What Can You Not Buy With Money?

“I love you, Mary!” Walker proclaimed as he reached to hug me tightly.

“Choking—me—!” I coughed out as Walker squeezed me out of excitement at the giant fish on the counter.

“What’s this?” Lucy walked into the Neo Sushi Club’s kitchen, her hands covered in oil as she wiped at them with a rag. She had just gotten off work, her hair covered with a bandana. “From the smell, I’m guessing you’re back from your little romantic-private-luxurious-fishing getaway.” Lucy fanned the air in front of her nose as she cringed at the strong smell of dead salmon. “Walker, are you really going to serve it raw?”

“It’s still fresh, it was caught only two days ago,” Walker freed me from his death grip as he flung himself behind the counter. Out of nowhere, or more of out of Walker’s apron, he pulled out a large meat cleaver in one hand and then a butcher knife in the other. “Let us take out the ceremonial blades,” Walker announced as he nodded at Lucy. “Lucy, if you please do the honors.”

“Sure thing,” Lucy went to a stereo propped in the corner of the kitchen, putting on the first track of a random CD. Nickelback was exploding off the tiled room and metal refridgerators, and my eyebrows were raised in bemusement as Walker proceeded to swiftly cut the scales off of the creature.

“Why does it seem like… he’s serious?” I asked Lucy, just barely audible so Walker wouldn’t hear me in his impassioned fury.

Without lowering her voice, Lucy spoke over the roaring of Chad Kroeger’s screams. “Whenever a person brings in a fish that they catch themselves, he goes through this whole performance for the person as he prepares the fish to be eaten. The last time I brought him a fish was three years ago, when I caught a sturgeon, and he made a pretty mean Don.”

It was like a hurricane of fish scales had struck the room, and before I knew it the entire floor was coated in bloody chum. The carnage was something you couldn’t help but wince at yet I was trying not to laugh at how hard Walker worked. He was passionate, his movements like fire.

“Now, the gutting.” Walker took out another knife and quickly sliced deeply into the fish’s stomach, ripping it open with vigor.

Footsteps were heard and Lawrence Michaels walked in. “Holy shit!” He ducked when a spray of bloody marine organs were suddenly thrown at him. He stood erect as he looked behind him to study the dripping mass of bloody pulp that was starting to glide down the metal doors lazily.

“Lawrence!” Walker called out after he had just tried to attack his manager with the intestines, his hands coated in gore while his eyes danced dangerously. He was beginning to creep me out. “Mary caught this fish all by herself!”

“Beautiful,” Lawrence shook his head with a smile and he gave me a reproaching look. “I expect this to be cleaned up when you’re done.” And with that he quickly escaped the kitchen.

Finally, after much horror and maniacal laughter from Walker, pounds and pounds of bright orange meat were piled and wrapped carefully.

“Now, who’s going to help me clean up?” Walker turned as he undid his once white apron that was now tiedyed in fish mutilation.

“Oh, I would love to stay and help but my lunch shift’s going to end in twenty minutes.” Sarcasm was exploding in her sentence as Lucy checked her wrist, where an invisible watch warned her that she had plenty of time to help. “Besides, I’ve got to get ready for a… family reunion.” She made a gagging noise as she put her finger in her mouth. “So I’m going to ask you guys for a favor. Come with me?”

“When is it?” Walker had begun to sweep up the scales, his expression lost of its psychotic glee and now held a note of serious conviction.

“Next week. It’s close by, so I’m not going to sleep at any hotel… but—I need someone to hang with me when I first go.” Lucy was pulling at the back of her neck as she tried to mask the discomfort on her face.

“Sure, I’ll go.” I smiled sadly as I took a broom and joined Walker in cleaning up.

“I can make it,” Walker nodded too.

“Great,” Lucy smiled and backed out of the kitchen. “Thanks.”

“I’m guessing this is a problem,” I commented when Lucy had left.

“Yeah, it is.” Walker shook his head. “Her family’s messed up. I don’t get why she bothers—they don’t deserve her.”

“You still love her, don’t you?” I smiled and pushed his shoulder playfully. “She’s a big girl, and she’s got good friends like us. We’ll take care of her.”

“It’s not that—” Walker defended himself but quickly shook it off. “Yeah… we will. But I don’t feel that way anymore.” He looked at me and smiled. “Time healed. I just got the scars to wear with pride.”

