Just a City Boy (Midnight Train Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

shoes. Perfect for being on your feet all day, or for walking a long distance. He thought about the People Mover. At some point beyond the station and her place of employment, it would make sense for her to have used a different stop. He mentally figured the distance between Grand Circus and Michigan Avenue and made his decision.
    He walked a couple blocks before he was rewarded with the sight of a rundown greasy spoon called Lazy Eye’s. A wry smile crossed his face. He would never have remembered that on his own.
    He felt his steps lighten, and the headache abate, just at the thought of seeing her again.
    He pushed open the door to the jingling bell and looked around inside. It could have been the ugly stepchild of the place he ate breakfast at. A bank of windows lined the front, tables flanked along that wall with black vinyl booths. Each table had a chrome napkin dispenser but no menus. The single menu to be used by every customer was also black, with tiny white letters pushed into place by the manager’s arthritic fingers. “Today’s Specail” was pot roast starting at 2pm. He assumed the manager didn’t bother much with spelling. That was fine, as long as he bothered with cleanliness and a healthy portion of shortening in the biscuits. Not that Zack was about to eat anything yet. It was still breakfast time and he’d polished off his bacon, eggs, and toast with relish. He saw a waitress at the end of the joint, but she was much too tall and quite a bit wider than Lauren as well.
    Dang.
    The bell had brought the manager around.
    “Seat yourself, Marjory will be with you in a minute,” he said without smiling.
    The manager’s jowls brushed against his broad shoulders and bushy gray brows danced above his hard eyes as he looked Zack over.
    “Uh, actually, I’m looking for Lauren,” he said.
    The manager turned his back on him.
    “She ain’t comin’ in today,” was all he said, and swiped a cloth across a counter with little enthusiasm.
    “Ah, okay then. Thanks,” Zack said and helped himself out. He couldn’t imagine spending any amount of time in that joint and remaining as joyful and spirited as Lauren was. And to think she’d come off work there, and then got mugged at the People Mover station. Wonderful.
    He was all kinds of stupid. He walked away, shoulders hunched in the September chill. He guessed he’d put it off long enough. Time to face the music. He was mere blocks from Dave’s apartment. How was it he’d managed to never see her coming or going from work? Although he’d never eaten at Lazy Eye’s, so he didn’t come down this direction much.
    He walked home, dreading Dave’s reaction. He’d already had a terrible night of sleeping on the train, followed by his jog through Greektown. If nothing else, maybe he could get a shower before Dave kicked him out of his place.
    He used his key to get in, and took a deep breath. He was prepared to face the worst.

Chapter Eight
    My day off was shaping up to be crappier than a redneck’s step mama’s pickup truck. I knelt on my bathroom floor, scrubbing the nasties out of corners and wishing I was in Tahiti sunbathing topless. Ray never cleaned up after himself, no surprise there, and I was thinking today was the day that I kicked his butt out on the street. He was a big boy. He could take care of himself. Well, that was debatable, seeing as how he couldn’t seem to hit what he was aiming at.
    Once my bathroom was clean, I would have to make a grocery run. My forty three bucks in bills and coins could actually stretch pretty far if I went to the Shop and Save over on Chestnut.
    I finished up and stretched, getting that kink out of my back from being on my hands and knees. Then I scoured the kitchen cupboards and the fridge in my galley kitchen. I’d learned that if I made up a menu using things I already had in the cupboards; it would save on my grocery bill. And I was all about saving money. I could squeeze my dollars so tight the eagle