Bite Sized

By Geonn Cannon

A new short stories F/F anthology from Geonn Cannon!

Burgers by the Beverlys - Beverly Keegan and Beverly Paris - Early and Bev - are the owners of BURGERS BY THE BEVERLYS, one of the hottest food trucks in Seattle. When another burger truck appears in their territory, the new competition may be the least of their worries.

A Crowd of Any Size - Rita, an introvert, is forced to attend her company Christmas party by her more outgoing wife, who takes time during the festivities to make sure Rita has an excellent time.

Dance with the Devil - Ten years ago, Paige stood at the crossroads and made a deal with a demon. Now her time is up...

Dressing Down - Penelope is a tailor who caters to women, promising suits that actually have pockets. On a rainy afternoon, she finds herself offering something far more useful to a new customer who is planning to ask a big question.

Everyone Who Made You - A chance run-in with an ex leads a woman and her wife to discuss past relationships on their walk home.

For My Next Trick - Cassie Weir just wants to sit in the dark and enjoy a magic show. But when she’s chosen for audience participation, she discovers the real magic behind the scenes.

Fresh Air - A woman takes a moment to escape her friend’s bachelorette party and gets some advice from the bartender.

Guest Room - Alice and April Hyatt are happily married and insanely in love with each other, but Alice's dance with a stranger gives April an idea of how they could add a little intrigue to their love life.

Indistinguishable from Magic - A woman is hired by a secretive tech company to test their newest creation: an artificial intelligence meant to mimic humanity.

Knife’s Edge - Amid the insanity of the circus, Arlie and Ru must place absolute trust in each other. Arlie trusts that the blades will hit their intended target, while Ru trusts that Arlie won't flinch. It would only take the smallest of mistakes to destroy that trust.

Long-Distance Relationship - Maureen Kemp has a fear of flying. Luckily flight attendant Clea Passet knows some tricks...

Maya, in the Passenger Seat - A woman reflects on her relationship during a long late-night drive home.

Muse in Repose - Two creative women whose careers complement each other share a blissful, ordinary morning together.

Neutral Corner - Tanner "Money" Moneta is still reeling from a devastating loss when a fan approaches her with an intriguing offer... and a dark request.

Or Best Offer - Maddie and Beck are happy together. Very happy. And ready to take the next step of moving in together. Unfortunately for Maddie, that means sacrifice in the form of a yard sale.

Overnight Sensation - One of them is going to be a star. The other is just happy to be along for the ride, helping however she can.

The Right Shoe and the Left Behind - A ghost from the past is waiting outside Camilla Fereday’s door.

The Valley - June is worried that her five-year-old relationship with Martha is stagnating, which leads her to make a horrible decision: looking on the internet for advice.

The Wall Dog’s Ghost Sign - An artist has an extremely special commission to finish.

Wolfshead: A Certain Outlaw - The authorities called her wolfshead, caput lupinum, an outlaw bereft of rights. Those who received the benefits of her theft called her Robin Hood. And Maid Marian called her "my hound." A wolfish take on the Robin Hood story, set in the Underdogs universe.

Wolves Eat Dogs - A dark story in the Underdogs series. A private eye is haunted by a series of vicious attacks in her town, unaware the truth is stranger and closer than she could guess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC
• Release date: May 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781944591687

Geonn Cannon

Geonn Cannon was born in a barn and raised to know better than that. He was born and raised in Oklahoma where he’s been enslaved by a series of cats, dogs, two birds and one unexpected turtle. He’s spent his entire life creating stories but only became serious about it when he realized it was a talent that could impress girls. Learning to write well was easier than learning to juggle, so a career was underway. His high school years were spent writing stories among a small group of friends and reading whatever books he could get his hands on.Geonn was inspired to create the fictional Squire’s Isle after a 2004 trip to San Juan Island in Washington State. His first novel set on the island, On the Air, was written almost as a side project to another story he wanted to tell. Reception to the story was so strong that the original story was put on the back burner to deal with the world created in On the Air. His second novel set in the same universe, Gemini, was also very well received and went on to win the Golden Crown Literary Society Award for Best Novel, Dramatic/General Fiction. Geonn was the first male author to receive the honor.While some of his novels haven’t focused as heavily on Squire’s Isle, the vast majority of Geonn’s works take place in the same universe and have connections back to the island and its cast of characters (the exception being the Riley Parra series). In addition to writing more novels based on the inhabitants of Squire’s Isle, Geonn hopes to one day move to the real-life equivalent to inspire further stories.Geonn is currently working on a tie-in novel to the television series Stargate SG-1, and a script for a webseries version of Riley Parra.

