At Last [Lip Gallagher]

Chapter 13:

I walked with Etta and Didi across to the laundromat. Fiona was tearing apart the floor when we walked in. 

"You're still closed, huh?" Etta asked.

Fiona turned to look at us.

"You know we're losing business." Etta said as she walked past Fiona and disappeared into the back.

Fiona watched her disappeared before looking back at Didi and I.

"Hey. Brought you some day old in case you're hungry." Didi said holding the food out to her.

"Thank you. How'd your shift go?" Fiona asked taking the food.

"Poppin all night. Pocketed $120. Less fun without you there, though." Didi said.

Didi turned and started leaving before Fiona called after her.

"Hey. Any chance you want to stay and help me out for a few hours with this floor? I gotta get this place up and running." Fiona asked.

"I'm pretty wiped. What are you paying?" Didi asked.

"Never mind. Just go get some rest." Fiona said.

"Cool." Didi said walking out.

Fiona turned to me. "Any chance of you helping me?" 

"Sure. Why not?" I asked shrugging.

"Seriously?" She asked.

I nodded. "If you really want me and/or need me to." 

"Come on." She smiled and gestured me over.

I dropped my stuff and grabbed an axe and goggles, starting to chip away at the floor. 

"Where do you want this?" A man asked coming in.

Fiona and I turned to see men with a TV coming in.

"You got the wrong place." Fiona laughed.

"Etta Teasdale? Wendall's Wash and Dry." The man said as he read off the clipboard her had.

"My new TV!" Etta exclaimed, walking out from the back.

"Etta. You don't even have a wall upstairs big enough for that thing." Fiona said standing up.

"Then it can stay down here. Ain't it a beaut?" Etta asked walking towards the TV.

"Just need you to sign." The man said to Etta.

"You sure that's how you want to spend your money?" Fiona asked.

"Well, who am I leaving it to? Got no kids. What I do have is a bank account full of cash and a new 65-inch TV." Etta laughed. "I'm gonna make some popcorn." 

"Where you want it?" The man asked.

"Just, uh, take it in the back, I guess." Fiona said.

Fiona and I moved out of the way of the men carrying the TV before getting to work. We started chipping away at the floor. After a while we were sitting around. My phone went off and I pulled it from my pocket to see a text from Sal.

"Why are you smiling?" Fiona asked.

I looked up to see her looking at me with a small smile. 

"My best friend, Sal." I said.

"Sal?" She asked.

"We met at my last job. He was the only one I really had." I explained.

"He?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes and put my phone back in my pocket. 

"Is it all right if he comes by later?" I asked.