Defined By Deceit

Llew checked his watch. He had to go back now. “Hey, uh. Thanks, Doc.”

Dr. Jackson barked a short laugh. “Anytime, Llew. I’ll be in touch, but you have my cell now. Use it. Anytime, day or night. Use it first, before you do anything else.” Llew knew what he meant. Use the number before he ripped someone’s lips off and shoved them up their ass.

“Bye, Doc.”

Llew walked away from his seclusion. He didn’t hear anything but Doc’s voice when he’d been out there in the woods, but as he drew closer he heard the tractors and the powerful engines of the dump trucks. If anyone was still talking about or to him he couldn’t hear it, thank god. He walked up to Jack and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Llew. Something on your mind?”

“No. Well. I was thinking I could direct traffic for you the rest of the day.” Llew was way overqualified to just wave people through the site and judging by the disappointed look on Jack’s face, he knew it too. Just when Llew thought Jack was gonna dismiss him to do the menial task, he straightened up and narrowed his eyes before hissing out a stern, “No.”

“I need you on scaffolding.” Jack nodded his head back in the direction of the crew. Llew hesitated, noticing more than a few scowls and disgusted faces on the men. He felt like Jack was sending him out on the plank with a two-ton weight chained to his ankle. “Get back on the horse, Llew. Go on.”

He ignored the men and their snarling and got back to work. He did hammer a little harder than he needed to, but Jack didn’t comment. The afternoon went without further incident and Llew couldn’t have been more relieved when Jack announced it was quitting time. Typically, he’d like to be the first to arrive and the last to leave, but not now. He shoved his tool belt in his backpack and powerwalked to the road entrance. Men drove past him in their trucks, not one offering him a ride. He kept his eyes forward as he walked into town. He’d seen a bookstore when he went to the town meeting yesterday, and since he didn’t have a television yet, he needed something to pass the long nights when he got tired of working with his building software. He dropped his bag at the entrance and gave the woman at the counter a quick wave.

He was browsing through the biography section when he felt eyes on him. Keeping his head bowed as if he was still reading the book’s jacket, he cut his eyes up and saw a man watching him from around the bookcase. Llew sighed heavily and picked up another book on modern architecture, taking them both up to the counter. The young woman cringed when he set the books on the counter. He glanced her way but diverted his eyes back down to the counter. She didn’t ring up his books, just stared wide-eyed at him like he was on exhibit in a zoo.

Llew reached into his back wallet and quickly pulled out a few bills, but very slowly placed them on the counter and slid them in her direction. He didn’t wait for change. With his head hung low, he tucked the books under his arm instead of asking for a bag. This was his life now.

Since he hadn’t had lunch, he was practically starving, having worked all day with just a bacon sandwich and water. Now it was almost six-thirty. Ms. Pat was at bingo and he wouldn’t dare go in her kitchen without her being there. He slowed his steps as he approached the Country Kitchen. It was done up like a Cracker Barrel, but smaller. Everything old western; rusty tire wheels, ropes, and saddles turned into decorations. Llew peeked through the window and saw a few older couples siting at tables but it wasn’t crowded. He’d order his meal to go and be on his way. Hopefully, they wouldn’t refuse him service.

“Can I help you, shuga?” the woman asked him with a huge smile. Llew looked behind him to see if she was talking to someone else. She shook her head at him and laughed harder. “You must be that boy Pat was in here talkin’ ‘bout this mornin.’ She said you’s a shy one. Also say you do good handiwork and I told her I was gon’ call her this evening and see if you could take a look at my two booths over there. Both the benches need bolting down and the table leg is split on that other one, most likely needs replacing.”

Llew tried to keep up with her fast-talking country grammar as he turned and looked where she pointed.

“Yes ma’am I can fix them,” he said quietly.