Book preview

Bite-Sized

Geonn Cannon

Smashwords Edition

Supposed Crimes LLC

Matthews, North Carolina

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2019 Geonn Cannon

Published in the United States

ISBN: 978-1-944591-68-7

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Burgers by the Beverlys - Beverly Keegan and Beverly Paris - Early and Bev - are the owners of BURGERS BY THE BEVERLYS, one of the hottest food trucks in Seattle. When another burger truck appears in their territory, the new competition may be the least of their worries.

A Crowd of Any Size - Rita, an introvert, is forced to attend her company Christmas party by her more outgoing wife, who takes time during the festivities to make sure Rita has an excellent time.

Dance with the Devil - Ten years ago, Paige stood at the crossroads and made a deal with a demon. Now her time is up...

Dressing Down - Penelope is a tailor who caters to women, promising suits that actually have pockets. On a rainy afternoon, she finds herself offering something far more useful to a new customer who is planning to ask a big question.

Everyone Who Made You - A chance run-in with an ex leads a woman and her wife to discuss past relationships on their walk home.

For My Next Trick - Cassie Weir just wants to sit in the dark and enjoy a magic show. But when she’s chosen for audience participation, she discovers the real magic behind the scenes.

Fresh Air - A woman takes a moment to escape her friend’s bachelorette party and gets some advice from the bartender.

Guest Room - Alice and April Hyatt are happily married and insanely in love with each other, but Alice's dance with a stranger gives April an idea of how they could add a little intrigue to their love life.

Indistinguishable from Magic - A woman is hired by a secretive tech company to test their newest creation: an artificial intelligence meant to mimic humanity.

Knife’s Edge - Amid the insanity of the circus, Arlie and Ru must place absolute trust in each other. Arlie trusts that the blades will hit their intended target, while Ru trusts that Arlie won't flinch. It would only take the smallest of mistakes to destroy that trust.

Long-Distance Relationship - Maureen Kemp has a fear of flying. Luckily flight attendant Clea Passet knows some tricks...

Maya, in the Passenger Seat - A woman reflects on her relationship during a long late-night drive home.

Muse in Repose - Two creative women whose careers complement each other share a blissful, ordinary morning together.

Neutral Corner - Tanner Money Moneta is still reeling from a devastating loss when a fan approaches her with an intriguing offer... and a dark request.

Or Best Offer - Maddie and Beck are happy together. Very happy. And ready to take the next step of moving in together. Unfortunately for Maddie, that means sacrifice in the form of a yard sale.

Overnight Sensation - One of them is going to be a star. The other is just happy to be along for the ride, helping however she can.

The Right Shoe and the Left Behind - A ghost from the past is waiting outside Camilla Fereday’s door.

The Valley - June is worried that her five-year-old relationship with Martha is stagnating, which leads her to make a horrible decision: looking on the internet for advice.

The Wall Dog’s Ghost Sign - An artist has an extremely special commission to finish.

Wolfshead: A Certain Outlaw - The authorities called her wolfshead, caput lupinum, an outlaw bereft of rights. Those who received the benefits of her theft called her Robin Hood. And Maid Marian called her my hound. A wolfish take on the Robin Hood story, set in the Underdogs universe.

Wolves Eat Dogs - A dark story in the Underdogs series. A private eye is haunted by a series of vicious attacks in her town, unaware the truth is stranger and closer than she could guess.

Burgers by the Beverlys

Early Keegan rested her hands on the counter and peered out through the window, narrowing her eyes at the bright pink truck parked across the street. Early’s truck was parked on a corner, which allowed her to see their new rival from the service window. The street-facing side of the other truck was emblazoned with a buxom blonde wearing a bra and holding a plate on one raised hand. The name of the truck - BRA & GRILL - was painted in big white letters above her head and again on the front of the truck above the windshield.

Her business partner, Bev Paris, looked up from her prep and caught Early staring. They have just as much right to be here. Just because we were set up first doesn’t give us squatter’s rights.

I know, Early grumped. It’s just shameless. Hot young women in bras cooking hamburgers, getting all sweaty...

Bev said, What’s that Jane Lynch quote? As a feminist, I’m appalled, but as a lesbian, I’m delighted! She chuckled, then sighed when Early continued to glare. Look, you think these bankers and businessmen are going to feel comfortable standing in line outside a place that looks like a mobile strip club? Not to mention all the secretaries and female workers who will ignore it on principle.

