CHAPTER SIX
Saturday afternoon.
Hammer on the door once, twice, three times before there's any hint of movement inside.
"You made it then." Chris Lewis appears in the doorway, scratching his head. He doesn't seem fully awake, despite it being the middle of the afternoon.
"Yeah. Guess I did." I follow him inside, into the small lounge.
"Take a seat, Lil's got a bit of a bad head from last night's drinking, she ain't exactly feeling very social," Chris says with a grin as he shoves his girl's feet off the couch to make room for himself to sit down, while gesturing for me to take the chair opposite.
"Fuck's sake, Chris," she snaps, rubbing at her eyes.
"Don't like it? Then take yourself back to bed, sweetheart. I've got business that needs attending to."
"Yeah? Reckon I will, you asshole." And she's on her feet, slapping him half-heartedly across the back the head before stomping out the room.
Lewis laughs and offers me a cigarette.
"What exactly are you hoping I'm gonna do about Myers?" I ask, lighting my smoke, tossing my lighter across to him.
"Hell, Tim, it's like I told you last night. The Kings are pushing all the time into my territory again recently, and if we don't sort them now then it's all gonna get out of hand."
"And why's that my problem?"
"Because from what I've been hearing Myers ain't just set on expanding this way, he wants your streets too. And he's not content with turning over stores or stealing motors no more, you've got to have heard they're getting in to dealing now. And it's more than a little bit of weed here and there. apparently Wayne's got ambitions. Thinks he's gonna be the next big thing around here."
Lewis had hinted as much last night. It's not my thing, but I don't much care if that's how other people want to waste their time and money either. But he ain't letting it go, persists in giving me details of deals and places they been working, along with examples of all the other shit the River Kings have been doing over here in Brumly this past month. I have to admit, it surprises me quite how much Myers has stepped things up into Chris's part of town; how he's doing it all so blatantly—like he's trying to make it appear like Lewis is losing control. Still don't get why it's my problem though.
"Hell, if they don't buy the gear from the Kings then they'll only find someone else to get it from. Tiber Street, on some out of town assholes."
"You really want Myers boys selling dope in your territory, Shepard? Want that little sister of yours having a smoke with all her friends, maybe thinking she'll try something a little stronger, 'cause it's oh-so easy to get now there's from some guy dealing at the end of your street. Ending up on a real downer and in all sorts of trouble 'cause she don't know what she's doing?"
I'm pretty sure Angela's got more sense than to do any of what he's suggesting. And at the moment I've got that agreement in place with the River Kings, keeping each other at arm's length on account of Tiber Street, haven't any proof they're working on my territory. Although I'm not dumb enough to trust Wayne Myers to keep his word on anything unless it suits him to be doing so.
But on the other hand Brumly don't ever give me no trouble, have always had our backs in a rumble if we've needed them in the past, and that's got to be why Lewis is thinking I'll help him out on this.
"Leave it with me, I'll see what I can find out about what's going on. Don't go doing nothing rash and we'll see if we can figure out some way to deal with him that suits us both. I'll be in touch again in a couple of days."
I'm on my feet, holding my hand out for him to shake and agree on this plan.
"Thanks, Tim. So did you have a good night last night, get anywhere with that girl?" he asks, grinning again.
"Yeah, wasn't a bad night." I smirk back, heading back out the door. "See you around, Chris."
And it's not his problems that I'm thinking about as I drive away, 'cause not for the first time today my mind is preoccupied with that girl.
God knows how long we were there. Things had been going pretty damn well, got pretty heated between us, seemed like Leigh was enjoying being there as much as me. That was until some fucking racket from a passing wreck of a car ruined it, caused her to think about how late it had got and set her on to worrying about being late home and getting in trouble with her old man. Then after that there was no changing her mind or persuading her to stay. Instead, I ended up walking her the rest of the way home. She sure was good company though, even if it was a damn shame that I never got to take her back to my place.
Wouldn't mind seeing her again, picking up where we left off. And then a snippet of our conversation from earlier last night worms it's way back into mind. Her telling me how she works Saturdays, down the Double R diner. How she said she was working 'til four today. And now it's ten to—and I'm a couple of streets away. And before I can tell myself what a bad idea it is, I'm hanging a left, heading back down town.
~oOo~
It's about five past and I still haven't seen her. People come and go out the door of the restaurant, but Leigh isn't one of them.
