"You said what?"
The fact that her brother had trouble keeping certain remarks to himself did not escape Sarah but she was still surprised by what he'd just revealed about a conversation he'd had with a certain girl from Brooklyn.
"I was angry," David explained with a slight blush.
"You were angry? So you brought up how Spot—you know what, I don't even have words, David."
"Well, I apologized."
"You're lucky Spot didn't knock your teeth out."
"He wasn't there."
Sarah glanced over her shoulder to the back table where Spot and Tay sat. As usual Spot was keeping an eye on everything and everyone around him while Tay only seemed to have eyes for the magic act being performed on stage. The room was crowded with newsies, old and new, who had been invited to Irving Hall that night. Medda had always had a soft spot for the child workers of the city and would reserve certain nights just for them.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?"
She turned back to where her brother sat. "Go ahead."
"Why are you so interested in the two of them?" David asked with a slight grin. "Every time they come around you seem obsessed."
"I'm not obsessed," Sarah protested. "I just think she could use a friend and don't pretend like you aren't just as intrigued by them as I am."
"Well I'm not crazy enough to be going around trying to be friends with either one of them."
"After what you said? I'm not surprised," Sarah kidded.
She sat back in her chair and watched the magician on stage finish performing his final act. The man deserved some credit for trying to entertain such a raucous crowd and Sarah was amused by his last trick involving a lot of smoke and mirrors. As the next act prepared to enter the stage Sarah caught herself looking back over her shoulder again.
"I'm going over there," Sarah announced although she wondered if her presence would even be missed given that David and Jack were engaged in debate with one another. She slipped out of her seat and crossed the room, nodding in greeting to familiar faces along the way.
"Hello, Tay," Sarah smiled but she noticed that Tay's eyes darkened slightly and she looked up at Sarah with obvious distaste.
Spot leaned over and whispered something inaudible in Tay's ear and she frowned before muttering something under her breath.
"Do you mind if I sit? Sarah asked.
"You're not wel—" Tay began but Spot interrupted.
"Have a seat, Jacobs."
Sarah was too used to Tay's abrasive personality to let her brief remarks keep her from taking a seat at the table. She noticed that as soon as she was settled Tay turned her eyes back to the stage and pointedly ignored Sarah.
"How are you?" Sarah decided to start with simple niceities although she wasn't really expecting much of a response. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry if my brother upset you—"
"What did he say?" Spot asked, his eyes glittered with a certain malice that Sarah hadn't seen in some time. He turned to Tay but she just put her hand on his arm and shook her head.
"Not tonight. Please," Tay told him quietly.
"I'm going to get a drink," Spot answered before getting to his feet. Tay sent him a pleading look and Sarah was somewhat relieved to see Spot head toward the bar in the back instead of toward where David and Jack were sitting.
There was an awkward moment as Sarah sat unsure of what to do. She folded her hands on the table and leaned forward. "Can I ask you a question?"
Tay looked unsure but shrugged. "Okay."
"Why don't you like me?" Sarah wasn't sure what possessed her to ask the question and she noticed that Tay seemed surprised by the question as well.
"Don't like you? I don't even know you," Tay told her.
Sarah smiled. "I guess that's true. Do you think we might get to know each other?"
Tay looked over her shoulder in the direction that Spot had headed before settling her gaze back on the glass in front of her. She took a sip of whisky and seemed to be considering her answer. "I guess. But first I have a question for you."
Sarah felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. "All right."
"Are you sleeping with him?"
"I—I'm sorry?"
"Are you sleeping with Spot?" Tay asked the question simply with a look on her face that belied none of the emotions she might have been feeling.
"No–no, I'm not—" Sarah stammered nervously.
"Do you want to?"
Sarah had to take a moment as her head was spinning at the implication although Tay appeared calm and relaxed. Her mind went to David's statement earlier and Sarah realized that if she was being honest with herself then she might have admitted that Spot did have a dangerous charm but that was all.