Early said, Yes, that’s why Hooters went out of business their first week.

Bev rolled her eyes. You’ll see when lunch starts. I did a lot of prep work. Far enough from brick-and-mortar restaurants so we aren’t siphoning their customers, still close enough to businesses that we can take advantage of the crowds. I checked twenty-five schedules and confirmed there are only three other food trucks within walking distance of this spot, which means in about ten minutes there are going to be a few dozen secretaries and financial managers flooding out of those buildings looking for something hot and fresh to eat. And that’s where we come in. She stood behind Early, put both hands on her shoulders, and gave her a quick squeeze. You’ll see.

I wish I had your confidence.

I have enough for the both of us. Bev went back to the counter where she’d left the condiments. They’re a gimmick. Gimmicks don’t last.

For six years, they’d been the owners and operators of Burgers by the Beverlys. They’d met two years before that in Starbucks when a barista called out Chai tea latte for Beverly! and they both went to retrieve it. First they determined they had the same name and ordered the same drink, then tried to make the other one take it. Early finally thought to check their receipts to see who’d ordered first. By that time, the second drink was ready and it was a moot point. They decided to share a table, got to know each other, and eventually decided they liked each other enough to meet up again.

Originally they were both Other Beverly, which evolved to going by last names. By the time their friendship became something romantic, both thought Keegan and Paris were far too impersonal.

My favorite high school teacher used to call me Early, because I always showed up before the first bus. They were lying in bed in the afterglow of their fourth or fifth time, sweat drying on their skin, and the irritation of only using last names was finally beginning to take its toll on their sex life.

Did you have a crush on her? Bev teased.

That’s neither here nor there, Early said. But I always thought it would be a cool nickname. It never caught on with anyone else. You could call me that. I could call you Bev.

She wrinkled her nose. I’ve never really liked Bev. Sounds like... I don’t know, some lady in Queens with high heels and too much hairspray.

You could go by your middle name.

Rae.

Oh.

Yeah.

Early dragged the backs of her fingers over her currently-nameless partner’s stomach. "Well, I have to have something to call out in the middle of... exciting times."

You can call me Bev. At least until we come up with something better.

All right. Early rolled over on top of her. Why don’t we take it for a test run...?

They never had come up with anything better. After a few days, Bev admitted that her original prejudice against the name had vanished. I associate it with you now. It’s what you call me, so I hear it in your voice and... yeah. It’s fine now. I like it.

The burger truck was their next big decision. They’d been dating for almost a year when Bev brought it up. Early loved to grill and Bev had always dreamed of starting her own restaurant, but the overhead was unbelievable. She was looking at used cars online when she spotted the truck for sale. It was perfect, it was pristine, and it was just barely inside her price range. If she split the cost with Early...

Can you afford that and a car?

Well...

Bev.

It’s an investment! So I’ll stick with the blue beast for a while longer, just until we start to see a profit.

"If we see a profit..."

Bev said, If we don’t, we sell the truck and I use the money to buy a car. It could be fun. And people really need to taste your burgers.

Early was proud of her burgers. She mixed patties with sweet smoked paprika and brown sugar before grilling them. Combined with Bev’s patented ranch-flavored French fries and the easy banter she could pull off with the customers, Early thought maybe they had something special. They slept on it and, in the morning, Early agreed to put some of her savings toward the experiment. A week later they owned the truck and were spending their evenings trying to lock down a name for their new business.

And now, after six years of hills and valleys, now that they seemed to have finally found a balance, they had to deal with busty co-eds setting up camp across from their best spot. And sure, she and Bev wore tank tops and shorts, but that was because they worked in a 12 foot by 16 foot kitchen with a grill on one side and a fryer on the other. If they wore anything more substantial, they’d likely melt.

By that logic, Early could almost give Bra & Grill the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it started as a practical decision that they decided to take full advantage of. But understanding why they were doing it didn’t mean she had to like or support it.

So she was going to focus on the burgers. They only had a few minutes before lunch started, and she liked to have a few patties on the grill for the early customers. She put on an apron, gave her hands a quick wash, and got to work. They only used fresh ground beef, necessary for her special recipe and for the best taste, so she had to shape each burger individually. She’d gotten good at giving each burger a uniform size and shape so she could do it without really thinking about it.

She slapped the first burger down and the grill hissed in response. Bev, from her station, added a hiss of her own.

Now that’s the sound of success!

