"Take yer grubby hand off me goirl," Mush fumed.
"She made a deal wit' me boss. She gots ta honor dat," Spot spit. (()
"I don care if she sold her soul to da devil 'imself! She ain't going nowheres wit' you!" Mush's eyes flickered as he spoke.
"I did make a deal with 'im, Mush," Saide interrupted. "Spot can I meet with ya later taday?"
"Ya don't know how ta keep yer word….." Spot mumbled.
"I'm gonna soak 'im…" Mush said under his breath as he lunged toward Spot. Spot caught Mush's uppercut on the left side of his jaw.
Mush hit him? Mush hit him, Spot Conlon, ex-leader of Brooklyn, part of the Mannigan gang? Mush really hit him? Girls really do have some sort of witchcraft over men.
Sadie jumped in between them while Spot was still stunned. But Spot snapped out of it quickly and tried to push Sadie out of the way.
"Spot, back down. Now."
Everyone turned around to see who was speaking. Timmy Michelson moved through the crowd who was now cheering on the fight between Spot and Mush. Spot froze when he saw Timmy. Sadie just stared, she hadn't thought of any excuse for her behavior the night before. Mush hadn't a clue who this man was, but he seemed to be important to Spot.
"Spot, I'll take care of t'ings from here," and with a wave of his hand, Spot removed himself from the premises without a blink.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
So Spot was fixing those fights. Timmy wasn't sure if that made him a problem or an asset to the family. But he'd take care of that later. His mother wasn't so happy that her guest never appeared last night. She'd stayed up all night last night worrying. His mother really was an angel.
"Miss Sadie, can I 'ave a word with ya privately?"
She looked like a guilty child with her head down and her shoulders pushed forward like that. "Yes," she said as she came towards him. Mush didn't argue this time as she and Timmy made their way through the crowd to a more appropriate place.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia was searching through the dresses at the consignment shop when she heard his voice. She suddenly felt guilty for the stunt she'd pulled. She'd always dreamt of the day she'd bare her breasts for Race, but the circumstances were supposed to be quite different. The thought sent ice running through her blood. Maybe she'd gone too far this time…
"Opie?" was all he said.
She waited for him to say something else. He didn't. She turned around to find herself staring him in the eyes. She caught her breath. "The dress," she said clutching a gown in her hands, "it's five dollars."
Did she say the wrong thing? He just turned around and left. Was Race just playing big brother like usual or was there something more in his eyes?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Me ma waited fer ya last night." Timmy leaned on the banister of someone's front porch. "I take it ya had more pressing matters?"
"I….I…um. That boy, the fighter, he's me beau. An' I ain't seen 'im in weeks. Thought I wouldn't see 'im agin really. An' when I found 'im, I could not bear to leave 'im!" She rambled on, "I am sorry. I really do apologize. Please tell yer mother that I'm terribly sorry. An' that I'm not a whore. I slept outside last night!"
Timmy smiled. Her frustration was entirely too cute. "Tell 'er yerself. Let's git yer t'ings."
Sadie's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "Go back to the count's house?"
"Oh? He's a count is he?"
"I can not return to 'is 'ouse."
He grabbed her wrist. "Sure ya can. Ya owe me anyhow."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia bought the dress anyway. It was dark green, with long black gloves, a hat with a feather, and a plummeting neckline. She was going to a real count's party. And he was sending her a real motorcar to pick her up and take her there. Talk about showing up in style. As much as she loved Race, she just couldn't bear to have him following her around a party like that. Even his new suit looked so middle-class.
Race didn't come by for the reading lessons she had finally convinced him to give her. And she didn't see him at his normal selling spot the next morning on her way to work. He had lost yesterday's bets, because of her, but she didn't want to think about that. He should be out selling papes if he lost.
"She made a deal wit' me boss. She gots ta honor dat," Spot spit. (()
"I don care if she sold her soul to da devil 'imself! She ain't going nowheres wit' you!" Mush's eyes flickered as he spoke.
"I did make a deal with 'im, Mush," Saide interrupted. "Spot can I meet with ya later taday?"
"Ya don't know how ta keep yer word….." Spot mumbled.
"I'm gonna soak 'im…" Mush said under his breath as he lunged toward Spot. Spot caught Mush's uppercut on the left side of his jaw.
Mush hit him? Mush hit him, Spot Conlon, ex-leader of Brooklyn, part of the Mannigan gang? Mush really hit him? Girls really do have some sort of witchcraft over men.
Sadie jumped in between them while Spot was still stunned. But Spot snapped out of it quickly and tried to push Sadie out of the way.
"Spot, back down. Now."
Everyone turned around to see who was speaking. Timmy Michelson moved through the crowd who was now cheering on the fight between Spot and Mush. Spot froze when he saw Timmy. Sadie just stared, she hadn't thought of any excuse for her behavior the night before. Mush hadn't a clue who this man was, but he seemed to be important to Spot.
"Spot, I'll take care of t'ings from here," and with a wave of his hand, Spot removed himself from the premises without a blink.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
So Spot was fixing those fights. Timmy wasn't sure if that made him a problem or an asset to the family. But he'd take care of that later. His mother wasn't so happy that her guest never appeared last night. She'd stayed up all night last night worrying. His mother really was an angel.
"Miss Sadie, can I 'ave a word with ya privately?"
She looked like a guilty child with her head down and her shoulders pushed forward like that. "Yes," she said as she came towards him. Mush didn't argue this time as she and Timmy made their way through the crowd to a more appropriate place.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia was searching through the dresses at the consignment shop when she heard his voice. She suddenly felt guilty for the stunt she'd pulled. She'd always dreamt of the day she'd bare her breasts for Race, but the circumstances were supposed to be quite different. The thought sent ice running through her blood. Maybe she'd gone too far this time…
"Opie?" was all he said.
She waited for him to say something else. He didn't. She turned around to find herself staring him in the eyes. She caught her breath. "The dress," she said clutching a gown in her hands, "it's five dollars."
Did she say the wrong thing? He just turned around and left. Was Race just playing big brother like usual or was there something more in his eyes?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Me ma waited fer ya last night." Timmy leaned on the banister of someone's front porch. "I take it ya had more pressing matters?"
"I….I…um. That boy, the fighter, he's me beau. An' I ain't seen 'im in weeks. Thought I wouldn't see 'im agin really. An' when I found 'im, I could not bear to leave 'im!" She rambled on, "I am sorry. I really do apologize. Please tell yer mother that I'm terribly sorry. An' that I'm not a whore. I slept outside last night!"
Timmy smiled. Her frustration was entirely too cute. "Tell 'er yerself. Let's git yer t'ings."
Sadie's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "Go back to the count's house?"
"Oh? He's a count is he?"
"I can not return to 'is 'ouse."
He grabbed her wrist. "Sure ya can. Ya owe me anyhow."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia bought the dress anyway. It was dark green, with long black gloves, a hat with a feather, and a plummeting neckline. She was going to a real count's party. And he was sending her a real motorcar to pick her up and take her there. Talk about showing up in style. As much as she loved Race, she just couldn't bear to have him following her around a party like that. Even his new suit looked so middle-class.
Race didn't come by for the reading lessons she had finally convinced him to give her. And she didn't see him at his normal selling spot the next morning on her way to work. He had lost yesterday's bets, because of her, but she didn't want to think about that. He should be out selling papes if he lost.