"No, I don't want anything like that," Sarah told Tay. "Why do you ask such a question?"
Tay took another sip of her drink and lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "'Cause the only reason girls hang around is to try and get into his bed. He's never had any issue letting them do just that so I figured you might be after the same thing."
"Well that's not my intention," Sarah told Tay. She knew there were a number of reasons for Tay's stand-offish behavior but she had never heard Tay speak openly about any of them. It was no wonder Tay preferred not to get close to other women and Sarah understood more than she cared to admit what it was like to be in a relationship with a man who flirts openly with others.
Sarah glanced at Tay's glass. "Do you mind if I have some?"
Tay looked surprised but recovered quickly and slid her glass across to Sarah. "Didn't know you drink."
"I don't," Sarah admitted. "Not often anyway."
The alcohol burned her throat and Sarah blinked her eyes rapidly to keep Tay from noticing how they watered. Sarah let out a short cough and passed the glass back over to where Tay sat looking amused.
"Do you smoke, too?" Tay asked mischievously. Sarah just shook her head no, trying to keep the alcohol from coming back up. The purpose had been to try and make Tay feel comfortable but Sarah began to second-guess her plan. She wasn't used to straight liquor although she had drunk wine before but it hadn't been often enough to make her used to alcohol.
"You know, Spot told me you came to visit me when I was sick. I guess I want to say thank you," Tay told her without looking up from the contents of her glass.
"How have you been feeling? Since—since then," Sarah asked kindly.
"Swell," Tay answered shortly. She bit at her bottom lip before glancing over at Sarah. "I'm sorry, Jacobs. I'm just…I don't–"
"It's okay," Sarah smiled. "You've been through a lot. I can understand why you might not want to talk about things."
"It just ain't never turned out right. I mean when I've talked to other girls. Like I said, they was always after Spot and couldn't care less about me."
"Well let me assure you that the only person I am interested in getting to know here is you. I would like us to be friends. Is that okay with you?"
Sarah tried her best to look calm and approachable as Tay scrutinized her. It was slightly unnerving to be sized up but Sarah understood she had one shot at becoming Tay's friend and so she kept a neutral expression on her face.
"If that's what you want," Tay told her with a shrug. She glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "And I'm sorry about what I said to you that time Spot sent me to tell you thank you."
"Tay, there's no need—"
"No, I want to say it. I was angry about a lot of things and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. You were just trying to help."
"Can I ask you another question?" Sarah waited until Tay nodded. "Have you ever had a friend before?"
"What do you mean? I have Spot," Tay said defensively. There was an edge to her tone and the look in her eyes made Sarah realize she would have to be extremely cautious moving forward.
"Of course," Sarah said. "I guess what I meant is have you ever had a girl friend before?"
There was a long moment of silence as Tay finished her drink and sat spinning the glass around on the table. Her eyes flashed from Sarah's face to the glass and back again.
"I tried, once. There was this girl who used to hang around, her name was Lucy. I used to talk to her sometimes and I thought she was my friend but then…you remember that rally they had here? The one where Jack got arrested? After everyone was gone I went to Lucy and she told me I could stay in the girls lodging house."
"I didn't know you were there that night."
"Spot told me to stay in Brooklyn," Tay said quietly. "But I went anyway. I wanted to see what a rally was like. He never let me…never mind. Let's just say Lucy wasn't my friend. I gave her a black eye and she slept with Spot to get back at me."
"I would think the black eye would come after she did that," Sarah kidded gently.
"She skipped town. Last I heard she was somewhere in Harlem," Tay explained.
Question after question filled Sarah's mind but she wasn't quite sure how to put most of them into words, or even if she should. She had to admit Tay's world was somewhat intriguing but she knew that in order to be allowed access she would have to tread carefully. Before Sarah could decide where to start she saw Tay's eyes focus on something that was happening behind her.