There was a man in a suit waiting at the window by the time the first batch was ready to be transferred to buns. Bev moved into her position and craned her neck to examine the line.

Hey, you look like a bunch of hungry fellas. Why don’t you line up nice and tidy and tell us what you need so you can get back to your desks as soon as possible. She pointed to someone she recognized farther back in the line. Hector, I’m going to make sure you get some peppers sliced up nice and fresh, you spicy-food-loving freak. But you’re first, pal, so peruse the menu and let me know what sounds delicious.

Bev took the orders, Early cooked them. It played to both their strengths. Bev had a natural rapport with everyone who came to their window, whether it was their first time or their twentieth burger. She was just damn good at talking to people. Early didn’t have that talent, but she could put together a burger like nobody’s business. She added the condiments to the first burger - brown mustard, lettuce, no tomatoes - and wrapped it in paper emblazoned with their logo. Bev already had the fries waiting and passed them through the window to the customer. In the brief time that process took, three more customers had lined up. Bev smiled smugly and Early rolled her eyes as she went back to the grill.

Business continued steadily through the lunch hour, just as Bev predicted. They opened at eleven thirty and stuck around until two o’clock to catch the late-lunch stragglers. Eventually the line dwindled down to nothing and Bev decided it was time to close up shop for the afternoon. Early was exhausted and her arms shone with sweat both from the work and the heat from the grill.

Bev went outside to pull down the menu board. She also shut off the generator, and the sudden silence was almost deafening. Early could hear traffic and distant sirens again. She sighed and washed her hands, then wiped away some of the sweat off her face and arms. As she was doing that, she heard a woman call out, Hey neighbors! When she turned around, there was a tanned blonde woman in painted-on jean shorts and a black bikini top sashaying across the street with a brown paper bag in either hand. She looked like a Barbie doll come to life, and she was heading straight for their truck.

Bev looked through the order window with eyes that screamed, Help me.

Early winked and hurried back toward the fridge where she was out of sight from the street.

Hi! I’m Madeline! I own Bra & Grill. We used to be in Spokane, but I just moved out here. I wanted to say hi! If you’re anything like us, I know you probably didn’t have a chance to stop to have lunch for yourselves. And you’re probably sick of your own food. So I thought I’d introduce myself with a gift of food! Two bacon cheeseburgers with all the fixins. Our best-seller.

Oh. That’s... so kind of you. Uh, I’m Beverly Paris. And my partner... who is hiding at the moment, apparently, is Beverly Keegan.

You’re both named Beverly? Oh! Burgers by the Beverlys! I get it! I thought it was, like, a geographical thing or something and I just didn’t know the area well enough yet.

Early kept her back against the fridge and rolled her eyes.

It was complicated at first, Bev said, but we figured it out.

I’m sure you did. Well, you Beverlys enjoy the burgers. Hopefully we’ll see you out here tomorrow, too! Ciao!

Early remained hidden until the window was closed and Bev climbed back into the truck.

Coward. She smirked and held out one of the bags. You could have at least poked your head out and said hello.

You’re the face of the company, I’m the silent partner. She took the bag. She hated to admit the food did smell delicious, and she really was starving. She leaned against the counter and opened the bag. Did she say they were going to be back tomorrow?

Bev winced. I hoped you hadn’t heard that part.

Early sighed. I guess we could always move farther downtown. We haven’t been to McGraw Square in a while.

We don’t have a permit for that location. So it won’t help us tomorrow. Or tonight, for that matter.

They’ll be back tonight?

Bev nodded. I saw the schedule on the back of their truck. Six to nine.

Are you sure that was their schedule and not just a crass joke?

Bev smirked at her. At least they would only overlap a little. She and Bev would come back for the dinner crowd at four-thirty and stay until seven. Their business would be slowing down anyway by the time the Bra & Grill truck came back. She took a bite of the burger and, to her dismay, it tasted amazing. She glanced at Bev, who was watching her with a knowing smile.

It tastes great, doesn’t it?

Early threw a napkin at her. Shut up.

#

The opening day of Burgers by the Beverlys had been a hectic mess. They hadn’t gotten their tablet ordering system figured out yet, so Bev tried to keep track of everything on a notepad. The line became unwieldy, customers got sick of waiting and wandered off, people got the wrong burgers or the food was cold by the time it was finally in the right hands. They granted more refunds than they had in the cash register, which seemed like an impossibility, but somehow they managed to right the ship and ended the day with a small profit.

