Bow Down(70)

I laughed, nodding. “That makes more sense.”

“But business is doing much better ever since we set up an online shop. He sold three chandeliers so far this month.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Wow. That’s awesome.” Dad’s chandeliers were high-end and expensive as hell, which meant that he only needed to sell a handful every year to make good money. Three in one month was a lot.

“I’m proud of him. But don’t tell him I said it, he’ll get all cocky.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

She grinned. “Come down for dinner soon.”

“Okay. I just have to finish unpacking.”

She turned and left without another word.

I smiled to myself as I finished putting my things away. I had been pushing my dad to list his stuff online for ages, and he kept making up some excuse. It wasn’t like he didn’t believe in technology or something, but he kept saying that people should do business in person and know the people they’re dealing with.

Which was all well and good, but there wasn’t exactly a market for high-end chandeliers in Hammond, Indiana. He traveled to Chicago sometimes to sell them, but not nearly enough. His shop was also his workspace, and so people had to travel out to him to really see what he was doing.

The Internet could really open his world up. I was glad Lynn had finally pushed him into it, though a little suspicious. I wondered what she used to bribe him, or if she simply took it upon herself to do it all.

I grabbed my phone and checked the time. It was already after seven, and the smell of delicious roasting vegetables wafted up from the kitchen. My stomach did a little grumble, and so I resolved to check Facebook as briefly as possible.

I scrolled through my feed, paying more attention to people I went to high school with. I hadn’t seen most of them in a long time, but since I was home for the whole summer I figured I could try to rekindle some lost friendships. It wasn’t like I didn’t like my old friends, it was just that it was difficult to stay close when you were so far apart.

That was pretty typical. No matter how hard you tried, it was easy to drift when you were far away from people. I hated that I was the kind of person that had “ex-friends,” but it was the truth.

Finished with that, I made my way downstairs. Dad was posted up in front of the TV, probably on his second beer of the night, and Lynn was in the kitchen. I plopped down on the couch next to Dad.

“The Cubs suck,” he grunted at me.

I grinned. “You say that every time I see you.”

“It keeps being true.” He took a drink.

“You got one for me?”

He raised an eyebrow and looked over at me. “Didn’t think you were a beer drinker.”

“Well, I’m of age now. Figured I’d try and bond with you.”

“We don’t need alcohol to bond.”

“According to you.”

He laughed. “Check the fridge then.”

I got up and went into the kitchen, not intending to get a beer at all. I sat down at the table as Lynn bustled around.

“Anything I can do?”

“Nope. You’re too late to help.”

“Darn,” I said.

“Don’t act so upset. You’re doing dishes.”

“You got it.”

I smiled to myself as Lynn began to talk about her job at the hospital. She’d been a nurse for as long as I could remember, and she always had the best stories about the patients and the doctors. It was amazing how crazy it could get in a hospital, and frankly I thought she was a saint for handling it all.

It felt good to be sitting at my kitchen table. It felt good to tease my dad, to hear him say the same old stuff about the same old crappy baseball teams. I realized that for the first time in a while, I felt calm. Life out at Berkeley was one mad-dash day after another, long hours of studying and the occasional long hours partying. But mostly long hours studying, as much as I hated to admit it.

In Hammond, I didn’t have to worry about any of that. I didn’t have to calculate the effects of gravity on passing solar bodies or really think at all if I didn’t want to. I could just sit and be a person, chat about nothing, and feel good for once.

Then the doorbell rang.

I stood up. “I’ll get it,” I called out.

“You sure?” Lynn asked.

“Yep.”

I walked into the other room and headed toward the front door. I smiled to myself, laughing softly at the thought of my dad actually offering to get up off his ass for once and get the door. He hadn’t even bothered.

I turned the knob and pulled it open.

“Hey, Lace,” he said, his face splitting into a cocky grin.

My smile melted from my face. I stared at him, barely understanding. He was the same height, had the same muscular frame, the same arrogant smile and striking green eyes. It couldn’t be him, though. The more I stared, the more I realized that there was something different, something older. I remembered him as a good-looking troublemaker, but he looked more like a smooth-talking businessman. Only the tattoos poking out of the corners of his simple white button-down shirt hinted at his criminal past.