Okay. Just leave me a message if you change your mind and go home early,” Mack suggested.

“Will do. Have a great shift. I’ll see you later.”

Mack looked at the blank screen and smiled. How could talking to him make this great day feel even better? It did. Whistling a happy tune, Mack headed around Armando’s to the back entrance. He put in the code and walked in.

“Listen to you. You must have gotten some last night,” one of the female servers teased. She liked to flirt with him but had a serious boyfriend. Mack knew she considered herself safe with him. Elsa was a good friend.

“It’s a beautiful day, Elsa, and I get to work with you. What else could I ask for?” Mack answered as he clocked in.

“There’s something different about you,” Elsa suggested, eyeing him suspiciously.

“I actually got some sleep last night.”

“Hmm. That might be it. But I think there’s something else going on.”

“Put away your detective magnifying glass, Elsa. Let’s get some people fed out there,” Mack suggested as he tied on his apron.

The lunch crowd was in a great mood. Mack’s tips were large and plentiful. Everything seemed to be running like clockwork—the kitchen, the busboys, the credit card system. That never happened all on one day.

“Hey, the boss wants you to go to lunch,” Elsa told him as she came through the swinging doors into the kitchen. “I’ll cover your last table out there while I fill up the cheese shakers for tonight. They’re almost all empty.”

“Thanks, Elsa. Let’s go introduce you.”

Mack shared with his table that Elsa would check on them while he was at lunch. He grabbed a couple of meatballs and a salad to eat from the kitchen and headed into the banquet room where the servers usually took their breaks.

Checking his phone as he ate, Mack discovered he had a flurry of messages from John and Joanie. Those from Joanie were accusatory and ramped up quickly in the level of anger. John’s were filled with warnings and requests to return the vase from the living area where he’d slept on the couch.

Mack pushed his plate away. His appetite vanished, as well as all the good vibes from the great day. When he got to the last one where Joanie threatened to call the police, he was really worried.

Searching his memory, Mack never remembered seeing a vase. On the shelf they kept mentioning, he could picture a photo of the couple on vacation in the Grand Canyon and one of those fancy, waxy-smelling candles. There hadn’t been a vase there.

How was he going to prove he’d never touched that vase?