Chapter 5 - Nice Try Cutie
"No offence, but Brian doesn't belong in my neighbourhood. I live down in south central. I don't think he wants to be down there on his own after he lets me off at home. I'm fine to take the bus and my boys are waiting for me to get home." She looked at them expecting them to let her take the bus now.
"I was a cop. I think I can drive downtown for a few minutes and take care of myself Kat. I'll be fine. Let's go."
"Ok Brian, it's your life." She followed him out to his truck and climbed in. They chatted about life and stuff on the way to her place. He let her out and she told him to drive strait back the way he came, out of the 'hood and back his own way. He told her he would be fine and headed off. And he was fine, he headed back to Dom's and told the team how they had finally found someone to take the job and how Brian wanted them to consider her for the morning hours at the café. Dom told Brian to bring her down and they'd see. Dom wasn't hiring anyone without meeting them. Much as he trusted Brian's judgment. Brian was hoping to offer her a place to stay with the team. She didn't belong in the neighbourhood she lived in.
Dom asked Brian if he had any info on the robbers yet. Brian told him no, but now that he thought of it he had just driven Kat home to that same area. He should have asked her if she knew of a group of 4 guys who would hold up a delivery guy. He would try to remember to do that on Monday when he saw her again.
Kat let herself into the house and found she was the first one home, but the cupboards had groceries. *Go Sean* she thought and started on supper. She made chicken, and potatoes and corn. It was the first real meal they all would have eaten in so long she forgot what the last one had been. The guys trickled in. Sean first. He had gotten the job at the garage. She hugged him and then he sniffed the air.
"What's that I smell?" He asked.
"That is home cooken'. You forgot what it smelled like too huh?" She laughed with him. Now if Kale and Stacy would just get home they could eat. Just as she though that in they walked. "Hey guys, how went the day of working for money?"
"I don't know, you tell me?" Stacy said as he threw down a stack of cash.
"Oh my god, Stacy, Kale, I can't believe you made all this money in one day. I got a job and I won't see any money for two weeks or more. You made, what is that, two grand, in one day. What did you do for it? No wait I don't wanna know. Dinners ready." She started to dish up dinner and the guys all went to talk about the day they had. They congratulated Sean on getting the garage job. Now two of em had steady work. Cause at this rate no one would owe Tony any money within a few weeks. But they could make up to 20000 in that time and that would keep them awhile. They didn't know what had made Kitten decide it was ok to break the law again but they weren't complaining at this point. They had lights, a fridge, and food. Kitten was a fair cook. It occurred to them that they never asked Kitten what she got work doing.
They headed back into the kitchen. Stacy asked her where she was working at herself. She told him The Racer's Edge, an auto parts store in a good part of town. That the guy she was working for had even insisted on driving her home, he wouldn't let her take the bus back to this part of down. It was only part time for now but the guys had made enough to fix the car and she would be racing again soon now. Plus the guy, Brian, though he could get her another part time job with complimentary hours that would almost make it full time. They might even be able to get out of the 'hood soon. They looked around at each other. They had finally gotten out of the funk. And it was all because they robbed a pizza boy.
Kat had been thinking of the pizza boy since yesterday. She felt so bad for him. He had looked so mad about what happened. Not scared like the guys all thought. Kat knew he had been pissed. She guessed that delivering pizza was not what he was use to doing and that in his real life he was one of the top dogs, not one of the underdogs.
Oh well, it was not like it had been his money. He probably quit the pizza delivery job though. She wouldn't have done it again herself after being robbed at gunpoint. But on the other hand look where pulling that job had gotten them. Her car was as good as fixed with the money Kale and Stacy had given her and then they could save up some money and move into a good neighborhood. And they had needed that small boost having food and electricity had given them to get all that other stuff done. It had reminded them that they were still a team. She could even get the guys to let her spend some of the money on new clothes for her new job. She didn't complain to the guys cause she didn't want them to join the gang again but she missed the times when they had money and the guys all spoiled her rotten. She knew they did too much for her, but she loved being their Kitten. They were the best. Not too many girls were as lucky as she was.
