Chance Taken

10

Veronica

Hearing him say the videos were depressing triggered me, but him claiming Shanaya was a liar took that to a whole new level of anger. Add to that his mention of the Phoenix Rising House and all my self-restraint was gone.

How dare he call any of these women liars?

How dare he call Anne, the woman who runs the Phoenix and one of the absolute gems of humanity his friend? I send a lot of the women I interview her way to get help, and she is so often successful in getting them set up for a better life.

I bet he lurks around the Phoenix Rising House as so many lowlifes like him do, preying on the women who go there to seek help. Those vultures swarm those kinds of places, just looking for weakness and before you know it, those poor women just looking for a helping hand are right back where they started. Or in an even darker place.

I was actually starving when he suggested lunch and I thought the walk to this place would give us a nice opportunity to chat about what he thinks of the videos he watched, but now I’m downright nauseous and dreading the walk back.

Almost all the tables in the small outdoor area of the sandwich place were taken, but the interior is empty, save for Casper, the sweet man with Down ’s Syndrome who works here on weekdays. He’s smiling at us widely as we approach the counter, his white hat askew atop his head, and his unruly fiery red hair sticking out this way and that.

“What is this?” Chance asks loudly as he approaches the counter. “Do they know you’re out here and not in the back?”

Casper laughs heartily at that, but I’m sure he must be totally mortified.

“Hi Casper,” I say sweetly. “And how are you today?”

“Just great,” he says amid chuckles. “What can I get you?”

I usually love their grilled turkey sandwich, but my appetite is still nowhere near up to tackling that.

“I’ll have a slice of your excellent forest fruit cheesecake and an iced tea,” I tell him and he nods.

“And the usual for you?” he asks Chance.

“Yeah, and don’t burn the bread this time,” Chance says loudly like maybe he thinks poor Casper is deaf.

“Oh, what a jokester,” a gruff voice calls from the kitchen at the back.

He laughs and turns to Casper. “And if you haven’t had your lunch yet, you can join us. Anything you want, on me, none of that gruel they usually give you.”

That makes Casper laugh again and the guy in the back calls out, “You’re just on a roll today, aren’t you? Trying to impress that pretty girl you’re with?” and I officially no longer have any idea what is going on.

“It’s fine,” Casper says, amid chuckles. “She likes coming here too.”

He looks at me as he says it and I smile again and tell him he’s absolutely right, even though I still think he’s somehow the butt of Chance’s joke without even knowing it. Callous. Just callous.

“So you two already know each other?” Chance asks in an exaggeratedly surprised voice.

“Just from this place,” Casper mutters, giving me a shy look.

“Well, this is Veronica, I’m working for her now,” Chance says then turns to me. “And Veronica, meet my uncle, Casper.”

Uncle?

I was already unsure of my footing before, and now, as I return Casper’s friendly nod, it’s completely gone.

“I try to have lunch with him here at least once a week,” he tells me as Casper goes to fill our orders. “I hope you don’t mind him joining us.”

“Not at all,” I say and walk to a booth by the door. My anger at Chance is quickly deflating and leaving behind a weird, unsettled, icky feeling.

Casper comes to bring me my cake and iced tea, and a soda for Chance. He also tells him that he’s having the same thing as Chance for lunch—a spicy brisket sandwich, and Chance teases him some more about how he can’t handle spicy food so he better.

They have an easy, friendly banter going, and once Casper brings their sandwiches, it only grows in intensity.