"Shit," Tay muttered as she rose to her feet rapidly. Sarah turned to look and saw Spot holding David against the wall by his collar. She had no idea how Spot had managed to pass right by them on his way to David but then she knew the Brooklyn leader had always had a mysterious way of doing things.
Sarah followed Tay across the room to where Spot had David pinned. She noticed that all the color had drained from David's face, leaving him white as a sheet. Sarah looked around quickly but noticed that Jack was nowhere to be found. The rest of the newsies seemed to be under the impression that what was going on wasn't their business and resumed their conversations with one another.
"Spot," Tay said in a low voice. She added a few words in a language Sarah didn't recognize.
Sarah's first instinct was to intervene but she noticed how Tay was careful to stay out of Spot's reach while still close enough that he could hear her and so she stayed by Tay's side.
Spot answered her in a few terse words in the same language Tay had used but didn't take his hands off of David.
Sarah caught the pleading look that her brother sent her but she wasn't exactly sure how to approach the situation. She opened her mouth to say something but Tay quickly grasped her by the hand and Sarah saw her shake her head while mouthing the word 'no'.
"Please, Spot." Tay let go of Sarah's hand and inched closer to Spot and David. She cautiously placed her hand on Spot's arm. "I want to go home. Please."
There was a long moment where Sarah wasn't sure what to expect and she found herself looking from Tay to David to Spot and back again. Spot's eyes held an unsettling light and the look of pure panic on David's face indicated he was simply waiting for the inevitable.
"Apologize to her," Spot told David.
"I'm–I'm sorry, Tay," David stammered.
Tay spoke a few more words in that same mysterious language and Sarah found herself holding her breath as she took in the whole scene. There was visible relief on David's face when Spot loosened his grip and then let go of him entirely.
Before Sarah could react Spot had grabbed Tay by the hand and stormed away without a glance backward. David stood fixing his rumpled shirt and Sarah thanked her lucky stars that Tay had been there. She had a feeling her initial instinct would prove correct, that it wouldn't be exactly easy to become friends with Tay but it would certainly be an adventure.
Tay tried to tuck herself tightly into the corner and held her half-smoked cigarette down by her side as people, mostly men, jostled past her. The air was thick with smoke and the scent of spilled beer mixed with sawdust. There was no way for her to see into the center of the crowd and so she listened to the rise and fall of raucous cries to gauge what was going on.
A clearly inebriated man eyed her and Tay slipped her hand into her pocket, holding tightly to the knife hidden there. It had been stupid to follow Spot inside but it wasn't as though standing alone in the dark out on the street would have been better. She kept a wary eye on the man and her hand only left her pocket once he finally looked away, his attention drawn to a pretty blonde walking by. It could have been worse, she supposed, at least it wasn't a whorehouse.
Tay took a drag off her cigarette and felt her heart beat faster as the crowd worked itself into a frenzy. She found herself toying with the key she wore around her neck and praying that the outcome would be positive. But was there such a thing as a positive outcome in a fight? Of course someone had to be declared the winner but she asked herself at what cost? Tay shuddered as she thought about the possibility that Spot may end up losing.
A sense of relief washed over her as she saw Spot make his way through the crowd carrying a bottle of beer and looking all too pleased with himself. There were several cuts and abrasions across his chest and he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before grinning at her wickedly. Her anger melted in an instant as his smile was such a rare sight and had always had a bewildering effect on her. She picked his shirt up off a nearby chair and handed it to him, noticing how he grimaced slightly when putting his left arm in the sleeve. Spot took a long drink from the bottle of beer and offered it to Tay but she declined.
"One more?" Spot asked with a gleam of triumph in his eyes.
"You've had your fun already," Tay answered. "I think it's time to go."
