90 - Subs

*You’re a life saver, or at least a business saver. – Tante Nan*

Camille took her glasses off and tipped her head back, rolling her neck as she stretched her back and arms. For the past three and a half days, she had rewritten, recoded and republished almost all their websites. After Zydeco saw some of the websites that she had built, he had her look at the page that he had built through a free service.

“You build the houses,” she advised, “I’ll build the websites.”

She had him review the new site earlier this morning, and she just finished tweaking it before sending it out into the universe. It was live and set for paid results on the popular search engines. She knew that they worked because of traffic that they got on other sites. But she herself skipped over them because she knew that the paid results may not be for what she wanted, but what someone, such as herself, paid to be on the top searches.

It was nearly noon, and she was getting hungry. Grabbing her phone, she sent a message to Darkness to see if he was ready for a lunch break. While she waited on a response, she checked her work and school emails. Some teachers were already sending out plans for when classes resumed online.

This was definitely going to be a strange semester. There was a new email from the athletic department and one from the housing department. It was again confirmed that the scholarship would be honored for the duration that it was offered. Please let the athletic department know if there was any change in residency and blah blah blah.

Ironically, the very next email from the housing department stated that they were requesting all students to move out of the dorms to limit possible exposure. Laughing at the fact that she had to notify the athletic department that she was no longer living in the dorms that the housing department was kicking everyone out of, she filled out the attached form. Technically, she still had a dorm room, but she had never stayed in the dorm at all. And none of her belongings had been in the dorm room past the second week of her freshman year.

Although she did not think that her dorm mates would have done anything to any of her belongings, she opted not to leave the temptation there. Her encyclopedias were moved to the clubhouse and were now all packed up in boxes ready to move into the little cottage where Darkness and Swamp Thang were working.

As if summoned, her phone rang and lit up with a picture of Boudreaux from the swamp behind the clubhouse. Reaching over, she clicked the green button and then activated the speaker phone.

“Hey, Swamp Thang.”

“What’s up, gorgeous?”

Camille laughed and could just picture the dirty look that Darkness was giving him with the way that Swamp Thang was laughing.

“Your man asked me to give you a call and let you know that yes, we would love some lunch.”

“Ok, text me what you want from the sub shop,” she said knowing that he would know which one that she was talking about.

“You mean other than the sweet piece of chocolate that works behind the counter?”

Obviously, he knew which one she was talking about. “Yes, other than that,” she smiled as she sent the housing form to both the housing and athletic departments. Just for good measure, she added her dive coach on the email also.

Swamp Thang grumbled from his end of the line. “Fine, I’ll send you my order. I’m guessing that I don’t need to send you what Darkness wants.”

“Shrimp po’ boy with Cajun fries and sweet tea. Double fudge brownie and a strawberry malt.”

“You two eat there a little too often,” he laughed. “But make that a double.”

“Not going to deny that,” she said just before ending the call.

It was her turn to laugh as she pulled up the website for the sub shop that she liked. Shortly after moving to Baton Rouge, she had discovered the restaurant and the horrible website. After a few months, she offered to redo the website, and the owner accepted on a trial basis. The shop increased their business with the new site and quickly signed a contract with J & L Publicity and Marketing.

When the lockdown occurred, Tante Nan’s Subs was one of the first restaurants to move online. Quickly navigating the menu that Camille had redone early Monday morning, she placed the order and submitted payment. Confirmation hit her personal email box, and her phone chimed letting her know that the email was received.

With that taken care of, she slid off the bed and moved to the closet to get dressed. Since she would take the Jeep, she wore cut off denim shorts and her gray Devil’s Saints MC shirt from one of the Thanksgiving toy runs. Slipping on her flip flop shoes just outside the closet door, she looked over at the dog that was stretched out in his bed, asleep on his back.

Tink loved the new house with the backyard that he could hang out in without someone having to watch him. Unlike here, where someone had to keep an eye out for Boudreaux. No matter how tough the Doberman pinscher thought he was, he was no competition for an eight-foot alligator.

“Tink, you want to go?”

He rolled to his feet and looked at her with excited eyes.

“Yeah? You want to go?”

This time he dropped his front legs down and wiggled his butt as he gave a small woof. Giving him a small laugh, she grabbed her Jeep keys and opened the door. He ran down the stairs and the hallway to wait for her by the front door.

An eerie quietness surrounded her throughout the building. There were less than twenty brothers and club bunnies that were living here now. When she and Darkness moved out this weekend, it would be even emptier. And quieter.

It was strange not to see brothers and old ladies hanging out in the large day room. There were not even any of the bunnies in the kitchen or their hallway. The entire place was quiet. So quiet that she could hear the light tapping of keys coming from Stone’s office.

Knocking on the open door she grinned at the man who was scowling more than usual. “I’m headed over to the house. You need anything?”

He shook his head as he turned back to the computer. In the nearly two years that she had lived here, the two of them may have exchanged a few dozen words all together. And according to the guys in the club, that was a lot of words.

Assuming that she had been dismissed, Camille headed out to her Jeep where Tink jumped into the back seat. It was a short drive over to Tante Nan’s where she pulled into the parking lot. After a few minutes the sweet piece of chocolate that Swamp Thang had a crush on came out with her order.

“I’m assuming that this is yours, I recognized the car.” she said through the mask as she handed over the bag of food and the drink holders.

Camille laughed. “I was accused earlier of coming here too often.”

The woman smiled at her, “I’ll never complain about my regulars. Even when they add extra to their order.”

“Yeah, Swamp Thang wanted lunch too.”

The blush on her cheeks told Camille that the other woman knew who Swamp Thang was.

“Tell him that Jazzie says hi,” she said before turning away and heading back inside the restaurant.

With a little laugh, Camille pulled back out of the parking lot and headed to the house a few miles away. The door to the detached garage was rolled up and the two men were inside working on the furniture. Sticks had emailed them a supply list for the furniture and doghouse before they were even off the phone on Sunday.

After they were off the phone, he pulled the blueprints and emailed them. The hardware was mailed out overnight express first thing Monday morning. More of the jobs for Zydeco’s company were cancelled or postponed. The appliances for their little cottage were installed this morning.

The couch and recliners were being delivered tomorrow afternoon and then on Saturday, they would move into the little house. It was their first place together and Camille was excited.

Walking into the garage with the food, she stopped to appreciate the view of the man in front of her. Between the moist heat of the air and the exertion of work, a sheen of sweat covered his shirtless back. Muscles bunched and stretched under the dark skin covered with black ink tattoos.

She licked her lips as she watched him sand her bookshelf. Maybe they should stay here tonight.