Page 37 of Loving Kai

There were three pizzas ready to go out. Maggie took two of them, and Abe took the third. She motioned toward a table, and he delivered the pizza.

“Here you go, folks. Can I get you anything else?”

It was a couple with two kids, and the man held up his empty beer bottle. “I’ll take another one of these.”

“Coming right up.”

Maggie met Abe at the beer cooler. “I hate the fact that he’ll probably get in his car and drive his family home. This is his third beer.”

“Do you think I should cut him off?”

“How would you feel if you heard he crashed on the way home?”

“Dammit. Do you want to tell him?”

She patted his arm. “You’re the boss.”

“Right.”

A voice behind them said, “Excuse me?”

Abe turned to the man’s wife. “Yes, ma’am?”

“No more beer for my husband.”

Abe smiled. “We were a bit concerned.”

“He had a rough day at work.” She glanced back at the table. “But I know that’s not an excuse, and I told him we wouldn’t get in the car with him if he had another beer.”

“Can we bring him anything else?”

“No, it’s fine. The pizza is great, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

She left, and Maggie looked at Abe. “That’s a relief.”

“And we didn’t have to be the ones to tell him. Bring the kids a couple of cookies for dessert. On the house.”

“Aw, look at you.”

“Go check on our customers.” He smiled. “Please.”

Abe texted Maggie when he was heading home. He had been there for fifteen minutes before she arrived. He opened the front door as she approached it.

“Come on in.”

Maggie went inside and followed him to the living room.

He sat in the chair, leaving the couch for her. “How’s Donovan?”

Maggie shook her head. “That’s what you want to talk about? My dog, that you don’t even like?”

“I like him. Now that I’ve gotten to know him.” He leaned back in the chair. “I might like him a little more if he’d stop growling at me.”

“Why am I here, Abe?”

“I’ve been all over the place this week, and I wanted to apologize.”