“Poetic,” I surmised and my eyes softened as I went to get a dustpan. “Well, I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah.” Walker was quiet as we finished cleaning up the excess scales and guts. Then we took out a mop and a dishcloth, the smell of Clorox rushing into our brains and frying us.

“So…” I tried to think of something to break the ice, “…how did you get over Lucy?”

“I met someone.” Walker quietly muttered almost under his breath as he handled the mop and scrubbed at the blood stains on the ground tiles.

“Really?” My interest was peaked and I playfully prodded for answers. “Who is she? Where did you meet her?”

Walker laughed. “Oh, it’s a secret. I’m not ready to tell anyone yet. I’m not ready for another heartbreak. She doesn’t even know.”

“Well, congrats,” I was truly happy for him. I hadn’t seen him look so dreamily and lovingly as he spoke since the day we first met, when he described Lucy with detail for me.

“Yeah, and congrats to you too.” Walker’s smile was still there, but it seemed that his teeth were more exposed, as though he was stretching his lips a little too far. “I heard you’ve finally joined the ranks of the impure and unholy.”

My face turned bright red and I quickly changed the subject while I scrubbed vigorously at the doors to free it of the drying brown blood. “I’m kind of hungry. After cleaning up, how about you make me something nice with some of that salmon?”

“Your refusal to answer the question says it all. And yes,” Walker quickly finished up his work. “I’ll be more than happy to make you lunch. But didn’t you make a promise to Big Ben or something? Like you're not going to have lunch without him anymore?”

“Yeah, but it’s my day off.” I finished and threw the dishcloth in the sink.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting the special treatment at work now.” Walker grabbed a small package of the freshly wrapped fish and led me out of the kitchen and to the sushi bar.

“I hope not, but I’m starting to think so.”

“I think you should be in the Guinness Book for World Records. You’ve officially whipped the unwhippable bull.” Walker winked at me as he proceeded to cut thin slices of the salmon. “Oh, and by the way. I’m more than sure that everything is sanitized and fresh. And I’ll eat a copy of what you eat, so if you do get food poisoning again—I’ll get it too.” Walker was playful but his tone was full and somber.

“No, don’t do that. I can handle it… I’m—” I paused, not wanting to offend Walker. The word ‘healthier’ was about to slip off my tongue, but I quickly shut my mouth to stop myself. Before I said something stupid.

“Stronger? Yes, you are.” Walker shrugged. “But it’s not fair if you get sick again. You’re brave for giving my cooking a second chance.”

“Hey, you’re a great chef. You weren’t the one who switched your regular food with tainted fish. And I missed your cooking. A lot. It was rough for having a weekend without a... Walker specialty.” I was careful not to mention Burgess' poor culinary skills. No need to hurt anyone's feelings... or feed anyone's egos.

“Let me guess. Burgess tried to make you something.” Walker smirked, and boasted, “Silly rabbit. Tricks are for kids.”

“It was sweet,” I defended. “And it wasn’t… that bad.”

“I’m sure,” Walker rolled his eyes but his tone was kind. “Personally, I think he should just stick with what he knows. And that’s making and spending money.” Walker was constructing a rose out of the orange meat.

“Hey, be nice. Burgess is amazing,” I was feeling insulted at how Walker was just shrugging it off. I couldn’t help but try to defend him, hoping it would somehow change Walker’s mind. Maybe I was overreacting, but I felt a need to show my loyalty. “He’s smart, takes care of himself, and has a heart.”

“Cool story, bro.”

I stared at him, glaring at surprise at his bluntness. “Walker…”

“Done.” Walker finished a collection of roses and in the center was a heart out of fish. “Sashimi for the… lovely and extremely loyal to her brat of a boyfriend… lady.”

“Thanks,” I let it go, taking a pair of chopsticks to begin. “Have some with me, please.”

“See, this is why I love… being your friend.” Walker went to my side of the counter to sit next to me. “You just care about other people. You’ll be a good mom one day.” Walker took a bite and poured himself a glass of water.

“Yeah,” I sarcastically added, “I’ll be perfect for the seven little Burgesses that would run around.”

Walker choked, jumping up from his feet with a raised finger to keep me in my seat. He fled into the restrooms, and I sat there dumbfounded and not knowing whether to be worried or to laugh at his reaction.