Chapter 28: On The Rooftop
I barely slept that night and instead of tossing and turning in bed, I wandered around the lodging house checking every person twice. It wasn't until dawn that I had the guts to walk into Spot's room to check on him. Not to my surprise, he was awake.
"How you feeling?"
Spot took one look at me and raised his eyebrows. "Bettah than you look."
Letting his words roll off me, I sat down on the bed next to him and began cleaning his bandage. "I didn't sleep all night."
"I know, I heard you walkin around."
"I take it you didn't sleep either then."
Spot shook his head. "Dats alright though. It'll help me sell moah papes taday and we need it."
"Yeah, I talked to the cheapskate. He says he'll cut the price in half tonight but it's back to normal tomorrow. Says it's our own fault and he ain't our grandpa."
He scoffed, "Dat bastard don't realize dat moah den half my boys are outta commission."
"This is why I came to an agreement with him that if you make sure all the boys who can, are selling, he'll keep it going. But it stops once he sees any gambling."
Spot made a face, "You bettah make suah Race is outtah heah today."
I nodded. "Jack and Skitts are already on their way to pick up some boys. And I sent Zig with some money for Dr. Wright but he already said we can repay him by bringing him and his wife a pape every morning."
Spot looked down at me, impressed. "Geez Bruin, what's left foah me ta do?"
"Well," I finished wrapping him up. "For starters I would get some sleep. We don't start selling for another hour or so and you've got nothing to worry about. I made sure of that."
"What about Ebony?"
"She's fine. She's back in Manhattan, along with Switch and Fox." I gave him a meaningful look in which it was evident I knew what happened and wasn't exactly happy about it. And seeing as he switched his gaze from me to the wall behind, told me he got it.
"I still need ta get ta Harlem and make su-"
"Spot," I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's all taken care of. Flash and Blue already left."
"But-"
"Will you relax? This is why you have a second in command. Let Flash do his job."
Spot looked as if he was going to protest again but after I gave him a threatening look, he dropped it. I smiled at my own small power.
"Now sleep. I'm not letting you sell unless you're up to it." I paused at the door. "And don't think you can fool me. I'll make someone stand guard if I have to."
Before I closed the door I heard Spot mumbling to himself, "Prisoner in my own lodgin house…"
"Hey Bruin!" He shouted at me before I could take my hand off the doorknob. I poked my head back in the room. "What youse doin aftah youse finished sellin?"
I shrugged, "Heading back here I suppose. Why?"
"Will youse meet me aftah?"
"Sure."
"Not heah…da usual place?"
I smiled and nodded. "I'll be there."
The afternoon dragged on because I could only think of meeting Spot after, but I finally made it.
The sun was setting in the distance as I finished and began walking to the roof of the Oprah House where Spot was waiting.
"Alright Bruin, you foist."
"What?"
"Why didn't you come ta me when you knew 'bout Ebony bein in Harlem?"
My heart dropped. This was not what I was expecting. "Cause it was too late. I knew it would be too dangerous to try and get to you." I answered somewhat irritably.
"So you thought it was safer ta follow Jimmy through Brooklyn, Manhattan, and into Harlem?" He paused to let the weight of his question to sink in. "Dats da stupidest explanation youse come up wit yet. Be straight wit me Bruin. What were you thinkin?"
"Is this why you wanted to meet? To drill me? Fine," I threw up my hands. "I was thinking that maybe if I went to Harlem and saved your precious girlfriend that you might actually notice me for a change. I felt like we were no longer friends…like I was being replaced or something. I knew it was stupid but I didn't care. I guess a part of me hoped that I would screw up so you would have to come and straighten it out."
Not wanting to see his face, I turned to face the view so my back was to him.
Spot sighed, "Bruin…you weren't supposed ta get involved. I had it all planned out so you wouldn't get wrapped up in dis shit. Hell, I went out of my way ta make suah you were so far out of the loop dat youse couldn't possibly be a target."
"A target?"
