hot to go • richie jermivich

Double Life

Claudia peels her carrots as she stands next to Tina and Richie. She listens in when Richie was talking about his date from last night. He showed Tina some photos from her profile. Claudia took a glance until Richie tilts the phone more to Tina.

"No sense of humor, you know?" Richie tells Tina.

"Maybe because you're not funny? Ever think of that?" Claudia says as she walks away to the back to get more carrots.

"Yo! Listen up!" Everyone drops everything and looked at Manny. "Okay i just yelled like that?" He turns to Carmy, shocked to see eyes on him. "Take this green tape off before it gets to us. It takes five seconds, cause once its soapy and our fingers are pruned, we cant fuck with this shit, cool?"

"Yes chef!" They all synchronized.

"Thank you for your time." Manny heads back. Claudia got her hands full with the carrots, now heading back to help Tina. Shes behind Richie, who looks at her but doesn't move.

"Behind." She tells him. He doesn't budge. "Behind!" She raises her voice. He doesn't move. "Richard! Move!" She yells, finally he gets out of her way.

"Oh! T, she has no sense of Chicago history." He goes on again about his date.

"She has nice eyes tho." Tina tells him.

"Yeah, she does." He smirks down at the photo.

"Nice eyes? She went on a date with you. Poor girl probably has bad sight." Tina laughs at her comment.

"Why are you a bitch this morning." He scuffs at her. "What, your fuck buddy canceled and now i gotta handle this?" He looks at her.

"Again, not funny." She frowns.

"Women find me hilarious, by the way!" He gets in front of her.

"Really? Is it because they just feel sorry for you or..." She pretends to think. "No, i think its just that."

"I bet men are excited to see you coming." He sarcastically said. Claudia puts away her knife and looks at him.

"Oh they are, when i tell you, they are hoping to come home with me. Im not just a pretty face." She walks away from him. Richie looks at Tina.

"Don't get me involved." Richie rolled his eyes.

—

Claudia stayed in the front, texting as Richie came out with her. She ignored him, not wanting to deal with him anymore. She texts with her old coworker, she takes a glance at Richie. He stands away from her, looking at the shop across the street. It looked like he was dislocating himself. She flips her phone on the table and tilts her head. Claudia was almost like worried about him.

"You good?" He looks at the ground as she snaps him back from his thoughts. "Yo? You okay?" She sounded so sincere. Something Richie didn't know she could do.

"Yeah." He said as he crossed his arms, chill. "It feels weird out there." Claudia looks around the room. Is he on something? What is this? What is he talking about? "Bar closed."

"You close with it? Go there a lot?" She goes on. Still felt weird.

"Nah. The owner and I dont really see eye to eye." You dont say she thought. "But it was nice to know it was there. It was like a fixture."

"Like Logan, Wicker, Pilsen." She lists on.

"They all suck now." She frowns.

"Well, they are different. Doesn't mean they suck."