They sat down to eat and the guys ate all the food she made. They all needed to put some weight on now that they had food again. Funny how fast things had turned around in one day. They did the dishes and then watched some TV on the old black and white they hadn't bothered to sell because they only would've gotten like 20 bucks for it anyway. Then they went to bed. No one had to get up on Sunday.
Kat spent Sunday giving herself a manicure and pedicure. And she took her hair all down and washed and conditioned it into soft waves to the small of her back. Now she looked respectable. She was going to have to get out her good clothes. She had put them away when she moved here but she was going to have to dress up for work now. That sounded funny. Sometimes she missed the life she had when the guys had been big dawgs in the neighbourhood. She knew it was selfish but no one had messed with them, and they had everything. She snapped out of it and reminded herself that they were as good as racing again and she would be back on top of the world again soon.
She made supper for everyone then made a lunch for Sean and herself for the next day, Monday. They again watched some TV and went to sleep. Sean was gone when she woke up. She didn't get up till 11am so he was already down at the garage. She got dressed and then woke Kale and Stacy up. She made them some lunch then headed out. She caught her bus and was at 'The Racer's Edge' about an hour early. She walked in and smiled at Harry and Brian.
"Kat, you're very early. That's good to see." Harry smiled down at her. She was looking good, her hair and nails were done. It was plain to see she was happy to be working with them. That should work out to the advantage of everyone.
"Mornin' Kat." Brian said. "You ready to start to learn the system?" She nodded. Brian spend the morning teaching her how to use the part system and was shocked at how quick she caught on. He even left her on her own a few times and she did great. He was always within ear shot just in case. She met Hector and Edwin. Brian's team wasn't in but then they rarely were, since they could just get Brian to bring home what they needed.
Kat had the money to order her parts with her. She told Brian that when her shift was over. She told him she wanted him to place the order for her and tell her what she owed. She needed a lot of parts. Brian ordered them all. He couldn't tell what kind of car she had specifically based on what she ordered but it was definitely an import of some sort. The parts would be in the next day. She headed home.
Stacy and Kale were already home, having a beer when she got home. They had made another 2000. They put it away cause they knew that the work they were doing wouldn't last. Kat started supper. Sean got home and showered cause he was all grease. They ate then decided to catch a movie. She told them that she had ordered all her parts and got a sweet discount on 'em too and she was going over to Stacy's mom's the next night to see how close to done she could get.
The car had been wrecked some time ago. She had been in a race with the car and someone had run her off the road. The car had flipped and messed up both the body and the front end. She was lucky she hadn't been hurt very badly. She had the body ready for paint and the parts coming in would finish fixing the engine and front clip.
They caught the movie then went home to bed. Kat had never been a big partier but the guys had. There was a time not so long ago when they all would have been at some party and the guys all would have been wasted. Now they rarely did anything like that. They should go to a party this Friday coming to celebrate the turn for the better they had gotten she decided. She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.
She woke up to a knock on the door the next morning. She didn't know who would be at the door at this hour. It was only 9am. Shit she didn't want to be up yet. And where were the guys? She knew Sean was at work already but Kale and Stacy should be home. Oh well. She went to the door and looked out the peep hole. If she didn't know them then she wasn't opening the door at all. She grabbed the gun and stuck it in the back of her shorts. It was cops. Oh shit, could they have been found out? No way. Not in this neighbourhood. There wouldn't be witnesses even if there had been sort of thing.
She left the chain done up and opened the door just a crack.
"Can I help you?"
"Hello miss, we're just investigating a crime that happened the other night in this area. Mind if we come in?"
"Well, yes I do really. I'm not dressed for company, you woke me, and I'm home alone right now. If you wanna ask me questions you can ask them from there." She knew she didn't need to ask them in. And they didn't need to see the obvious fact that 4 people lived there either.
The cops thought she was being perfectly reasonable in this neighbourhood. "Well miss, you didn't hear anything about 4 guys holding up a delivery driver did you?"
She sighed mentally that they were looking for 4 guys and told the cops she hadn't heard a thing, but then she rarely left the house but to work and that was a while away from here. The cops couldn't blame her. They could tell she was a small girl even through the crack she held the door open. They weren't looking for a girl, even though someone had told them there was a chance one was involved. They didn't buy it. They thanked her and left.
