Chapter 1
He had been very consumed developing the Blood Drive race these last few months, and as the last few weeks of race participant selection and prepping the behind the scenes crew was wearing down, so was Slink. Still on a rush from everything, he was starting to crash. A shower, or what passed for one these days, a good whiskey and a few hours sleep and he would be on over drive again. As he entered the showers, as much as he disdained having to use the communal showers with the "unwashed masses" of the crew; he noticed a long female appearing arm reaching and flexing in the air above the top of the shower wall. A muted pained grunt came from the owner.
"Alright in there, hmmm?" Slink tried to keep his voice jovial, even though at this moment he really didn't give two shits if the owner was okay or not. It made him smile to hear a slight gasp from the other person.
"Yeah, just an old injury that wants to be pissy. I'll be through in a minute."
He was amused that the voice was actually pleasing to his ears. "Take your time, my dear. I'm all. Time."
Sway slowly lowered her arm then raised the other, allowing the hot body cleansing fluid to loosen her tight shoulders. She was caught off guard that the man on the other side of the wall was Julian Slink. There was no mistaking his speech patterns and tone of his voice. Sway knew Blood Drive was his baby and that he had worked very hard to get it off the ground. She had seen him while the crew she was on had been setting up the portable stage, and had once even said hi to him in passing. Steampunk had fascinated her from childhood, so naturally he would stand out in her mind, whereas the others was a look-a-like mass of piss poor humanity.
Slink was checking his nails and the dye on his fingers that was wearing off. He thought it odd at first but it, like his equally dyed teeth, had become as much his trademark as his clothing. He raised his eyes as the shower shut off, wondering what was going to walk out. Listening quietly as the person inside opened a sealed bag, much like the one tucked under his arm, and the rustle of someone getting dressed. The curtain rattled as it opened and she stepped from behind the wall. She was curvy, had blue hair and if he had to guess, 30 something and carrying her dirty clothes bag in-front of her chest. Something was very familiar about her, but he couldn't put his finger on it until she extended her hand and said "Hi, I'm Sway." As soon as she said "Hi" he knew she was the crew member that had spoke to him a couple of weeks ago.
"Julian Slink, at your service." He bowed very slightly as he took her hand, then released it.
They set on the bench as she put on her shoes and he began removing his boots and socks. He then stood and placed his jacket and top hat on his seat.
"Slink, do you like sweet things?" Sway immediately blushed at his smirk and regretted the question.
"Oh I don't know. What kind of sweet things?" He took a perverse gratification at her reaction.
"Brownies. I got a wild hair up my ass yesterday and made a bunch of them." 'What the blue hell are you thinking, asking the boss if he likes sweet things...'
"Brownies? My My. I haven't had those in decades." He paused for a moment. "Yes, yes. Those would be nice.
She wanted to laugh at the cadence of his voice. It reminded her of an old comic she used to see on a sit-com about a black junk dealer and his son.
"I could leave you some before I start my shift, if you'd like."
"Ohhh. I would like that. Bring them to my office in the morning. You do know where that is, don't you?"
"Big red tent? Uh huh." Sway stood to leave. "Good night, Slink."
"Buh bye." He watched her leave, the way she moved. 'Never a more apropos name for you could have been chosen.'
Thirty minutes later, as he readied for bed, Sway and the offer of brownies was already forgotten.
...
Rasher stood in front of Slink's office tent as his boss took leisurely moments to enjoy cups of Earl Gray tea. He notice a female crew member walking towards him with a box in her hands. He recognized her, but didn't know her name. Dressed in an old ball cap, tank top and shorts, her work boots crunched on the gravel. He had noticed the seemingly random colorful tattoos on her arms and a few on her legs. His gut said there was going to be a shit storm with this one today.
Sway saw Rasher guarding the tent, and knew Slink was in. She knew he was the boss's right hand man, and possibly bodyguard. She would have described him as a heavily tattooed toothpick, but he had past that mark a long time ago. Judging from his stance, Sway knew she would have a hard time delivering her promised brownies. She had a long day a head of her and didn't really want to start it out with a confrontation with him that may end up with one of her few plates getting broken, not to mention the baked goods getting smashed.
"Slink wanted me to bring these to him this morning." She knew it wouldn't be easy to get in, but she could hope.