It was dark by the time they finally pulled away from the curb and headed toward the commissary. Before starting their venture, Early had never considered where the phalanx of food trucks went at night. Now she knew there was a commissary where they could park overnight, and an invisible army of elves would come and clean the whole truck, inside and out. She knew it wasn’t magic because they were paying way too much for that, but it certainly was a lifesaver.

Bev was behind the wheel, the official driver of the company. Early was beside her to navigate. They’d been to the commissary before to sign the papers, but she still wanted to be absolutely sure. The truck was their dream for so long that she didn’t want anything to go wrong now that it was a reality. She’d been so rushed the entire day and her adrenaline was finally starting to wear off. Her foot bounced on the floormat, and she drummed her fingers on her thigh.

Pull over.

Do you need to throw up? Bev asked, checking to make sure she could safely pull over.

Early shook her head. There. Pull in there.

That’s an alley, babe. You won’t be able to open the door...

Doesn’t matter. Pull in there.

Bev did as she was told. She had barely put the truck in park when Early unfastened her seatbelt and lunged across the distance between the seats. She straddled Bev and smothered her surprised laughter with a kiss. Bev was initially stiff but quickly decided Early wasn’t going to be dissuaded and began to take full advantage of the moment. Early leaned back and peeled off her T-shirt, tossing it into the now-empty passenger seat before she helped Bev take hers off.

We did it, she said before bowing down for another kiss.

We did. Bev ran her fingers up Early’s spine to the clasp of her bra.

Both were aware of just how close to a main road they were, even though it was late and they’d seen hardly any traffic on their way here. Later Bev had revealed she was worried a cop would pull up behind them and knock on the back door at any moment. Early confessed she’d had the same worry. But that was part of the thrill, right? Almost getting caught.

Maybe for you, Bev said. The only thrill I needed was the hot blonde sitting on my lap.

They hadn’t risked taking off their shorts, going only as far as unbuttoning and unzipping. Early reached back and gripped the bottom of the steering wheel for leverage as she thrust against Bev’s hand, and Bev eventually pulled her close and buried her face between Early’s breasts to muffle her moans of pleasure when she came. They were both sweaty and sore and gross from their long day of work, but neither cared.

Afterward Early remained in Bev’s lap, cradling her head and catching her breath. She kissed the top of Bev’s head.

Are we going to be late to the commissary?

We can show up any time after eight.

Cool.

Eventually she moved to her own seat. She tossed Bev’s shirt back to her and they dressed. Fortunately Bev had put them in an alley where she could just drive forward to the next street instead of trying to reverse out. They continued on to the commissary and left the truck. Bev was a little anxious about simply abandoning it that first day, but over the years she’d gained an unshakeable confidence in the staff. And all these years later, there were times when they were driving back to the commissary and one or both of them would glance at the other with a knowing smile whenever they reached an empty stretch of road.

Early was thinking about that night when they returned to their spot at four o’clock. They didn’t generally have many customers until people started leaving work to go home, but she liked to be as early as possible. She set up the generator and put the menu up just in case people decided to skip out on the last little bit of work. She looked across the street at the empty curb where Bra & Grill would be parking in just over an hour.

Do we have any empty pickle jars?

Bev was wiping down the order counter. You’re not breaking glass in their spot.

Early aimed a finger at her. You made that leap. I didn’t say that. It didn’t come from me. She put her hands on her hips and looked around the prep area. It doesn’t have to be pickle jars.

Play nice.

I don’t want to play nice. She ran her eyes down Bev’s body. You know, you could fight fire with fire. Take off your T-shirt.

Bev stuck her tongue out. I’m not wearing a cute bra.

So take off the bra, too.

You’re a menace.

Early got back in the truck and made sure her grill was ready for the rush. She glanced in the fridge and saw a burger was already made and wrapped in white paper.

What is... She realized its purpose. Oh hell, no.

I’m just trying to be neighborly!

Early shut the fridge door. You’re not giving one of my burgers to those bimbos!

They gave us theirs. It’s only polite to return the favor. Do you really want to start a feud? Maybe we can become friends. Then we can just say ‘look, this is our spot, would you mind...?’ And they’ll toddle off somewhere else. Like the University District. All those college guys would line up around the block to see those tits.

Early raised her eyebrows. Those tits?

Bev blushed. Tits. Any tits. Not... She waved her hand in the air. You know what I meant.

Yeah, I do, Early said, playfully swatting her hand at Bev’s. Now I wish I hadn’t been hiding so I could get an up-close look.

