tonight to ask you to pick up more diapers for the baby.”
Chapter 6
Ephraim dropped his fork onto his plate. He leaned back in his seat, keeping his eyes on David. David fidgeted in his seat. He
was sweating profusely and looking around nervously.
“Everyone, leave now,” Ephraim said in a cold level voice.
David stood up.
“Not you. Sit down.”
“What’s going on?” Candy asked, sounding confused.
“Why don’t you stay, Candy?” Ephraim’s voice was gentle, but everyone knew it wasn’t a request. It was an order.
“Okay.” Candy sat down in the seat Brad vacated. The men threw David a glare as they left the room.
“I want to stay, too!” Joshua said.
Without taking his eyes away from David, Ephraim pulled his wallet out and opened it. He pulled out two fifties. “Since it’s
my fault that no one was able to finish this lovely dinner that your grandmother cooked I’ll treat, go order enough pizza for
everyone.”
Joshua looked at the money in his hand and back at David. He wanted to stay, but pizza was pizza after all. “Can I get a
meatball and mushroom pizza?”
“You can get whatever you want,” Ephraim said. “And if you keep everyone out of here then you can even keep the change.”
“Cool!” He ran out of the room, leaving David, Ephraim, Mrs. Buckman, Madison and Candy alone.
David started to stand up. “This is just a misunderstanding that’s all….I swear….I…I’ll just be going,” he stammered.
“Sit down, now!” Ephraim roared. Everyone jumped. David practically fell back into his chair.
Madison’s face was bright red. She’d never been so embarrassed or felt so used in her life. Part of her wanted to run, but she
needed to find out who this man was. The man she considered giving herself to. Oh god, she wanted to curl up into a ball and
die. This was so humiliating.
“Mrs. Buckman, if I promise to answer all of your questions later will you leave the room now? I promise to handle this
properly.” Still he looked at David.
Her grandmother sighed and nodded. She trusted him to handle this situation the same as any of her other problems. “Thank
you, Ephraim.”
“Come on, this is just a mistake!” David pleaded.
“Candy, I have a few questions for you and then you can leave as well, okay?” Ephraim asked.
Candy looked confused, but nodded. “Do you know this man?”
“Yes.”
“From?”
“He comes into the club most nights. He lives with Crystal and they have a baby. Why? What is going on here?”
“Where does he work?”
“A bookstore.”
“Did he go to college?”
Candy laughed. “Are you kidding? He just got his GED last month.”
David’s face turned bright red.
“What is going on here?” Candy demanded.
“Nothing. Candy, why don’t you go make sure that Joshua is ordering enough pizza, please.” She stood up and left, throwing
one last look at them. “Lock the door from the inside,” Ephraim softly ordered.
He waited until he heard the door click shut before he stood up. David jumped to his feet. He grabbed the carving knife from
the roast beef platter and held it up in front of him while he backed away and moved towards the locked door.
Ephraim gently took Madison’s arm and pushed her against the wall. Without hesitation he stepped in front of David. “You
owe the lady an apology and an explanation.”
David licked his lips. “I’m leaving.”
“No, you’re not. You’re apologizing. Why did you lie and date her if you had a girlfriend and a baby at home?”
David looked at her and gave her a weak smile. “I’m sorry it was just a bet.”
“A bet?” she asked, stepping forward. She was going to slap him!
Ephraim took another step, placing himself directly in front of David. David held the knife up with a shaky hand. “Get that
damn thing out of my face, boy.”
David shook his head. “No, you’re going to hit me!”
“Of course I am and you’re only pissing me off more with that damn
Chapter 6
Ephraim dropped his fork onto his plate. He leaned back in his seat, keeping his eyes on David. David fidgeted in his seat. He
was sweating profusely and looking around nervously.
“Everyone, leave now,” Ephraim said in a cold level voice.
David stood up.
“Not you. Sit down.”
“What’s going on?” Candy asked, sounding confused.
“Why don’t you stay, Candy?” Ephraim’s voice was gentle, but everyone knew it wasn’t a request. It was an order.
“Okay.” Candy sat down in the seat Brad vacated. The men threw David a glare as they left the room.
“I want to stay, too!” Joshua said.
Without taking his eyes away from David, Ephraim pulled his wallet out and opened it. He pulled out two fifties. “Since it’s
my fault that no one was able to finish this lovely dinner that your grandmother cooked I’ll treat, go order enough pizza for
everyone.”
Joshua looked at the money in his hand and back at David. He wanted to stay, but pizza was pizza after all. “Can I get a
meatball and mushroom pizza?”
“You can get whatever you want,” Ephraim said. “And if you keep everyone out of here then you can even keep the change.”
“Cool!” He ran out of the room, leaving David, Ephraim, Mrs. Buckman, Madison and Candy alone.
David started to stand up. “This is just a misunderstanding that’s all….I swear….I…I’ll just be going,” he stammered.
“Sit down, now!” Ephraim roared. Everyone jumped. David practically fell back into his chair.
Madison’s face was bright red. She’d never been so embarrassed or felt so used in her life. Part of her wanted to run, but she
needed to find out who this man was. The man she considered giving herself to. Oh god, she wanted to curl up into a ball and
die. This was so humiliating.
“Mrs. Buckman, if I promise to answer all of your questions later will you leave the room now? I promise to handle this
properly.” Still he looked at David.
Her grandmother sighed and nodded. She trusted him to handle this situation the same as any of her other problems. “Thank
you, Ephraim.”
“Come on, this is just a mistake!” David pleaded.
“Candy, I have a few questions for you and then you can leave as well, okay?” Ephraim asked.
Candy looked confused, but nodded. “Do you know this man?”
“Yes.”
“From?”
“He comes into the club most nights. He lives with Crystal and they have a baby. Why? What is going on here?”
“Where does he work?”
“A bookstore.”
“Did he go to college?”
Candy laughed. “Are you kidding? He just got his GED last month.”
David’s face turned bright red.
“What is going on here?” Candy demanded.
“Nothing. Candy, why don’t you go make sure that Joshua is ordering enough pizza, please.” She stood up and left, throwing
one last look at them. “Lock the door from the inside,” Ephraim softly ordered.
He waited until he heard the door click shut before he stood up. David jumped to his feet. He grabbed the carving knife from
the roast beef platter and held it up in front of him while he backed away and moved towards the locked door.
Ephraim gently took Madison’s arm and pushed her against the wall. Without hesitation he stepped in front of David. “You
owe the lady an apology and an explanation.”
David licked his lips. “I’m leaving.”
“No, you’re not. You’re apologizing. Why did you lie and date her if you had a girlfriend and a baby at home?”
David looked at her and gave her a weak smile. “I’m sorry it was just a bet.”
“A bet?” she asked, stepping forward. She was going to slap him!
Ephraim took another step, placing himself directly in front of David. David held the knife up with a shaky hand. “Get that
damn thing out of my face, boy.”
David shook his head. “No, you’re going to hit me!”
“Of course I am and you’re only pissing me off more with that damn
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