“We’re going out of town, so I brought some leftovers for you. I don’t want them to go to waste since we won’t be around to eat them.”
Relief courses through me. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stretch the food out for a day or two before I need to go shopping. With the holiday, the store is probably more packed than usual. And with this sudden change in schedule, there’s no way I’d have time to run to Laredo and pick up what I need. “Okay, Mom. Thank you.”
“Lonny is taking me to San Antonio.” Even though I can’t see her, I know she’s got a silly grin on her face. “He got a hotel room on the Riverwalk.”
I can’t help but smile. She sounds as giddy as a schoolgirl. “Mom, that’s great! You’ll have a lot of fun. There’s plenty of places to eat and shop.”
“I hope so. The storm isn’t supposed to hit that area, but we might get some wind... Daisy, no! Bad girl.” She lets out an exasperated breath. “She got into the trash.”
I wince, turning to rinse the shampoo from my hair. She must have sniffed out the burger I tossed in there. “Ugh, It’s my fault. I dropped my dinner last night and ended up throwing everything out. I’m sorry.”
“Let me get her. She’s heading to the doggy door with the bag.” Smart. She knows enough to make a run for it with her prize.
“Okay. I’ll clean up once I’m done.” I squeeze a generous amount of body wash on my scrubby.
“I’ve got it. We need to get going anyway.”
“Have fun!”
“I will. The hotel is pet friendly, so we’ll take Daisy with us since you’ll be working. We’ll be back Sunday night…” Her voice trails off as she goes down the hall. “Don’t forget to turn off the air. It’ll save us a bundle if it’s off while you’re out.”
“Will do.” So, I’m on my own for the weekend. At least I won’t have to explain why I’m going into the office the next couple of days. I pull the towel from the bar, dry off then wrap it around myself to move to the bedroom.
I’m tying the laces on my sneakers when my stomach rumbles. What can I expect? All I managed yesterday was maybe half a plain ham sandwich and a cup of mac and cheese at the end of the night.
I head straight to the fridge and pull up the foil on the first dish I see. Cheese enchiladas with Mexican rice. That’ll work. Hopefully, I’ll have a chance to take a few bites while Addler checks invoices.
Setting the dish on the counter, I go to the pantry, intent on pulling out a plastic grocery bag to use for my lunch. The wastebasket catches my attention. I need to take care of...wait. The soft, drink-stained napkins I threw out last night are still in the bag. Did Mom catch Daisy before she made a mess? No, she was heading out the doggy door with the bag.
Curious, I lift a corner of the napkin to find the remnants of last night’s burger sitting there. What the heck? I pull a bag from the box in the pantry and whip it open. The smiley face jumps out at me, reminding me to have a nice day.
Blood’s rushing in my ears. Oh no. My sandwich and Bill’s receipts... Horrified, I drop the bag, dashing to the living room. The spot next to the love seat is empty. “Oh God. Daisy, you didn’t…” Light-headed, I turn, bounding down the hall. The back door stops me in my tracks. I’m shaking, and, try as I might, my boneless fingers can’t work the lock. “Argh!” Finally, I flip the handle on the dead bolt and rush out into the howling wind.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” My hair whips against my face. Leaves and bits of trash are flying everywhere. I pull the lid off the trash can only to have Styrofoam plates and a few scraps of paper fly in every direction. “Ahhh!”
The lid clatters to the ground as I jump, reaching out in every direction, desperately trying to catch anything within reach. I manage a corner of something only to have the wind tear away the rest of the paper. I push my hair back with one hand, reaching out with the other. “Noooooo!”
I watch helplessly as the wind takes everything away. Tears burn the back of my eyes. Despite all my efforts to get things in line and get him used to keeping track of his expenses, I may have just cost Bill his job.