"Hey Townsend!" shouted the warden of cell-block number eight at Rockford Correctional Institution for Juvenile Offenders. "You got a visitor!"
Jimmy looked up from the poker hand he was holding when he heard his name being called. Damn it he had a heart flush and wanted to finish the hand knowing he had a good chance of winning the sizable pot in the middle of the table that consisted of two packs of cigarettes and almost twenty dollars in cash. "I will be right there!" The teenager called out. "I just need a minute to finish up here." Looking across the table to the boy opposite him he arched an eyebrow. "I will see your three dollars and raise you another five." He threw the last of his money into the pot."
"Call." William Desoto said adding five dollars more of his own money and then laid down his cards showing three queens. A bright smile came to Jimmy's face. "Heart flush! I win." He reached to rake the pot from the center of the table towards him and stood up. "Good game guys, we must do this again." The boy stuffed the cigarette packs in his shirt pocket and then the wad of cash into the pocket of his pants. Grinning as he turned to the guard. "I wasn't expecting anyone. Who's here?"
"Not sure Jimmy." The guard said as he escorted the young man down the hallway towards the visitation room. When Jimmy looked through the glass observation window in the wall and saw Kathleen he broke in to a wide smile and had to keep himself from running to the door to the room like an overly excited puppy. Still once the door was unlocked and he was allowed to step into the room he crossed the short distance to where Kathleen Stabler was standing and threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly and then kissed her cheek. "I thought I told you not to come here? Don't you know how dangerous this place is?"
"I don't care, I wanted to see you. I miss you." She told him hugging him back tightly. "When do you get out of here?" She asked softly.
"I have another ten months to go on my two year sentence, but I've been a model prisoner and haven't caused any problems so I could be out in as soon as four, but I'd still have another year of probation." He took one of the packs of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket and opened it as he sat down at one of tables. Putting one of the smokes between his lips he took out a book of matches and lit it. "They won't let us have lighters in here." He took a long drag and inhaled the smoke before exhaling threw his nose. "I am glad you came. I missed you too. Couldn't stop thinking about you since we met."
"I couldn't stop thinking about you either. My mom's just happy that I seem so happy." She giggled taking one of his smokes reaching for her own match book. She'd started smoking; but she didn't care. It annoyed her father to no end, her mother as well.
Smiling for moment he stood up after he clamped his smoke between his lips and then pulled the wad of crumpled up cash out of the pocket of his pants. "I want you to take this for me and keep it somewhere." Jimmy knew that having that kind of cash on him would make him a target. When he saw the shocked look on her face he smiled. "I didn't do anything wrong. I just got real lucky playing poker. Thirty-two dollars, is a fortune in this place." He sat back down in his chair and watched as Kathleen put the money into her purse. "How did you manage to get out here to Rockford, it's a forty minute drive from the city?"
"I have a friend, with a car. She drove me out here as a favor she's waiting in the parking lot." Kathleen told him taking another draw off of the smoke the money safe in her purse.
"Do your parents know that you're seeing me? I mean... I am not the best guy for someone like you. I am sure that they'd think you should be dating the star quarter back of your high school football team." He joked, not realizing how he'd reminded Kathleen of how her parents had met each other. "I am sure you're most likely also president of the student counsel too."
"Nope they don't' know yet, I plan on telling them when they catch me coming home." She giggled. "That's how my parents met, I'd rather not follow in their footsteps. The quarter back of my high school for all I know could be as gay as my father. Which isn't a bad thing but I do not want to end up with 4 kids and a divorce in the end." She sighed taking another draw off her smoke.
"So you're settling for the bad boy instead? And I can assure you..." He hooked his thumb at himself and winked. "This bad boy is completely straight!"
"Actually I'm following my instincts and my heart, I'm not settling for anyone." Kathleen purred.
Jimmy leaned in and put his hand over Kathleen's and then brushed his lips against hers. "Knowing that you're waiting for me on the outside makes me want to make sure that I don't do anything to screw up the possibility of getting out early for good behavior." He smiled then looking even more charming if that was possible. "I am allowed to have visitors once a week. I'd like to see you again next Friday if you can get a ride out of the city again?"
"Gladly, I'll be here every Friday just to see you." Kathleen said softly kissing him just as softly. She felt so safe with him.
For the next forty minutes the two sat and talked and for a few moments it was like they were back up on the hospital roof. The spell Jimmy and Kathleen had cast however was shattered when the door to the room opened and the guard called out. "Your hour is up Townsend."
Jimmy stood up then and ground out the butt of third cigarette. "I got to go." He did however pull Kathleen to another quick embrace. "Take the money and buy yourself something nice." He started to back out of the room, but didn't take his eyes off of the girl.
Kathleen watched him go sad that their time was up for now, but she was heartened by the fact that she could see him in a week. The money in her purse would stay there for now. She may use it, she may not she didn't know.