"What is it? He never told me he was expecting anything from the road crew." He looked down at her and hoped she would go on to work. Slink didn't like it if something slowed down his schedule.
"It's for Slink, if he wants you to know what it is, he's more that welcome to tell you." Sway wasn't an idiot, she knew how rare having these were, and didn't want this guy to know what they were before Slink could get them. If he wanted to share, that was his business, not hers.
"You're not going in. If I don't have his say-so it's a no-go."
Slink was inside enjoying his tea and his few precious moments of peace before he had to start reviewing things. A commotion outside caused him to growl and hiss as he placed his cup on it's saucer before going to see what the fuck was going on.
"RASHER! What the fuck is..." As he opened the tent flaps, Slink saw Sway standing there with a box in her hands. "Oh hello! Please come in." As she entered the tent, Slink turned his attention to his man. "Rasher, I do apologize, I had forgotten she was stopping by... but if this turns out like I hope, if she comes by with another box do show her in."
Sway was looking around the area she was standing in. If this had been a house she would have called it a receiving room This area was small, but still bigger than her trailer.
"Follow me please." Slink led her through another tent flap to his sitting room. A couch and table littered with papers, an old fashioned phone, his top hat and a tea pot took center place. "You can put them here, if you don't mind," he said motioning to the table.
She set the box in the middle of the coffee table and heard a clinking sound. Turning her head, she saw that he was rubbing his hands together very quickly causing his numerous rings to clink together, and if a look of anticipation on a person's face could be described as childlike and sadistic at the same time, that was the look on her boss's face. As he sat down in front of the box, Sway wondered how he kept the white lace cuffs that hung out from the bottom of his jacket sleeves clean.
Slink felt like a kid on Christmas as he carefully opened the box, and the scent that entered his nostrils was pure nirvana. "Ah, the aroma, the aroma, the aroma!" He said almost reverend like as he waved his hands, tilted his head back and closed his eyes. There were four chocolate, cracked shinny topped brownies on a plate, and he was having a hard time picking which one to take. Finally he chose one and took a bite. The thick chocolate goodness made him smile, a real honest smile.
"My dear, these are wonderful." He took a sip of tea to wash it down. "I must say if you ever have another wild hair up your ass... please let me know. I would be very happy to help you with that."
"I'll do that, but it doesn't happen that often."
"A pity," he said slightly frowning.
Sway stepped towards the exit, wondering if it was right to be feeling happy at Slink's disappointment that she didn't bake often. "I gotta go, Hardass will be busting my balls for being late."
"If he does, send him to me," he held up a fresh brownie, "these are worth every minute you're late. Thank you. These have helped make a horridly insane morning a little less insane."
As she left, Slink took another bite and began looking through his mounds of paper work when he heard an explosion of yelling from outside.
"Sway, get your fucking ass to work! You delay this and the boss will feed you to one of the cars himself!"
"Really asshole, I was talking to him, you prick!"
Slink walked towards the exit, amused by the exchange.
"Really, you were talking to Julian Slink? About what?"
Slink was standing right on the other side of the tent flaps, waiting, burning with curiosity at what she would say.
"If you really must know, I was on my way in when he stopped me. He said he had to ask me a question."
"Well what was it?"
"You there, come here. I've never seen hair quite the shade of blue as yours...tell me, does the carpet match the drapes as well?"
Slink just about doubled over, trying not to laugh. Sway had imitated his cadence of speech perfectly. He was smiling in approval at her moxy, until the next words.
"Well, what did you tell him?"
At that moment Slink stepped outside and stood in front of her supervisor. "What she said to me is none of your business, and to ask is incredibly rude...GET BACK TO WORK!" He giggled slightly as the man scurried away, falling a couple of times. Slink turned to face Sway who was smiling. She touched two fingers to her temple in salute as she started to walked away, and in reflex, Slink returned it. "Well the fun's over, time for work", he sighed.
...
Sway was wore out, and had just changed into her pajama bottoms and a clean tank top. She dragged herself into the small kitchen and pulled a coke from the small fridge. Placing the cold can against her temple, then throat, she sighed in relief. Her hand holding the can jerked as she dozed, making Sway decide to open and drink it before she fell on the floor. After the first welcoming cold burning swallow there was a knock at the door. Groaning, she set it on the counter and went to open it. She was surprised to see Slink's back, who turned at the sound of the air-stream's door opening.