"Jimmy knew how close we were. I wasn't about ta let da scab take advantage of youse. He got close enough dat one morning; reminding me of why I hated his guts in da foist place. I just wanted ta make sure you were safe, Remy. Dats all."
The change in his tone forced me to face him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Cause dat would've negated everythin. You wouldn't have believed me and even if you did, youse one hell of a bad actress. Though I didn't exactly want you to hate me eithah. You know youse got quite a sting wit dat slap of yours."
I cringed, remembering that night when we argued. "I'm sorry I slapped you, you obviously didn't deserve it-"
"Are you kidding me?" Spot looked at me practically appalled. "I deserved everything youse said dat night. As a matter of fact, it would've bothered me a lot more if you didn't."
There was a pause as he hesitated, "You know dat whole thing wit Ebony was an act right?"
I nodded. "But what does that have to do with this? I mean why do it in the first place?"
"Foah a lot 'a reasons; most ta do wit Jimmy."
"What does Jimmy care if youre dating Ebony or anyone else for that matter?"
"Oh he wouldn't care who I was dating," Spot waved his hands at me to dismiss the thought. "He would care, however, about who Ebony was dating."
I didn't even bother to ask for clarification as Spot began to explain.
"I guess I bettah start from the beginning…"
Crossing my arms I nodded in agreement, "I think that's a good idea."
"Do you remember two years ago when dis whole thing wit Jimmy started?"
"Remember? How could I forget? That night has been etched in my mind since it happened. You dumped me…do you remember that?"
"Yeah I'll get ta dat in a sec," I raised my eyebrows at how quickly he dismissed my question. "Foist I gotta explain Ebony. See, she fell foah Jimmy but back before he was Jimmy; when he was Jet. You may not remember her-"
A jolt of realization hit me as I looked back to that night two years ago. "She was the girl you kidnapped," I said in awe.
Spot nodded.
"O-okay…keep goin."
"Apparently she took off after dat night cause she was so upset-"
"And you made her do it again?! Spot that's…horrible!"
He shook his head at me impatiently, "Will you just let me explain, Remy. It's been a hell of a long month and I want to make sure you understand so just listen alright?"
My mouth opened in offense but after considering it for a minute, I shut it again and nodded for him to continue.
"She approached me about dis whole relationship thing and thinking dat it would be da perfect way ta get back at Jimmy, I agreed. And I didn't know it was her until long aftah da fight by da way. So when I asked youse ta apologize foah Brooklyn, I meant it."
Another surge of guilt went through me.
"Anyway, the plan was foah Jimmy ta think we's was real serious and kidnap her. Dis way, Ebony could get inta his territory and work from da inside. We both thought that even if he didn't show it, he really did love her and hated da fact dat I had her. And I still think dat."
"Wait," I held up my hand as if to ask permission to speak. "Did you have a bird on her?"
"No."
"But you had Clover on me?"
Spot stood motionless for a minute as if he hadn't realized it himself, then slowly answered. "Like I said, I wanted ta make suah youse was safe."
Doing my best to conceal my delight in this small favor, I nodded, "Okay, just wanted to clarify. But, you do realize how ridiculous this plan was right?"
He sent me an annoyed glare so I shut up. It was quiet again as Spot thought, "Where did I leave off…?"
"Jimmy kidnapping Ebony and her working from the inside." I waved for him to continue, impatient for how long this was taking.
"Right, well dat was da plan anyway. But dat didn't seem ta woik so well."
I rolled my eyes and watched as Spot began pacing and running his hand through his hair. Then he began to mumble to himself, causing me to smile. I was horrible at poker. I could never read people's faces, especially Spot's, but tonight his emotions were clear on his face. He was actually nervous.
"I don't know how ta put this."
"How bout you just come out and say it then."
He shook his head. "No, it ain't right yet. I still have ta clear some things up."
He stopped pacing and instead came forward to look me right in the eyes. "Remy, when I broke up wit you dat night I did it because a' Jimmy. I couldn't bear ta think of dat rat gettin his dirty hands on youse. It was more den I could handle so I had ta end it. I just…I mean after I thought it was okay again…you had…well, it was too late."
