gone.”
O N THE SECOND tattoo removal trip, while Erik was back in the treatment room getting those horrid words blasted with a laser, Luther got a call from his boss, which was unheard of. He scowled as he answered the phone with a tentative hello as he slipped outside the clinic door so he didn’t disturb the people sitting in the waiting room.
“Luth, I’ve got some bad news.”
“Oh?”
“The higher-ups are slowing production here in the eastern Bakken. Unless you’re willing to transfer out to Williston, which I see in your employment file you’re not, I’ve gotta lay you off immediately. Is that right, you’re not willing to go west?”
It wasn’t the first time a layoff had happened. It wouldn’t be the last. And it was true he wanted nothing to do with Williston again. He could barely handle the crowding between Tioga and Stanley anymore, and that was barren compared to Williston. Not to mention what had happened to Erik out there. “Uh… not really. Any idea how long this’ll last?”
“Could be a few months or more. It all depends. Right now I’ve got an overabundance of roustabouts, and since you’re one of the newest guys on my crew and you’ve been taking a lot of days off recently….”
He had been, but each day he’d taken off was for something worthwhile, whether it was for Erik or his grandma’s house. “I get it. How long do I have before I need to be out of my trailer? I’m in Fargo right now.”
“Tomorrow by midnight. Leave your forwarding address with the office so we can get back in touch.”
“Will do.”
His boss hung up before Luther even had a chance to say good-bye.
When he stepped back into the waiting room, Erik was already done and paying at the front desk. “Oh, hey. I wondered where you’d wandered off to. I was hoping I didn’t need to hitch a ride back home.”
“I wouldn’t leave ya. How’d it go?”
“Great. She doesn’t think I’ll need to come back.”
“That’s good.” Luther held the door open, and Erik smiled as he stepped out into the late-afternoon August heat. “Would you mind…?”
“Would I mind what?”
“Could we head back now rather than spending the night? I’ll drive the whole way so you can rest and get comfortable.”
“Sure,” he said around a weary smile.
SEVEN
R IGID
L UTHER DROVE WEST in stunned silence. Erik eyed him, staring for several minutes before he looked back out the windshield.
“Did something happen?” Erik asked after the city dissolved into countryside.
Apparently it was impossible to keep the worry off his face. “I just got laid off. That’s never bothered me before, but now….”
“Now?” Erik asked after the silence went on for several minutes.
“Now it does. I need to be out of my trailer by tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Five green mile markers passed before Erik said, “That fucking sucks. What are you going to do?”
“Go to my gra— my house, I guess. Sign the papers so it’s really mine. Might as well stop running away from my responsibilities.”
Erik hummed as he scooted to the center of the bench seat and wove their fingers together, then leaned his comforting weight against Luther’s side. They drove in silence like that until Luther needed his hand to shift gears so he could turn onto a new highway and maneuver through a sleepy town.
“Hungry?” Luther asked as he saw the fast-food restaurant up ahead.
“Yeah.”
They went through a drive thru and mowed down on burgers and fries while Luther kept on driving. They talked about nothing in particular, avoiding the elephant riding along in the truck with them, until Erik started yawning.
“You comfortable?” Luther asked. “Need anything?”
“I’m good.” Erik soon started to drift, sated stomach apparently sending him off to sleep.
Miles ran under the truck’s tires, and all Luther could think about was not being able to see Erik after his shifts or spend lazy mornings in bed
O N THE SECOND tattoo removal trip, while Erik was back in the treatment room getting those horrid words blasted with a laser, Luther got a call from his boss, which was unheard of. He scowled as he answered the phone with a tentative hello as he slipped outside the clinic door so he didn’t disturb the people sitting in the waiting room.
“Luth, I’ve got some bad news.”
“Oh?”
“The higher-ups are slowing production here in the eastern Bakken. Unless you’re willing to transfer out to Williston, which I see in your employment file you’re not, I’ve gotta lay you off immediately. Is that right, you’re not willing to go west?”
It wasn’t the first time a layoff had happened. It wouldn’t be the last. And it was true he wanted nothing to do with Williston again. He could barely handle the crowding between Tioga and Stanley anymore, and that was barren compared to Williston. Not to mention what had happened to Erik out there. “Uh… not really. Any idea how long this’ll last?”
“Could be a few months or more. It all depends. Right now I’ve got an overabundance of roustabouts, and since you’re one of the newest guys on my crew and you’ve been taking a lot of days off recently….”
He had been, but each day he’d taken off was for something worthwhile, whether it was for Erik or his grandma’s house. “I get it. How long do I have before I need to be out of my trailer? I’m in Fargo right now.”
“Tomorrow by midnight. Leave your forwarding address with the office so we can get back in touch.”
“Will do.”
His boss hung up before Luther even had a chance to say good-bye.
When he stepped back into the waiting room, Erik was already done and paying at the front desk. “Oh, hey. I wondered where you’d wandered off to. I was hoping I didn’t need to hitch a ride back home.”
“I wouldn’t leave ya. How’d it go?”
“Great. She doesn’t think I’ll need to come back.”
“That’s good.” Luther held the door open, and Erik smiled as he stepped out into the late-afternoon August heat. “Would you mind…?”
“Would I mind what?”
“Could we head back now rather than spending the night? I’ll drive the whole way so you can rest and get comfortable.”
“Sure,” he said around a weary smile.
SEVEN
R IGID
L UTHER DROVE WEST in stunned silence. Erik eyed him, staring for several minutes before he looked back out the windshield.
“Did something happen?” Erik asked after the city dissolved into countryside.
Apparently it was impossible to keep the worry off his face. “I just got laid off. That’s never bothered me before, but now….”
“Now?” Erik asked after the silence went on for several minutes.
“Now it does. I need to be out of my trailer by tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Five green mile markers passed before Erik said, “That fucking sucks. What are you going to do?”
“Go to my gra— my house, I guess. Sign the papers so it’s really mine. Might as well stop running away from my responsibilities.”
Erik hummed as he scooted to the center of the bench seat and wove their fingers together, then leaned his comforting weight against Luther’s side. They drove in silence like that until Luther needed his hand to shift gears so he could turn onto a new highway and maneuver through a sleepy town.
“Hungry?” Luther asked as he saw the fast-food restaurant up ahead.
“Yeah.”
They went through a drive thru and mowed down on burgers and fries while Luther kept on driving. They talked about nothing in particular, avoiding the elephant riding along in the truck with them, until Erik started yawning.
“You comfortable?” Luther asked. “Need anything?”
“I’m good.” Erik soon started to drift, sated stomach apparently sending him off to sleep.
Miles ran under the truck’s tires, and all Luther could think about was not being able to see Erik after his shifts or spend lazy mornings in bed
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