Chapter VIII

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"Hello." I said to the driver with a smile.

"Jeff, I promise you, you're gonna love it. It makes you feel like you're truly in Chicago. I go to G's every time I'm home." I said to Jeff as the driver started to drive.

"Why are you so excited about this place?" Jeff asked looking at me. "It's just a pizza place."

"It's the last happy memory I have of my Dad. He would take my siblings and I there every Sunday after church. Then I don't know what happened we just stopped going. I guess the pressure of raising three kids, even his own, practically by himself just broke him at that point."

"What do you mean raised you by himself? I thought your mom was around."

"She was, she was just a surgical resident and spent a lot of time at the hospital."

"Why do you ask so many questions?" I asked after a short silence.

"I'm just trying to get to know you."

"Okay." I said, nodding my head. "I have an idea."

"I don't know if I trust the way that sounds, I mean you and David seem to be a lot alike."

"You know, I take offense to that."

"What's the idea?"

"I get to ask questions for the rest of the night and you have to answer honestly one hundred percent, but you don't get to ask anymore questions."

"Okay." Jeff responded, smiling down at me.

"Okay," I started, smiling and looking away. "Let's start with something easy."

"All right."

"What's your middle name?"

"Don't have one."

"Really?" I asked, raising my left eyebrow.

"Really."

"Okay. What's you're favorite color?"

"That's such a simple question."

"Just answer the question, Jeffery."

"Okay, fine. I have two: black and white."

"That's such a basic answer."

"Just like your question."

"Just like your question." I mimicked.

"You're so childish." Jeff laughed.

"No, you're childish."

"No, you."

"We're here." The driver said, disrupting us from our conversation.

"Thank you." I said to the driver, before Jeff opened the door. I stepped out of the vehicle and practically ran into G's.

"Kenzie!" Mrs. Gaetani called out from the cash register when she saw me walk in. "I didn't expect you back so soon."

"Hello, Mrs. Gaetani." I smiled as I walked up to the elderly woman. "I decided to take an early trip home."

"It's nice to see you either way. But you look a little skinny."

"Really because I feel like I'm gaining a little weight." I said, staring at my stomach.

"And who's this? Is he your boyfriend?"

"No." I said laughing. "This is David's friend."

  "Well if he's David's friend what's he doing with you?"

  "We like to share him." I responded looking at her with a straight face while nodding.

  "Okay." Mrs. Gaetani said smiling slightly, she sounded weirded out but I think that's because she didn't understand my sarcasm. "I'm assuming you're here for pizza."

  "Yes." I said, with the biggest smile on my face.

  "I told Jeff this was the best pizza in town." I added, smacking Jeff on his chest before pushing him in front of the cash register. "Order."

  "I'll just have one slice of cheese pizza, please." Jeff said quietly.

  "Kenzie, are you going to order anything?" Mrs. Gaetani asked me.

  "Oh, no." I responded. "I've been off dairy for like a year. I found it was making me break out."

  "Then you should try our vegan pizza!" Mrs. Gaetani said brightly, pointing to the sign that read 'Try our vegan choices!'.

  "Mrs. Gaetani, I am very drunk. If I eat anything now, it's just going to come up in the next two hours."

  "All right, whatever you say." She said, running up our order. "Two dollars and thirty nine cents."

  "I got it." Jeff said, reaching for his pocket.

  "No, it's fine." I said, getting my own wallet.

  "It's my food."

  "Yeah, but you paid for the Uber, so I'll pay for your food."

  "Fine." Jeff said, hesitating to put his wallet away.

  "So is it the best pizza you've ever had?" I asked Jeff after he took the first bite of his pizza.

  "Long Island pizza is so much better." Jeff said. "But it's not bad."

  "Just give it up, this definitely better."

  "No." He said, before taking another bite as we walked back to the hotel.

  I walked into my hotel room after saying "goodbye" to Jeff. I grabbed my phone out of my jacket coat and also felt money in there that definitely wasn't in there before.

  "That asshole." I said to myself.

  'I'm giving you your money back tomorrow.' I texted Jeff before laying on my bed.

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