January 1899
"No!" Ralphie yelled, grabbing her wrist.
"Ow!" Adelaide winced, trying to pull her wrist back.
"I can feel you coming a mile away!"
"Ralphie, please…"
Ralphie released her and Adelaide rubbed her wrist. Blue and purple bruises on top of yellow and green bruises discolored both of her wrists.
"If you're gonna work the crowds, they cannot feel a thing, or you're gonna end up in the slammer!"
"I'm sorry."
"Damn right you are."
"Can we rest?"
"No. Try it again."
"I can't bend my wrists; they're so bruised. That's why I keep messing up."
Ralphie grabbed her arms and looked at her wrists. He saw the bruises in the shape of his fingers all over. He unceremoniously dropped her arms. "You should've kept practicing."
"It's not like I expected to ever have to pickpocket again. I hate stealing and you know it. Isn't there some other way I can make money?"
"Sure there is," said Ralphie. "But I don't wanna share you that way."
"Are you kidding? You nearly sold me to one years ago."
Ralphie looked at her, confused, before his expression relaxed. "Addie, I never tried to sell you to a brothel."
"Yes you did," said Adelaide. "I remember it because I was screaming and crying and begging you to not take me there."
"Addie," said Ralphie, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I wasn't sellin' you to the brothel. I got you a job in the house as a house girl. Doing stuff like helping with the laundry and helping the cook."
"What?"
Ralphie nodded. "Addie, I would've never sold you to a brothel. Especially at that age."
"Really?"
Ralphie nodded and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I cared about you too much to do that to you."
Adelaide kept her expression neutral, not quite believing his sincerity.
"You're so pretty, you know," Ralphie said, running the back of his fingers down her cheek.
Adelaide flinched and jerked her face away.
Raphie leaned in a firmly pressed his lips against hers. Adelaide tried her best to pull back, but Ralphie was leaning in too forcefully. She tried to push him away, but his arms were too tight around her. Adelaide felt revulsion, but knew the safest thing to do was to let him kiss her.
She started when she heard a throat clear a few years away. Her instinct was to quickly pull away, but Ralphie kept her firmly in place. He pulled back when he was good and ready.
"What?" Ralphie snapped as he turned around.
Spot stood a couple yards from them.
"You wanted me to find you when it happened again," said Spot.
Ralphie nodded. "Alright. Hopefully this will be the last time." Ralphie turned back to Adelaide. "I'll see you later." He gave her a quick peck before walking off.
Adelaide wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, glaring at his back.
"Disgusting," she muttered.
"You want to get some coffee to wash it away with?"
Adelaide shook her head. "No, I just want to go home."
Spot jerked his head. "Come on, I'll walk you."
"I meant my real home. Manhattan."
"'fraid I can't help you with that."
Adelaide began walking down the street toward their building, and Spot followed at a respectful distance.
Ralphie turned the corner and headed toward the bridge. As he neared the entrance to the bridge, he heard an argument.
"Listen, I got me orders and you ain't gettin' into Brooklyn," said Blade.
"Why not?" demanded Skittery. "I want proof that she's okay."
"She's fine," said Blade. He smirked when he saw Ralphie approach. "Ralphie's been seein' to that." Skittery stiffened.
"What's the problem?" asked Ralphie.
"I want to see Aide," said Skittery.
"Well, Addie doesn't want to see you," said Ralphie. Skittery bristled at Ralphie's name for her. "Every day you come here, demanding to see her. When she hears about it, it just upsets her."
Skittery shook his head. "You're lyin'."
Ralphie held out his hands. "I just have my girl's best interest in mind."
"Your girl?" repeated Skittery. "She ain't your girl."
"She's sharin' my bed," said Ralphie. Skittery felt like he'd been sucker punched. "I'd say that makes her my girl."
Blade just smirked and looked between the two.
Skittery shook his head. "It ain't true."
"It's true," smirked Blade, taking the cigarette out of his mouth. "They got their own little room and everythin'."
"Now if I catch you on the side of my bridge again, you're gonna get soaked so bad, you won't walk again," said Ralphie, his tone low and serious.
Skittery looked from Ralphie to Blade and back to Ralphie again. "Just promise me you'll tell her I was here." Ralphie didn't say anything. Defeated, Skittery turned and walked back over the bridge.
"Send Tumbler my regards," Ralphie called after him, chuckling.