Honey and Glass

~4~

        "Really? If you want some, just ask," Hen said as Buck took a pepper from the meal she was making. He shook his head.

"I'm good. I already ate," He said with his mouth full.

"You still owe me 20 bucks, Buck," Hen said grabbing a small bowl from the fridge. "Don't think I'ma forget."

"For what?" He asked.

"For the damn cookie bouquet that I delivered to Chimney. The one with the get well card that I personally watched you sign," Hen told him.

"I am a witness," I said putting my hand up, not taking my eyes off my book.

"What type of nerd reads in between calls?" Buck asked taking another pepper from Hen's dish. Hen swatted at his hand but Buck dropped the food in his mouth and smirked at Hen.

"The type that would rather read than put up with your bullshit," I sassed, flipping the page. Buck grabbed the top of my book and snatched it from my hands. "Hey! You put that down or so help me God, Buckley, I will personally make you the next person calling 911."

"Okay. Okay," He said putting his hands up in surrender. "I'll dog ear the page so you can find it later-"

"Ah! Nope! Don't you dare crease that page," I said trying to grab the book back from him. Buck grabbed a napkin from the table and put it in between the pages before setting my book up on top of the fridge, knowing full well I couldn't reach up there.

"You dick," I said, stealing a pepper from Hen's plate.

"Hey! What is it with you two and stealing my food?"

"It's better than getting our own," Buck said, practically reading my mind. Hen glared at the two of us and I put my hands up in surrender.

"He's doing it again," Buck said staring at Bobby.

"What? Eating dinner?" Hen asked slapping my hand away from her plate.

"What's so wrong with eating food?" I asked.

"Staring into that book," Buck said.

"What book?" I asked, craning my neck to see what he was talking about. "Oh." The book. Bobby always carried around this notebook. No one knew what was in it, and we all knew not to ask.

"Come on, you two must have a line on the gossip around here. What is it? Why- why is he so obsessed with it?" Buck asked and Hen scoffed.

"Mm-mm. All I'm gonna tell you about that book is to stay the hell away from it." Buck looked at me with suspicion and I shrugged in agreement. "Trust me," Hen said. "I made that mistake three months into working here."

"So you're saying no one here knows what he writes in it," Buck said as Hen sat down at the table across from me.

"No, Buck and you'd have to be an idiot to ask him about it," I told him.

"Watch this," Buck said ignoring my idiot comment.

"All right, Buck. When he pops you in that pretty face, just make sure it's on the side that's already got a mark," Hen advised and I couldn't help but laugh as our friend sealed his fate. I watched as he walked over to Bobby, who was sitting alone.

"So, Bobby, I gotta ask," Buck said, stopping at the table. "What's the deal with that book?" Bobby froze and got up.

"It's none of your business," He said walking away. Buck turned around determined to find out.