Recalculating

Chapter 4

Tamika took her to Denny's. Tamika's shift was over, anyway. Mercy said she needed to finish her shift. Davis was the manager. He had to be there, but he said he'd come as soon as he closed up. Gina had the feeling Mercy could have gotten off work early if she'd liked, especially since Davis was clearly her boyfriend, she she hadn't asked.

They were shown to a booth built for eight. Gina edged herself into the large C shape from one side, Tamika scooched in from the other. Their waitress was an older woman who was swimming in her uniform. She had either recently lost weight or been forced to cover for someone twice her size. Tamika ordered Buffalo wings, mild. Gina ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato.

Tamika gasped at that and said, "Oh my Lord."

"What?" Gina asked. "Does Mercy order that too?"

"No," Tamika said. Then she gave a smile that had some apology in it. "It just sounds nasty."

Gina liked her. You had to like her.

"So," Tamika said. "Your Dad sounds like quite a character."

And that was the opening Gina hadn't known she needed. She talked and talked about her Dad. His collecting. His quirks. How he had kept Gina going after her mother died. How he loved treasure hunts and giving clues.

Tamika listened and patted her hand, and gave Gina her napkin when Gina soaked hers through and it got all ratty.

The food came, that was how long Gina talked for. Tamika had hardly said a word in that whole time.

Now Gina fell to her sandwich voraciously. God, it tasted good. The bread was toasted and buttery, the fake cheese slippery against her lips. She even enjoyed the anemic tomato, which she had to press back into the cheese with her fingertips to keep it from falling out onto the plate.

"If you ask me," Tamika said. "You got the good deal. I've known Mercy for years. I shouldn't tell you how but I will. She was a foster kid at my house for a while. My mama took in kids and Mercy lived with us for about a year and a half while her mama, well, I guess it would be your mama, went to rehab. I'm the one who helped Mercy get a job at Best Buys. Not that you'll ever get a 'thank you' out of that girl."

Gina popped the last bit of crust of her sandwich into her mouth. Tamika waved the waitress down.

"We would like another grilled cheese with tomato, please. And a milkshake. What's your favorite flavor?" she asked Gina.

"Chocolate."

"Let me get one, too," Tamika told the waitress. Then, once she'd left, to Gina, "You look like one of them foster kids yourself. When's the last time you ate?"

"I don't know," Gina said. "I've been cleaning out my father's house."

"All by yourself, I imagine?"

Gina nodded.

"Do you have any other family?"

Gina shook her head.

"Hmmm," Tamika said. She turned her attention to her Buffalo wings for a moment.

Gina picked up the table ad and flipped through it. There were a lot of desserts to be had at Denny's. All of them could be had a la mode. Some came at a discount with certain meals.

Gina was suddenly very, very tired.

Just as the waitress was delivering the second grilled cheese, along with the shakes, which came topped with whipped cream, in a tall molded parfait glass, with the reminder in its own frosty silver shake cup, Mercy and Davis entered.

Davis led her over to the table, holding Mercy's hand like she was a child who might run away.

"You're still here!" he said. "We were worried you'd go."

"This one is very hungry," Tamika said, nodding toward Gina. "She needs to remember to feed herself."

David slid in next to Tamika. Mercy chose to sit next to him, instead of edging in on the other side with Gina.

"Mmm, shakes," Mercy said. "Can I have the rest of yours?" she asked Tamika.

"You can have mine," Gina said. "No way I can drink it all." She pushed the cup over to Mercy. Mercy shrugged and took it.

She had reapplied her make-up Gina realized. Mercy's lipstick was fresh and her eye make-up looked darker and more precise. So maybe, maybe she did care, just a tiny bit.