The fact that he had even asked her before committing himself to yet another fight was a step forward in Tay's book although she didn't agree with the reason why they were there in the first place. After stopping Spot from fighting David there had been some doubt in Tay's mind as to how Spot would vent his frustration. In the past there had been a pretty good chance that he'd take it out on her so when she followed Spot into a decrepit establishment and saw him willingly enter the fight card she was almost relieved.
Tay dropped what was left of her cigarette on the ground and crushed it beneath the heel of her boot. There were too many people in the room and she began to feel a tingle in her fingertips. She reached down to where Spot held the bottle of beer and lifted it to her lips, taking a healthy swig. She could feel the black cloud looming and took another drink, hoping it would stay away. Spot seemed aware of the storm building and took Tay by the hand, leading her out into the clear, dark night.
Tay breathed the night air in deeply and tried to will herself into a sense of calm. There was a second where she thought about reaching into her bag but then she remembered that Spot had poured the laudanum down the drain. She could still hear the crowd in the broken down building behind them and so she headed down the street to get away from the anxiety that plagued her.
"You know, David already apologized to me," Tay explained as they walked.
"I don't want to talk about Jacobs right now, doll," Spot answered.
Tay fell silent although his tone hadn't been cold but she had no desire to push the issue. They walked in silence for a few blocks before Spot reached down and held her hand in his. An all too familiar heat built in her chest, running down her hand and back again. It was a welcome distraction from the numb feelings she'd been trying to push away.
"Do you—still want to leave?" There was a hesitation in his voice that caught Tay off-guard. She looked over at him but he gave nothing away, per usual.
"No," Tay admitted quietly. Her feelings for him were too strong for her to just up and leave. Some small part of her still believed that leaving would provide an escape from her chaos but she knew in her heart that she didn't want to leave Spot's side.
"I don't want you to leave, either," Spot told her. "But if you want…I was thinking we could maybe go someplace. For a little while at least."
Tay considered the proposal for a long moment as she had done in the past. More times than she could count she had thought about leaving Brooklyn, leaving Spot. There had been times when she was so close to the edge that she had wanted to end her own life but something always made her hesitate.
"I just…I want to be here with you," Tay finally told him.
Spot stopped for a moment before leading her into a quiet alley. Tay was caught off-guard when Spot leaned forward and kissed her. It was a simple, sweet kiss that drove the shadows away and Tay found herself enthralled in Spot's embrace. He had one hand tangled up in her hair and the other was at her waist which he used to pull her as close as possible. When he had pulled away Tay noticed that his eyes were darker, but still reflected a warm light.
"You're so pretty," Spot told her, brushing her hair back out of her eyes.
Tay found her head was spinning from both the kiss and the comment after. Was he drunk? How much damage had been done during that fight? He had never, ever made any kind of remark about her appearance before. Tay felt her face grow flushed and it was as though white hot lightning ran through her veins. She tried to keep her eyes on his as he searched her face but she found her gaze settling on the corner of his mouth where she looked for but saw no signs of the cruel smirk she had been used to.
"Will you promise me something, Anna?" Spot brushed his thumb over her bottom lip and Tay felt butterflies in her stomach. "Promise me that you won't leave."
"Liam…I…you know I can't do that," Tay sighed.
Spot gently pulled her closer and Tay was struck by the clear look in his eyes. It had been such a long time since she had seen him so open with her.
"Please."
"I promise."
She reached up and pulled him down to her before kissing him deeply. She couldn't have explained what was going on, he was so different and she wanted to hold onto that moment more than anything.
"Let's go home, doll."
Author's Note: I can't believe I did this and I am so ashamed but I forgot to send a shout-out to Anna_W for her review of my latest chapter (and the one before that and the one before that and so on and so forth). She's an amazing writer and person and I am so very, very grateful that she even gives my stories the time of day let alone gives me such wonderful insight and opens my mind to new ideas! So thank you Anna_W!
This chapter is short but I worked really hard on it so if you could let me know if it's good or bad :-) Reviews are always welcome and appreciated! Happy Reading!