Kat fell back against the door and panted for a second. She had been ready to explode, she had been sure they had found them for a minute there. She ran to the window and watched the patrol car pull away. There was another knock at the door then. Now what? She asked herself and went to the door. It was the guys, they couldn't get in because of the chain. She opened the door.
"What did the cops want Kitten?" Stacy asked her, seeing she was upset by whatever it had been.
"Just to ask if I knew anything about the robbery that happened the other day a few streets over." She talked like someone might be able to hear her just incase.
"Oh, ok. We never heard 'nothin' 'bout that ourselves." Kale confirmed. Kat winked at him. She told them she had to head to work and went to get ready. They walked her to the bus stop and waited with her till the bus came. They asked her if she was sure this car place was on the up and up for real. That the guys she was working for didn't have bad intentions behind giving her the job. She assured them that Brian and Harry were both quite nice, and she suspected Harry looked at her in much the way an adult looked a niece or younger relative. They seemed calmed by that. The bus arrived. She hugged them both, which they allowed, but only cause it was Kitten, then boarded the bus. Plus it couldn't hurt for the guys on the bus to know she was with Stacy and Kale. They went on the rounds, collecting more depts.
Kat arrived at work and chucked her stuff behind the counter. She grabbed a rag and started to wipe off the glass displays. It was boring, but it was a job, and the guys let her do more exciting stuff sometimes. Brian came out of the back. He said good morning to her and walked over to where she was.
"Hey Kat, your stuff came on the truck this morning. Wanna come see?"
"Do I? Of course I do. Lead on." She giggled and followed Brian out back. It was quite a pile. She went over the list and what was there and confirmed it had all arrived. She was so thrilled to have it all in her hands. She ran her hand over some of the parts reverently. Finally her car would be ready to race. "This is so great, Brian, I can't thank you enough for giving me this job, this chance."
"Well, you're working out so well I should be thanking you. Sure you won't give me a hint about what kinda car you're working on." He looked at how she was caressing the parts for the car, he could tell she loved the thing, just like he and the rest of his team loved theirs.
"Nice try Cutie, but no dice." She smirked at him. "You find out when he's done and not a second before."
Brian laughed at being called cutie. It must be true. After all Vince still called him that when he was pissed off at Brian, which felt like it was all the time, even though the two men got along much better since Brian saved his life and then quit the force rather then testify against them. And so the team had gotten off because of Brian's quick thinking and refusal to turn them in.
And Brian found he was just as happy now. He had Mia, and Dom was like a brother. He worked here at the Racer's Edge and with Dom at DT. He raced the supra. Dom hadn't sold it thank god, he had stashed it. Brian loved that car. He had rounded the team back up quickly, so it wouldn't become obvious they had run away, and then told his bosses that he didn't find anything on them and quit. Then he had been taken onto the team by Dom. He and Dom had just clicked in a way not too many friends ever did. Everyone had been reserved around him at first but it was all water under the bridge now.
Kat was looking at all the parts wondering how she was ever going to get them all to the car. It was not like she could take this much stuff home on the bus. She would just have to ask Brian to drive her and the stuff to Stacy's mom's place in his truck. She knew they delivered because they had had her do the deliveries a few times already the day before.
"Brian, can you drive me and the parts somewhere after work?"
"Sure no problem. I'm gonna go place some calls now. Can you watch the counter for me?"
"Yep, I can do that." She went up front and waited on the few people who came in to get stuff they had in stock and placed a few orders for custom stuff. 6pm came quickly and she and Brian loaded up the truck with her stuff and she told him how to get to Stacy's mom's. They unloaded the truck and she made him leave the stuff at the door to the garage, she wouldn't let him see in. He laughed at her determination to keep her car to herself. They finished unloading and she told him she'd see him tomorrow. Brian left and she put all the parts in the garage. Then she went into the house to say hi to mama Kelly.
"No offence, but Brian doesn't belong in my neighbourhood. I live down in south central. I don't think he wants to be down there on his own after he lets me off at home. I'm fine to take the bus and my boys are waiting for me to get home." She looked at them expecting them to let her take the bus now.
