“I totally wasn’t watching where I was going,” I said. “Obviously.”
I reached out a hand to haul him to his feet, then helped him pick up his bags. “You know, most other animals don’t have issues like this. Birds never crash in mid-flight. They’ve evolved to avoid it using these complex strategies. They did a test on male budgies and found that… um.” I flushed. “Nevermind.”
Parker looked down at me in concern, his pale cheeks pink from cold and his blond hair ruffling in the wind. “Everythingokay?”
“Oh, yeah!” I waved a hand. “You know, the usual.” I was horrified to find tears forming in my eyes. “Just out for a walk.” I sniffed. “Clearing my head.” Figuring out how to dismantle my life and re-mantleit.
Was re-mantling athing?
“Uh huh.” He tilted his head to one side and studied me. “I have an idea for clearing your head. Have you had lunch yet?” He jiggled hisgroceries.
“No, but Icouldn’t—”
“Sure you could! I could use a distraction, and I like having someone to cook for. Comeon.”
He unlocked the door to the bar and held it open so I could lead the way, then locked it behind him and led me past the rows of tables and stacked chairs to the back, where the kitchenwas.
“I’ve never been back here before,” I said, taking in the long stainless-steel workbench, the giant grill, and the industrialrefrigerator.
“Not a surprise,” he said, “considering this place was a window factory until a few months ago.” He nodded at a stool set near one of the benches. “Have aseat.”
“More like theruinsof a window factory,” I said, watching him lay down his bags and grab a bottle from one of the shelves as I took off my coat and gloves. “I remember walking past this building when I was a kid. I always figured there’d be ghostshere.”
He snorted. “In this factory? Not that I’ve seen.” He paused. “Now, if you mean the town of O’Leary, on the other hand, the place is chock full of ‘em.”
Parker sounded sad, or maybe just resigned. I wasn’t able to get a read on him. We’d never been close, even before he moved to Boston for college with his friend Ethan Scott, and I hadn’t done anything to change that since he moved back a few months ago. There was history between him and Jamie Burke—bad history, if the scene I’d walked in on the other night was any indication—and Jamie and I were friends. I hadn’t consciously taken sides, but I was beginning to realize that in the time-honored O’Leary tradition, I’d closed ranks against an outsider… even though Parker wasn’t technically anoutsider.
Parker arranged a pair of shot glasses on the table in front of me and I looked up at him insurprise.
“Is thatFireball?”
“That’s what it says on the bottle,” he agreed, pouring a liberal amount into each glass. “Guaranteed to clear yourmind.”
My eyes widened and I shook my head. “Eh. It’s onlylunchtime.”
“So? Live a little, Julian. Get out of yourhead.”
I sighed. That was exactly what I needed—to get out of my head, even if it was just for a minute. I downed the shot, coughing at the cinnamonburn.
“That’s the spirit,” he said, tossing me a wink as he downed his own shot. “Now, how do you like yourburger?”
“Medium.” I watched him unpack ingredients from the grocery bags and stack them on the counter. “But Parker, don’t you already have the ingredients for burgers here? I’ve had them myself.” And they were pretty good, too, though I’d never say so in front ofJamie.
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “But here I make gourmet burgers on brioche buns with aioli and fried eggs on top. Every once in a while, I just want something sloppy and fried like my mom used to make, on a bun that tastes like white bread, where the cheese-to-meat ratio is way too high. Youknow?”
I scratched my head. “No. But I’m willing to let you convinceme.”
He laughed again, but his gray-green eyes were sad. “You don’t know how much I appreciate that, Julian. Way too few people around here trust meanymore.”
Ifrowned.
Just then, acrashcame from upstairs, loud enough that I jumped off my seat, convinced the ceiling was caving in. Parker just shook hishead.
“Welcome to the construction zone life. It’s been five days and I’m already thinking his job cannot be done soonenough.”
“Construction?” I took my seat again, keeping a careful eye on theceiling.
“Yeah, didn’t you notice the trucks in the parking lot when we walkedin?”
