Dockers smudged.
“How about the full-on truth.”
“You can’t say anything to Kat.”
Billy stilled and stared. Vince almost snapped his fingers in front of the man’s eyes to see if he was still awake.
Finally he spoke. “Do you seriously believe you can keep anything from that woman? She’s like an x-ray machine on steroids. Don’t even try to hide information from her. Once she sniffs blood, she hones in for the kill. You know how she hates secrets. Even her own.” He grimaced. “Not to mention mine.”
“That’s because she thinks everyone is as non-judgmental as she is.” Vince sighed. “Which is why I need to talk to you . I’ll shield myself from her later.”
Billy grimaced. “Good luck.” The facial hair bent. “So tell me ‘bout the red-head.”
“Auburn.”
“Fine. Auuuuuburn,” he elaborated in a stuffy accent.
Vince rubbed his goatee.
Billy pulled a rag from his back pocket and handed it to Vince. “Got grease on your face.”
Great. “I knew her from the country club.” He wiped at his cheek.
Billy pointed to the other side of his face. “Figured that. She had a sort of uppity air.”
Vince shook his head. “That’s only ’cause she hates me. She was a waitress there.”
“Wow, Vince. I didn’t think it was possible for a female to hate you.”
“Oh, it’s possible. She’s the president of the ‘Hate Vince’ Fan club.”
“What’d’ya do to her.”
“She’s the one I told you about before.”
Billy whistled. “Oooooh. That one.”
“Yeah.”
Billy took back the rag from Vince and wiped his fingers as if removing Vince’s stain from them. “Sorry to hear that, man.”
“I don’t know what to do about it. She’s Greta Hessing’s daughter.”
“Well, maybe she won’t come back to church, and you won’t have to do anything.”
Vince rolled a stray bolt on the floor with the toe of his loafer. “Except that I sort of hired her to develop the special needs program.” He winced.
Billy had that staring look again, complete with open mouth.
This time Vince did snap his fingers. “Billy?”
“You what?”
“I hired her to coordinate the special needs program.” Vince’s voice came out like a little-boy confession.
“Why, on God’s green earth, would you do such a thing.”
“Your wife made me.”
“You’re blaming this on Kat?”
Vince waved his hands in the air. “We were at the shop. Kat found out she needed a job and had the right experience. She sort of cornered me. Gave me those eyes she does when you know she won’t let something go.”
Billy expelled a burst of air. “Yeah, I know that look. Sorry, man. So what are you going to do?”
“Well, I finagled it so she could work from home. She came to me with a plan that wouldn’t require us getting together much.”
“Glad I wasn’t a fly on that wall.”
“Tell me about it. I barely breathed.”
“So she’s really going to be the coordinator?”
“Yep.” The word came from the side of his mouth.
“What were we saying about common sense?”
Vince glared.
Billy slapped a palm on Vince’s shoulder. “I’m prayin’ for you pastor.” He shook his weary head. “Yer gonna need it.”
~*~
Vince grasped the hand of the last congregant in the line after service. He blew an exhausted sigh and headed toward the offices. Lately, his job seemed more wearying than ever. The same faces came in and out of the doors. No new souls saved. No additional lives recovered. No cries of joy in heaven for the newly found. What a let down from his first two years. Pastor John believed his sermons had increased the membership one-hundred percent, which prompted the building of additional space in the sanctuary.
Amit stood in front of him as if to block his steps. He looked awful dapper in his suit and tie. Vince hadn’t expected the man to come to services when he started working on the janitorial staff. He just wanted to provide a job to someone from The Home. It
“How about the full-on truth.”
“You can’t say anything to Kat.”
Billy stilled and stared. Vince almost snapped his fingers in front of the man’s eyes to see if he was still awake.
Finally he spoke. “Do you seriously believe you can keep anything from that woman? She’s like an x-ray machine on steroids. Don’t even try to hide information from her. Once she sniffs blood, she hones in for the kill. You know how she hates secrets. Even her own.” He grimaced. “Not to mention mine.”
“That’s because she thinks everyone is as non-judgmental as she is.” Vince sighed. “Which is why I need to talk to you . I’ll shield myself from her later.”
Billy grimaced. “Good luck.” The facial hair bent. “So tell me ‘bout the red-head.”
“Auburn.”
“Fine. Auuuuuburn,” he elaborated in a stuffy accent.
Vince rubbed his goatee.
Billy pulled a rag from his back pocket and handed it to Vince. “Got grease on your face.”
Great. “I knew her from the country club.” He wiped at his cheek.
Billy pointed to the other side of his face. “Figured that. She had a sort of uppity air.”
Vince shook his head. “That’s only ’cause she hates me. She was a waitress there.”
“Wow, Vince. I didn’t think it was possible for a female to hate you.”
“Oh, it’s possible. She’s the president of the ‘Hate Vince’ Fan club.”
“What’d’ya do to her.”
“She’s the one I told you about before.”
Billy whistled. “Oooooh. That one.”
“Yeah.”
Billy took back the rag from Vince and wiped his fingers as if removing Vince’s stain from them. “Sorry to hear that, man.”
“I don’t know what to do about it. She’s Greta Hessing’s daughter.”
“Well, maybe she won’t come back to church, and you won’t have to do anything.”
Vince rolled a stray bolt on the floor with the toe of his loafer. “Except that I sort of hired her to develop the special needs program.” He winced.
Billy had that staring look again, complete with open mouth.
This time Vince did snap his fingers. “Billy?”
“You what?”
“I hired her to coordinate the special needs program.” Vince’s voice came out like a little-boy confession.
“Why, on God’s green earth, would you do such a thing.”
“Your wife made me.”
“You’re blaming this on Kat?”
Vince waved his hands in the air. “We were at the shop. Kat found out she needed a job and had the right experience. She sort of cornered me. Gave me those eyes she does when you know she won’t let something go.”
Billy expelled a burst of air. “Yeah, I know that look. Sorry, man. So what are you going to do?”
“Well, I finagled it so she could work from home. She came to me with a plan that wouldn’t require us getting together much.”
“Glad I wasn’t a fly on that wall.”
“Tell me about it. I barely breathed.”
“So she’s really going to be the coordinator?”
“Yep.” The word came from the side of his mouth.
“What were we saying about common sense?”
Vince glared.
Billy slapped a palm on Vince’s shoulder. “I’m prayin’ for you pastor.” He shook his weary head. “Yer gonna need it.”
~*~
Vince grasped the hand of the last congregant in the line after service. He blew an exhausted sigh and headed toward the offices. Lately, his job seemed more wearying than ever. The same faces came in and out of the doors. No new souls saved. No additional lives recovered. No cries of joy in heaven for the newly found. What a let down from his first two years. Pastor John believed his sermons had increased the membership one-hundred percent, which prompted the building of additional space in the sanctuary.
Amit stood in front of him as if to block his steps. He looked awful dapper in his suit and tie. Vince hadn’t expected the man to come to services when he started working on the janitorial staff. He just wanted to provide a job to someone from The Home. It
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