"I brought these back." He stood on the small porch`holding the box with the plate in it in-front of him.
She looked confused for a moment, then understood what he was saying. "Yeah yeah, come in."
"Don't mind if I do." He held the box in one hand and removed his top hat with the other, not for being polite, but because the ceiling to her trailer would have knocked it off his head. It was vintage after all. "It's small, " he said as he looked around, "small but very tidy. I like tidy."
"Thanks," she reached out her hands for the box. "I'll take that."
He handed it to her and watched her place it on the kitchen table, and noticed how tired she looked. "Didn't wake you did I?" Slink knew how hard she worked and after both of her gracious efforts this morning, he felt a twang of remorse at the possibility of waking her.
"No, hadn't made it that far yet."
Slink set his hat on the table. "Good. I wanted to thank you again for your delicious generosity. They taste different than I remember...what's your secret?"
"Well, I had to use hemp seed oil, and with water being a rarity, I also had to use moonshine."
"Moonshine," he said with genuine surprise, "Oh tell me more."
"Would you like some?" Sway asked smiling.
"Oh indeed. Ah, do you mind? He asked motioning to the kitchen chair.
"Go 'head." She got two glasses and put them on the table then retrieved a pint jar from under the sink. Sway set across from him at the table, and poured him two fingers while she half filled her glass. Sway smiled at the look on his face at the small amount she'd given him. "Don't worry, if you can handle it, you'll get more. I promise."
"Sway, do you realize the caliber of whiskey I'm used to drinking?" It sounded as he'd meant it, a challenge.
She smiled and tightened the top of the jar. "Watch." She turned the jar sideways and shook it hard. "See how fine the bubbles are, and how fast they dissipate? The finer the bubbles the higher the proof."
Slink watched the bubbles thin and disappear quickly. "So this is...?"
"Rocket fuel," she said smirking.
"Hmmm. We'll see." He downed it as if it were his usual whiskey, and instantly regretted it.
She laughed softly at his wide eyes and the hoarsely whispered "Oh my." Causally taking a drink of her own she smiled. "Told you." Holding up the pint, she noticed his eyes following it. "More?"
"Please," it came out more like a squeak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Definitely."
"This is it for you tonight though."
"Why?" He was disappointed.
"Because it wouldn't look good if you got completely shit faced and had to sleep here, because I'm not going to let you pass out in the dirt going home." Gone was the joking , and now she was serious.
"Good point. How can you drink it like that? Did your mommy put it in your baby bottle?" The tone of his voice was somewhere between teasing and sarcastic.
"You're not far off," she took another drink. "Old family recipe. Story goes my great grand daddy was a bootlegger back in the hills of Kentucky."
"My hat's off to the master." Slink took another drink and this time could really appreciate the quality. "This is actually very smooth, I like it."
"Good. Maybe sometime, we can have some of my blackberry infused. I think it's very nice."
"If it's anywhere near the quality of the last two things you offered me, I'm sure it is." He ran his finger around the rim of the glass in thought, watching as his host added some coke to hers, and nodded when she offered to add some to his. "Sway...I have a favor to ask. If you refuse it's fine." He leaned forward and starred into her eyes. "Your on the outer ring of the Blood Drive, not one of my 'yes men'. Could I come back tomorrow night and bounce some ideas for an opening speech off you. Something to really get them screaming." He watched her ponder his offer. "I can even fix it so you don't have to go in the next day."
Those last words really caught her attention. "Wow, company and a day off...hmmmm. Keep sweet talking me like that and I'll give you my opinion on what ever you like."
They both laughed at her joke, then Slink took one last swallow from his glass and stood.
"Thank you for the hospitality, but I should go." He picked up his hat, and felt a warm rush to his head and wondered if the couch might not be a bad idea.
"You stagger once before you get to the door, and your staying."
He cocked an eyebrow at her, "Really."
"Yeah. Would rather them to think I'm fucking the boss than to have you face down out there somewhere."
"Concerned with my honor, how admirable."
Sway shrugged, "Just good manners."
On the porch the night air gave him a head rush. Carefully he put on his hat and turned to face his host.
"Goodnight."
"G'night Slink."
Sway watched as he crossed to compound to his tent and went inside. At least he made it without staggering. She closed and locked her door, then went to bed.