Maybe I got the time wrong after all. Should probably finish this cigarette and quit hanging around out across the street like some desperate loser, go home. Yeah. I'll go then.
Taking a last drag on my cigarette, I toss the butt to the sidewalk, grinding it out beneath my boot, on the point of leaving when Leigh finally appears.
"Hi." She smiles, biting her bottom lip, stopping right in front of me. "Didn't expect to see you round here, Tim."
"Well, I did say last night that I'd see you soon." Pushing myself upright, away from the car, I rest my hands on her waist, kiss her.
"I guess," she murmurs against my shoulder. "Didn't suppose you actually meant it though."
"It's like I told you last night, I don't say anything I don't mean." Kissing her again, my mind is running away with me, thinking about where to take her, preoccupied with imagining exactly how I'd like to be spending the next couple of hours with her. "And I happened to be in the neighbourhood, figured you might need a ride home?"
"Oh." She rests her forehead against my shoulder for a second, her body warm against mine. A small frown creasing her brow when she does look up. "That'd be great, Tim. Honest. But I can't. Not right now. My dad's down the block at work." She twists a little and gestures down the street, towards the boxing club, making one of my hands slip away from her as she does. "He's expecting me to go there now."
"Sure he is." So much for playing it cool.
"I'm sorry, Tim, it's not some excuse, I really am supposed to go there. I, well, I promised him I would and he'll be worried if I don't turn up."
"Don't worry about it." I let my other hand drop from her, take a step back and reach down to open the car door. "Like I said, I was in the area. It ain't no big deal. Guess I'll see you around sometime, Leigh."
"Tim, wait." She catches a hold of my hand, prevents me from getting in the car, driving away like I need to.
"What?"
"Well, I was thinking...Are you doing anything later? Tonight I mean? See, my dad's going out, around seven, drinking with a couple of his old army buddies. You could maybe come pick me up then if you like. We could go out someplace? Or I could come meet you somewhere?" And then her face reddens as she hastily starts backtracking a little, "I mean...if you want to... Though I guess you're probably busy? Got other places you'd rather be."
"Really?" I ask and I can't help grinning at her 'cause it feels like a pretty big deal to hear her saying she wants to spend more time with me.
"Yeah, if you want to." She shrugs a little, smiles at me as she turns and walks away.
~oOo~
Saturday night.
"What're you doing tonight?" Curly saunters into the room we share, flops down on his bed.
"Nothing much." I drag the comb through my hair one last time, drop it down on top the dresser.
"Sure, nothing." Curly raises an eyebrow, a grin working its way onto his face. "'Cause you always make such an effort for nothing. Who're you meeting?"
"Must be a girl," Angela pipes up, appearing in the doorway. "The amount of cologne and hair grease you got on tonight. Can practically smell it in my room."
"Oh, God. Is it Nancy? You aren't seeing her again are you?" Curly pulls a face, Angela sniggers.
"What? I wear a clean shirt and that must mean I'm meeting someone. And no I'm not seeing Nancy West. I'm going out is all."
"Come on, Tim." Angela smirks at our brother. "Why the big secret?"
"Yeah. Who is she? Is it—"
"I said it ain't nothing." I snap, glance around for my keys, realise they're still in my pocket. "I've just got business to deal with."
"What business? Is something going on?" Curly straightens up, suddenly serious. "You need me to come along?"
"Nope." I slip on my worn leather jacket, stroll past Angela into the hall.
Ignore the pair of them and the way they're making no effort at all to hide the fact they're talking about me, speculating over where I might really be going and who I could possibly be meeting.
Think I like it better when they're fighting with each other. Least when they are they don't pay no attention to me anyways. So much so that it's almost a relief to finally escape them and finally be standing waiting on the front step at Leigh's place.
Almost.
Because part of me can't help thinking this a lousy idea. Take a step back down the path, then stop again. Tell myself it don't have to mean nothing, just 'cause I'm here. Isn't like I have to see her again after tonight, tie myself down to one girl.
The front door swings open, Leigh smiles at me. "Hi, do you want to come in a minute?" she asks, "I'm almost ready."
One look at her standing there in that short red dress, how damn happy she seems to see me, and my decision is made. There's no way I'm passing up this opportunity to spend a little more time with this girl. Simply need to get her out of my system, clear my head. That's all. Ain't like she's exactly the first girl I've chased ever after.
"Yeah, okay."
"So, would you like a drink while you're waiting?" She heads towards the kitchen, me close on her heels.
"That'd be good."
