Paul Griffin - Stay with Me

Table of Contents

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Copyright 2011 by Paul Griffin

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Griffin, Paul, date.
Stay with me / by Paul Griffin.
p. cm.
Summary: Fifteen-year-olds Mack, a high school drop-out but a genius with dogs,
and Cce, who hopes to use her intelligence to avoid a life like her mothers,
meet and fall in love at the restaurant where they both work, but when Mack
lands in prison he pushes Cce away and only a one-eared pit bull can keep them together.

ISBN : 978-1-101-52943-0

[1. LoveFiction. 2. RestaurantsFiction. 3. Family lifeFiction.
4. Pit bull terriersFiction. 5. DogsFiction. 6. AbilityFiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.G8813594St 2011
[Fic]dc22
2011001287

http://us.penguingroup.com

For my editor and friend, Kate Harrison,
and for Juan G., who dreams of happy endings

A HUNDRED AND TWO DAYS.

Thats probably about average, but it didnt seem close to that long, especially in the beginning, that first month or so. It was just getting to that sweet spot, where everything is perfect for a while. A short while. Before it starts to fadelittle by little, usually. Not for them, though. For them, it was ripped away in the middle of an ordinary summer afternoon, in a little less than a minute and a half.

It happened in a city you may or may not have heard of, but you probably know thempeople like them. You have a friend like her, and maybe youve worked with somebody like him. At minimum, youve seen them around, in restaurants, on the street, walking a dog or two. People said, Hey, whats the big deal? It happens all the time. And it does. Until it happens to you. Then its something different all right, especially when youre left to wander the wreckage.

It started in an unremarkable way, the same way it starts for lots of people: A hint was dropped, an introduction was made. When youre set up like that, you think itll never work out. But it can, and sometimes it does.

It does .

And then somebody does something stupid. Not stupid. Somebody loses control. And then...

A hundred and two days. And then it was over.

THE FIRST DAY...

(Friday, June 12, just before the dinner shift)

MACK:

Bad news, Vic says.

Theres another kind?

I lost the restaurant.

Another tough night at the online poker table?

Catastrophic. The old man saddles a flipped milk crate and clobbers garlic cloves with his hand. Says it makes him feel one with the earth, except theres not a lot of earth up here in the city. Baked concrete, now, that we got. Back in Texas, there you had land. Im bringing you and Tony over to my other place, Vic says. Didnt I send you there once, to fill in for Freddy maybe, Valentines Day?

No sir. I only started working here three months ago.

It isnt far from here. Youll still be able to walk to work. Youll like it there. Nice family atmosphere. Tonys mom works there. His sister too.

He told me. He also said his sister would like me, but I dont think so. Im no good at looking folks in the eye. I guess Im taller than average, but I grew up small, didnt hit my growth spurt till later. I dont know. I steer clear of people as much as I can. Vic and Tony. Theyre the only folks I feel a little comfortable with. I dont mind it so much, being alone. You cant do anything about it. Youve got to keep going. What else are you going to do? Whatre you gonna do about the name of the other restaurant, Mister Vic? He has Vics and Vics Tooor he did until he lost Vics.

Itll still be Vics Too, he says. Brand recognition. Very important.

I see. No, I dont. How do you have a Too when the first one is gone? My spot at the new place, dishwashing?

Freddy keeps smoking pot on the job, youre in, Vic says. Till then, youre on delivery. You look disappointed.

I like to clean stuff.

I know, Vic says. Youre very good at it. The grease on those plates. Youre uncompromising.

Thought you just said I was good.

I suspect Freddy wont last, Vic says. I gave him half a dozen chances to straighten up, and he left me chapfallen every time. Six or seven more times, Ill have to let him go.

I hear you. Yeah. Im betting chapfallen means nothing near what I think it means.

Are you seeing a picture of a fancy British guy falling off a horse?

I am.

Yeah, Vic says, then you would be wrong. It means he douched me. Vic looks about as smart as a thrown stone, but hes the king of the crosswords. Very potent word, chapfallen . Remember it. Vic says potent a lot too.

Why would I use chapfallen when I can say douched instead?

Because you might not want to say douched in front of a woman.

I do see your point.

You up for some Wiffle ball? the old man says.

I got a bunch more prep work to do.

Ey, look at me.

Yessir? I look him in the eye, but a second later Im back to looking at my sneaker laces. Ones busted, but I have string in my pocket.

Youre fifteen, not fifty, Vic says. I dont tell somebody to do something unless Im sure Im right about it. I know what I know. Right here, right now, for you, this is the right thing, this Wiffle ball. You need to do this.

I need to do Wiffle ball?

He studies the ball in his hand. Kid, no matter how much money you make, youll spend more than you have. You miss a chance at fun, you never get it back. Now go on out and tell Tony I said knock it off with the clams. You work too hard, the two of you. Vic grabs the Wiffle bat from where we keep it with the long breads and chucks it to me. I gotta call this guy, then Ill be out.

Out back, Tonys shucking cherrystones. Its hot for early June, and Im sweating, but Tony doesnt sweat. Hes the coolest dude, eighteen but with old-man wisdom. I cant look him in the eye either.

The restaurant backs up onto an old house on the one side. The neighbors dog hops the fence to hang with us. Dog jumps all over Tony. Tonys laughing and telling the dog all nice to sit, but the dog has Tony on his pay no mind list.

I make my hand a claw and poke the dogs flank, like his mom would do. Dog spins and looks at me. I have no problem looking him in the eye while real quiet I grunt Wait. Dog rolls belly up for me to scratch him. His tail beats dust from the concrete.

Im telling you, Mack, you gotta do it. Tony is always after me to start my own dog training business. Youd make serious coin.

I dont have the money for the school.

You dont need the school, Tony says.

You need the license from the school, or people dont think youre any good.

Tony claps my back to make me look him in the eye. How much is it?

The school? Got no idea. I got the exact idea.