His words rolled around in my head as I stared blankly at him, speechless. Spot placed his hands on the edge and leaned on them but didn't look out at the view like me. He stared down between his hands and shook his head.
"Everythin was fine till Jimmy showed up again and pointed out what I had tried ta forget. You can imagine how annoyed I was when I realized I wasn't actin foah Brooklyn."
"I nevah stopped carin foah youse Rem. Nevah. I only dated all those goils cause I thought it would help me move on and then it just became a part of my reputation. I was this power house and I knew it. But dat ain't good enough foah me anymore." He spoke more fervently as if he had been wanting to say this for a long time and had been practicing. For all I knew, he had. "Then dis whole thing wit Jimmy started again and I couldn't let history repeat itself but I found myself in da same place. I realized I didn't do it foah Brooklyn though, I did it foah youse."
Seeing that I was still shocked into silence he continued, "Now Christopher wasn't planned but I thought it would help. Da only reason why I didn't kick his ass the moment I realized something was goin on between da two of youse is cause Ace told me he was a good guy and I needed someone ta watch out foah youse. But I didn't like him one bit."
"Spot-"
He shook his head. "I ain't done. Da reason why I didn't look at cha at da party is cause I knew I would give everythin away. I had already come too close before and I knew that if I saw youse lookin as gorgous as youse did wit someone other than me I'd loose it."
He stopped pacing to face me earnestly and took a deep breath, "Youse da one I wanna be wit Rem, no one else."
This confession hit me like a ton of bricks and I didn't know how to respond. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry, I wanted to yell…everything came at once. Spot watched me cautiously.
"You put me through two years of hell foah Jimmy?" I couldn't help but let some bitterness out and Spot picked up on it immediately. There was an instant transition from nervousness and hope to a blank stare as he put up his mask again.
Realizing my mistake, I back tracked and asked the one question I had been thinking about since I'd heard the truth. "Did you kiss her?"
This question seemed to catch him off guard as he looked at me confused. "What?"
I spoke more slowly, "Ebony, did you kiss her?" I crossed my arms, waiting for an answer.
Spot shifted a little, clearly not knowing how to take my question. "No."
"Did you almost kiss her?"
He took a step closer and smirked. "No."
"Did you want to kiss her?"
There was a full smile on his face now and he closed the space between us even further. "No."
"Did you think about kissing her?"
This time he rolled his eyes. "Isn't dat da same thing?" He asked impatiently.
"No, you may not necessarily want to kiss her but you could still be curious." I found my back against the wall as Spot closed in on me.
"Well in dat case…"
I glared at him but he only chuckled. "Remy there's only one goil I've thought about kissing foah a very long time."
"Really." I sounded condescending even though I felt quite the opposite.
"Yes, and she seems ta be da only one who won't let me."
I raised my chin defiantly but on the inside my heart beat rapidly. "Good for her."
The space between us was mere inches now so I could feel his breath on my face. He dropped his smile and instead looked at me earnestly. "Common Maggie, meet me half way."
I subconsciously licked my lips which made his break out into a genuine smile. Letting out a small sigh I met his grey-blue eyes. "Damn it Conlon, why am I always the one who has to give in?"
"Because you know you want to."
I squirmed a little as I tried to separate myself from him as much as possible. I couldn't think with him this close but getting more space was out of the question seeing as I was practically plastered to the wall and he was now right against me. I was about to give in when he sighed.
"Well then, lets just go back." He turned around and began walking away, taking every ounce of warmth with him.
I inwardly cursed his ego then shouted after him, "Hey!" Running after him, I cut off any chance for him to retort with some sarcastic comment and grabbed his collar to pull him down to my lips.
The shock wore off in a matter of seconds as his hands quickly went around my waist to pull me closer. My arms snaked around his neck, ready to melt to the floor at any moment. The kiss was sweet but long, as if we felt we needed to make up for lost time. When we finally pulled apart I playfully punched him in the chest and grinned.
"Don't be such an ass."