"You want a beer? There's enough that dad won't notice, he doesn't ever count 'em. Me and Sylv have been sneaking them for years." She's laughing a little, as she offers me the bottle from the fridge.
"Thanks." My hand brushes hers as she passes me the drink and instantly the atmosphere is real tense between us again. Like I should be kissing her, only she's already heading back down the hall. Can't take my eyes off of her as I follow her into the lounge, and take a seat on the couch like she suggests before she disappears again.
I'm surprised to be feeling this edgy, but honestly, the thought of being around this girl in an empty house is messing with my head as my imagination starts running away with me again.
Sip at my beer as I try to focus my attention on the room around me. The house is identical to Nick's and every other place on these streets. There's not a lot of furniture, just the couch, and an armchair opposite with a side table stacked with sports papers and notebooks. The television under the window, and a radio in the corner, providing the only sound in the house. It's all pretty old, worn out stuff but the room is insanely tidy, same as the kitchen was.
Not like our place. The mess there drives me crazy, what with Ma's newspapers and crap everywhere, all the dishes stacked in the sink from one day to the next until someone actually needs something. Must be weird living in a house that ain't full of people and noise and fighting all the time.
It's barely a couple of minutes later when Leigh returns to the room, much the same aside from the fresh lipstick and the hint of sweet perfume, still all too familiar to me from yesterday.
"You look real pretty tonight," I offer as she perches on the edge the couch beside me. And Jesus, talk about fucking predictable. She doesn't seem to mind though—actually seems pleased I said it.
"Thank you." Leigh smiles, fiddles with straightening the hem of her skirt. "Have you had a good day? Sure was glad to get out of work, one of the other girls was sick and I've been rushed off my feet all day."
"Why work there then, especially as you've ot that other job working for your old man?"
"For the money of course," she says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Don't really get paid for working for my dad. I do it to help him out. He hasn't been too well this last year, and me doing the office stuff means he doesn't have to do everything himself. Anyway, where are we gonna go tonight?"
"Don't mind. You can choose. What does your old man think you're up to?" I ask, taking a slug of the beer, setting the near-empty bottle down on the table.
"Nothing much. He thinks I'm staying in, having a quiet night after being out yesterday."
"What's the deal with your father then? He real strict or something?"
"Not especially, I guess it's kind of complicated. He doesn't mind me going out with Sylvia and stuff. So long as he thinks he knows where I am."
"Really?" I laugh. "He ever met Sylvia?"
"Yeah, well, she can be awful good at making the right impression on people, being what they want to see. Me and him get on pretty good mostly, and it's been the two of us for so long now that I can hardly remember it ever being any different. It's just that a couple months ago I, well… he made me promise I'd keep out of trouble until I finished school. And that includes not getting involved with any more boys."
"What would happen if he found me here then? He likely to hit you or something?"
"Oh, no, he wouldn't ever do that," she says, frowning. "He's got no time for guys who hit women. But he wouldn't think twice about getting into it with you. I suppose he'd be real mad at me. And disappointed. That I'd lied to him."
"Yet here you are…sitting here with me." I grin at her, raise an eyebrow.
Leigh seems a little awkward, won't look at me as she answers. "You always do everything your folks tell you, Tim?"
"Honey, my Ma stopped telling me what to do soon as I was big enough to take care of myself, she ain't interested what I do as long as it don't cause her no bother."
"Well I'm not that lucky. But if he doesn't know, he can't exactly worry about it can he? And it's not like I make a habit of it."
I shift a little closer, rest a hand on her knee. "Guess that makes me special then?"
"Yeah, I guess it does."
And with that she's in my arms, and we're pretty much picking up right where we left off last night.
~oOo~
I make it as far as the parking lot of Buck's, when it hits me that it's not where I want to be. Not right now. I don't need no questioning from the guys on where I've been, not entirely certain I want to drag the full details of what I've been doing with Leigh these past few hours into no bullshit bragging session. Not tonight, anyway.
It's as I'm taking the left back towards home that I spot the small group of kids hanging around in the shadows, out the back of the Standard, barely visible in the glow of the broken sign.
Slowing the car, I take a long look. A couple of them I half recognise as some of them middle class soc-wannabe kids that hang around in Jay's. The other kid who's the focus of their attention I don't know. What is obvious is the fact there's some kind of purchase going down, with minimal effort to hide the fact.
Seems Lewis' information was right after all—and once again I've got bigger issues to deal with.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading :)