House Joint
"Alice I need a favor," Dwight said grinning as he popped his head into my room I looked up from
the book I'd been reading.
Closing my copy of Great Expectations I sat up on the bed and cocked an eyebrow as I waited
for him to spill the beans. Shaking my head when he flashed me his oh so white smile I frowned
slightly. Most people found that smile charming, but I knew better. That smile had gotten me in
trouble plenty of times growing up.
"What's the favor?" I asked watching as he eased inside the door and shut the door behind him
before coming to sit on the edge of my bed. This had to be good if he was going through such
great lengths to keep it secret.
" I need you to go with me to a house joint tonight," he said, as my eyes grew wide.
A house joint was an after hour gambling party. Gambling was far from legal, so to compensate
and make big money someone would host a party every couple months. Girls weren't normally
present and our parents would never approve, but I could see why he would invite me. I was
good with numbers, and prone to be lucky when it came to craps. Plus, with being the
daughter of the family who ran numbers I could move in circles most women couldn't.
"What time is it?" I asked laughing when his eye widened with surprise.
I'd always been the sibling who played by the rules, but now that my senior year was bust I
figured I'd live a little.
"It starts at eleven at the Jay Baxter's place," he said as I gasped. Jay was a Shepard boy since
when did he run around with them?
"It's kind of a good will thing for the Tigers," he explained as he took in my shocked expression.
"Just be here in you room, and ready by 10:30, so we can sneak out of the window, and drive
over," he said as I nodded.
"I can't believe you agreed so quickly," he said as I smirked.
"Times, they are a'changing," I said quoting Dylan as he shook his head.
" Guess so," He said standing as he moved to the doorway, only to pause as he turned the knob.
"Thanks, Alice," he said making me smile as I nodded. There wasn't much I wouldn't do for my
brothers.
Besides, this was exciting. I was going to my first real party. Party! Moving from the bed I felt my
stomach knot as the nervousness hit. I had no ideal what to wear. The only other parties I had
been to had been for birthday's and holidays. I didn't think showing up to Jay Baxter's house in a
prim and proper evening gown would allow me to blend in. Smiling I moved from the bed, and to
the telephone in the kitchen. Della would know exactly what to wear.
"You need me to pick an outfit for what!" Della yelled making me wince as everyone turned to look
at us talking at the end of the bar.
"Shhh," I hissed fighting down a blush as everyone slowly resumed his or her previous activities.
" I'm sorry I just didn't expect you to come down here and tell me you were going to a… a house
joint tonight," she whispered lowering her voice as she leaned in .
" I know, but Dwight needs my help," I said shrugging.
"I'll take my lunch so we can pick out your outfit," she said straightening as she looked down to the
end of the bar where her brother Charlie jr was working.
"Charlie! I'm taking lunch with Alice!" she yelled as he waved her off and we headed up stairs to
her room.
A million outfits later we had decided on a black pencil skirt with a red shirt and red peep
toe heels. I'd keep my hair down, and apply a little lip-gloss with some dark liner.
"Well now that I have an outfit, I just have to wait till its time to go," I said glancing at the clock that
read three o'clock as I sighed. Seven and a half hours was an eternity.
"What are you wearing?" Dwight hissed taking in my transformation as we entered the car and
pulled away from the house.
"Clothes," I said choosing to ignore the frown he cast my way. The outfit was decent.
" I aint never seen you look so grown up Alice, makes me think this might not be such a good
ideal," he said shaking his head.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to have to get into it with my friends because they're look at my sister," he
said as I rolled my eyes.
He knew as well as I did black and white did not mix, and seeing as how he was one of the few
ink spots in the gangs around her I'd be fine.
"Make sure you stick by me Alice, some of these guys have a taste for chocolate when no
one else is looking, you dig?" he asked catching my eye as I nodded .
"We'll start of with craps, and move to cards after we make our rounds and greet everyone," He
said as we moved onto the porch and I nodded standing behind him slightly as he knocked.
"Hey man, glad you could make it," Jay said opening the door as he and Dwight exchanged a hug.
"Whose the looker?" he asked glancing over my brothers shoulder as I looked down and felt my
cheeks redden.
" That's Alice, and I'm making it known right now, she's off limits, she's just here with me to do a
little gambling," he said as Jay nodded.
"Sorry Dwight, I didn't recognize her, she's changed since I saw her this summer, welcome to my
my house Alice, you two come on in," he said stepping by to allow us to enter.
We used to run into him from time to time during the summer when we were collecting. He was
always ready with a smile and a wave, but I knew underneath that cheerful exterior lay something
dangerous. I'd seen him wreck a Soc at the movies for harassing his cousin once, and he was a
shrewd business man when it came to my Father. He was Tim Shepard's right hand man for a
reason. Following my brother I nodded politely as he made introductions but I was more
fascinated by the scenery. There were crap games going on in every corner, and table after table
of card players. The kitchen was filled with food set out buffet style, and I could tell his mom had
been working at it all day. There was money to be made in house joints because the players
always left a tip for the host.
Two hours later we were up twenty-five dollars after a few rounds of crap and a game of poker.
Tim had made an appearance along with his brother who had surprised me by striking up
conversation. He was in my class, and my age, but we'd never exchanged so much as a pleasant
greeting. He wasn't a bad sort really; he had a keen wit, and a slow smile that set me at ease as
we talked and joked watching as our brothers went head to head in the next poker game. It felt
good to go some where and just belong, no name calling, leers or tension. I wasn't foolish enough
to think it would carry over to high school next week, but it was a nice reprieve from the hostile
environment I spent 20 day in every month.
" I know when to quit when I'm ahead guys , we're out of here," Dwight said folding during his
second game of poker as I grinned. He wanted to stop because I'd won a ten dollar jack pot the
game before and with what he'd won we were resting at a nice thirty dollars.
"Awwh come on, you can't quit till you and that card shark sister of yours give us a chance to win
back some of our money," TJ said making me smirk as the others echoed his sentiment.
" I have to get my card shark sister home before any one notices she's gone," he said as they all laughed.
"All right then, thanks for coming out," Jay said reaching over the table to shake my brothers hand
before giving me an acknowledging nod.
"Bring her around more often," Jack said shocking me. Jack Cameron was the leader of the
Tigers.
"I might have to do that," Dwight said nodding as we made our way out the house, and too the car.
" I'll split the winnings with you," He said divvying the money up between us before we made our
way to the house.
Tim
Watching the firm ass of Alice walk out beside her brother I swore someone up there was testing
my will power. She looked like a ripe cherry ready to be picked in the outfit she'd worn tonight, and
despite my tryst with Sylvia a few days back I still wanted a go at her.
"Never would have guessed Alice had it in her," Jay said shaking his head as he turned to face
him.
" Gambling?"
"Yeah, I mean I knew she had a head for numbers, but she always seemed to reserved, and up
tight, more of a soc than a greaser, well if they weren't black ya know?" He said as I nodded.
I had thought the same thing, but I guess we were both wrong. Made me wonder what else about
her I didn't know. Grinning I decided I had some … investigating to do. I'd just have to get her
alone sometime. I'd always loved a challenge, and the fact that we'd have to keep a secret got my
engine going. I was bored with the same old broads on the east side who'd sleep with any one for
a rep, and the half decent ones were too uptight for my taste most times. I needed someone who
could stomach my lifestyle, and my crew. Not that I'd ever been in a real heavy relationship. I mean
I was a one woman man , but It never meant more than I was sleeping with some chick exclusively.
We weren't shopping for rings or picking out china patterns. I didn't know if I had that in me after
seeing the way love made you weak willed.