An up-close look? Now who is being a pervert?

Still you, babe.

Bev sighed and focused on her tablet. Early finished her prep and had the grill ready to go by the time the first customer appeared in the window.

The dinner rush kept Early occupied enough that she didn’t even notice when the Bra & Grill rolled in across the street. She finally realized it was there when she caught Bev staring instead of taking a customer’s order. She stepped away from the grill and snapped her fingers near Bev’s head.

Hey. Extra onions and mustard, right?

What? Oh. Yeah. Right. She smiled apologetically at the customer. Would you like something to drink with that?

When Bev went to the fridge to get the soda, Early whispered, I can handle the next few customers if you want to run the burger over to the bra brigade.

No, it can wait.

Early put a hand on Bev’s arm and forced her to stop. They made eye contact. What’s going on with you?

Nothing. She patted Early’s hand. She tried to fake a smile. It’s fine.

Early didn’t buy it, but she also wasn’t in a position to press the issue. She went back to shaping patties while Bev focused on taking orders. It was a quarter to seven when there was a lull.

Go ahead and take the burger over, she said. I’ll handle anyone who shows up in the meantime.

They’re busy.

Bra & Grill did indeed have a line, but Bev hadn’t even bothered to look out the window to check her lie. Early crossed her arms over her chest.

Okay, what’s going on?

Nothing. Bev was washing her hands in the sink.

They’re clean, Early snapped. What’s going on with you? Why are you acting like this?

Bev sighed and slumped her shoulders. I don’t know. Okay? She took a paper towel and dried her hands. I just want to be friendly.

And you’re worried that she’ll think it’s something more. Bev looked away, and Early realized the truth. "Or that she won’t. Do you like her, Bev?"

I... don’t...

Early smiled and looked down at her shoes. When she spoke again, her voice was tender. Bev, you and I broke up a long time ago. I prepared for the idea of watching you date someone else.

Why didn’t you tell me to prepare? She slumped against the counter and looked across the street. You should have seen her, Early. She’s petite, blonde hair, blue-eyed, huge smile.

Just your type.

Bev said, I don’t have a type.

You have a type. Don’t deny it. She closed the distance between them. We promised to be professional. We weren’t going to let our stupid personal stuff get in the way of our business.

That’s what I’m doing! No stupid personal stuff.

You’re letting the stupid personal stuff get in the way of doing your job. She put her hands on Bev’s shoulders. Look at me. You’re a great person. I love you. I love running this truck with you. All the hurt feelings and depression at breaking up is gone. Scars are healed. Right?

Bev nodded. Right.

As your business partner, I want you focused. As your ex, I just want you to be happy. And as your friend, I want you to take a shot with a girl who could be perfect for you, even if she has to be a skank who works in her underwear.

Bev glared at Early, but she also laughed under her breath. Oh, geez. She rubbed her knuckle against the corner of her eye. I want to ask her out.

Do it. She’d be an idiot to say no.

Will it make things weird? With... you know, here, us, the truck...

Early said, No. Maybe if it was a few months ago. Maybe if you went drooling over the first pretty face you saw after we called it quits. But it’s been long enough. I want you to be happy. The only thing I’m a little upset about is that you get to move on first. I should get my butt in gear and see if there’s anyone out there for me.

Bev smiled. There is. There’s probably eight women out there for you right now. You’ll find them once you start looking.

Early went back to the grill. I’ll have the cold burger from the fridge for my dinner, and I’ll make your little girlfriend something fresh and hot.

You don’t have to do that.

If our archenemies are going to taste a Burger by the Beverlys, I am not going to let them judge us based on that. She waved her spatula dismissively at the fridge. I’ll make her an Early Bird Special.

Bev raised her eyebrows. Whoa, slow down, cowgirl. I’m not proposing to her.

I’m not going halfway. Early prepared the grill for Early Bird Special, her personal favorite and the most expensive option on their menu. She paused before adding the meat to the fire. And I won’t make fun of her. The outfit, the stupid name of their truck, all of that. Unless she says no and breaks your heart, then I’m going to tear her to shreds.

Bev laughed and stepped up behind Early to hug her. Thank you, Beverly.

You’re welcome, Beverly.

A year ago, she never would have imagined being in this position. Their relationship had ended suddenly, just a burst of irritation and anger and resentment. They were sick of each other’s company. Everything Bev did grated on Early’s nerves at the same time Bev seemed to become allergic to the sound of Early’s voice. The only