7. Pia
Tank and Pia cruised back into town in Jabba the Hutt's sandslider. The warbling Hutt music which played on the polyphonic system was incredibly annoying, but neither of them had the courage to touch one of Jabba's settings.
When they got to Baba Qwim's, Tank turned right onto Dofos and fought his way through traffic until he reached a shop that he knew. He pulled over to the curb. "How's your ankle?"
"It's throbbing a bit, but it's okay."
"Stay here. I'll be right back." He had to wait until there was a break in kids doin' the delta, then opened his door, got out, and went over and into the shop.
Pia watched him go and asked herself just what the heck she thought she was doing. She had a boyfriend, a wonderful guy who was studious and dependable and who didn't get drunk and hang out with his buddies, talking sports. He was a focused guy who was going places, and until this evening, she'd fully intended to hitch her wagon to his rising star. Maybe she still did.
But tonight, she'd met this big lug. He obviously wasn't too bright, but he was a big as a mountain and gentle as a good night kiss. He had fearlessly put his unarmed self between her and the two Tusken raiders who were intent on killing her. He was nothing less than a hero. And, so attentive. He'd opened the car door for her. He treated her like a princess. Not one of those golden princesses, oh no, because he was more than willing to buy her some hard stuff, and she was sure that, before the evening was over, she'd have more than a few of his fingerprints on her. But a dark and evil princesses, the kind of girl she'd always dreamed over being. He was opening forbidden doors for her, doors that led to pathways she knew she should stay away from.
Pia licked her lips in anticipation of his return. She wondered what the two guys in the shop were saying to each other.
"Evening, Tank," the shopkeeper had said when the big guy had walked in through the front door. "How's life at the Academy?"
"I wouldn't know, Buzz. I didn't get in. I've just been workin' on my parents' farm and waiting to hear back from the army."
"Oh man, I was sure you'd get in. Too bad, but it's the Empire's loss. What can I get you?"
The shop had just about everything. "A pair of cryo-wraps to start with and, let's see . . ." Tank looked around. "Let me have some jerky, some sweet dibs, one of those Tatooine souvenir buttons, an air freshener, an auxiliary memory panel, and oh yeah, a bottle of Babe's."
Buzz was dropping the items into a bag. "I'll need to see an I.D. for the liquor."
"You've sold to me before."
"I only got two points left on my license. I can't afford another hit."
"There's nobody around."
"There wasn't the last time I got caught either." Buzz fixed a cold eye on him.
"Just the cryo-wraps then."
"Why do you play me like that, Tank? I thought we were friends."
The big guy squirmed. "I got me this girl out in the car."
"You got a car?"
"It's, it's. . . I'm just bringing it to Fixer. But she wants some hard stuff, y'know? What kind of bum am I if I can't get it for her?"
Buzz shot a glance out the filthy window. "Not the supernova in the sandslider?"
Tank frowned. Pia was cute, but she was no supernova. "Yeah, that's her."
Buzz sighed and glanced around as if he could spot one of those new droid fleas. "Two hundred trugats for the cryp-wraps and the Babe's," he mumbled conspiratorially.
Tank nodded. It would about clean out his pockets, but that was okay. "Sure, thanks." He paid for the items, and left before Buzz could change his mind.
Pia waited in anticipation. "D'ja get it?" When he handed her the bag, she stuck her nose in. "All right!"
Tank was starting to sweat. How far would this girl let him get? She'd asked for liquor; he'd gotten her liquor; but that was no guarantee of anything. He knew just the place he should take her.
His comm link chimed.
"Yeah?"
"Where in all the cosmos are you?"
"Oh, hi Fixer. What'd mean?"
"The car."
"Car?"
"You didn't get Jabba the Hutt's car? Where are you?"
"Oh that. Yeah, I'm in it now. Where do you want to meet?"
"Where we said before: Baba Qwim's. I thought you'd be here by now."
"Well, there was a problem—"
"Is the car all right!"
"Don't worry. The sandslider's fine. I'll be there in less than five." He started it up. "Sorry Pia, my buddy's waiting for me." He pulled into traffic, made a right and then another right, circling him back to Route 2. He made a final right and drove up to the Y-shaped intersection, where he pulled into Baba Qwim's parking lot.
Fixer was pacing outside. "Who's she?"
"It's okay," said Tanks as he pulled into a parking place. "We got attacked by some sandpeople, and she got a little beat up is all."
"Did they hurt the car?"
Tank said very quietly, "She and I are fine. Thank you for your concern. And the sandslider doesn't have a scratch on it. Take a look if you don't believe me."
Fixer orbited the car, looking for the slightest imperfection. He pulled his hover bike out of the back and pulled off the tarp. In cargowell was okay too. "Sorry Tank," he said when his inspection was complete, "but it belongs to Jabba, and he's not known to be forgiving."
Tank took him aside. "Can I borrow another fifty trugats from you?"
"Fifty more? What for?"
"She hasn't had anything to eat. I should buy her dinner."
Fixer took the keys from Tank. "Tok's throwing a party at his place. There's bound to be plenty of food there." He climbed into the sandslider and backed it up. "I need to get this out to Jabba's before he starts getting angry."