"I was a cop. I think I can drive downtown for a few minutes and take care of myself Kat. I'll be fine. Let's go."
"Ok Brian, it's your life." She followed him out to his truck and climbed in. They chatted about life and stuff on the way to her place. He let her out and she told him to drive strait back the way he came, out of the 'hood and back his own way. He told her he would be fine and headed off. And he was fine, he headed back to Dom's and told the team how they had finally found someone to take the job and how Brian wanted them to consider her for the morning hours at the café. Dom told Brian to bring her down and they'd see. Dom wasn't hiring anyone without meeting them. Much as he trusted Brian's judgment. Brian was hoping to offer her a place to stay with the team. She didn't belong in the neighbourhood she lived in.
Dom asked Brian if he had any info on the robbers yet. Brian told him no, but now that he thought of it he had just driven Kat home to that same area. He should have asked her if she knew of a group of 4 guys who would hold up a delivery guy. He would try to remember to do that on Monday when he saw her again.
Kat let herself into the house and found she was the first one home, but the cupboards had groceries. *Go Sean* she thought and started on supper. She made chicken, and potatoes and corn. It was the first real meal they all would have eaten in so long she forgot what the last one had been. The guys trickled in. Sean first. He had gotten the job at the garage. She hugged him and then he sniffed the air.
"What's that I smell?" He asked.
"That is home cooken'. You forgot what it smelled like too huh?" She laughed with him. Now if Kale and Stacy would just get home they could eat. Just as she though that in they walked. "Hey guys, how went the day of working for money?"
"I don't know, you tell me?" Stacy said as he threw down a stack of cash.
"Oh my god, Stacy, Kale, I can't believe you made all this money in one day. I got a job and I won't see any money for two weeks or more. You made, what is that, two grand, in one day. What did you do for it? No wait I don't wanna know. Dinners ready." She started to dish up dinner and the guys all went to talk about the day they had. They congratulated Sean on getting the garage job. Now two of em had steady work. Cause at this rate no one would owe Tony any money within a few weeks. But they could make up to 20000 in that time and that would keep them awhile. They didn't know what had made Kitten decide it was ok to break the law again but they weren't complaining at this point. They had lights, a fridge, and food. Kitten was a fair cook. It occurred to them that they never asked Kitten what she got work doing.
They headed back into the kitchen. Stacy asked her where she was working at herself. She told him The Racer's Edge, an auto parts store in a good part of town. That the guy she was working for had even insisted on driving her home, he wouldn't let her take the bus back to this part of down. It was only part time for now but the guys had made enough to fix the car and she would be racing again soon now. Plus the guy, Brian, though he could get her another part time job with complimentary hours that would almost make it full time. They might even be able to get out of the 'hood soon. They looked around at each other. They had finally gotten out of the funk. And it was all because they robbed a pizza boy.
Kat had been thinking of the pizza boy since yesterday. She felt so bad for him. He had looked so mad about what happened. Not scared like the guys all thought. Kat knew he had been pissed. She guessed that delivering pizza was not what he was use to doing and that in his real life he was one of the top dogs, not one of the underdogs.
Oh well, it was not like it had been his money. He probably quit the pizza delivery job though. She wouldn't have done it again herself after being robbed at gunpoint. But on the other hand look where pulling that job had gotten them. Her car was as good as fixed with the money Kale and Stacy had given her and then they could save up some money and move into a good neighborhood. And they had needed that small boost having food and electricity had given them to get all that other stuff done. It had reminded them that they were still a team. She could even get the guys to let her spend some of the money on new clothes for her new job. She didn't complain to the guys cause she didn't want them to join the gang again but she missed the times when they had money and the guys all spoiled her rotten. She knew they did too much for her, but she loved being their Kitten. They were the best. Not too many girls were as lucky as she was.
They sat down to eat and the guys ate all the food she made. They all needed to put some weight on now that they had food again. Funny how fast things had turned around in one day. They did the dishes and then watched some TV on the old black and white they hadn't bothered to sell because they only would've gotten like 20 bucks for it anyway. Then they went to bed. No one had to get up on Sunday.
Kat spent Sunday giving herself a manicure and pedicure. And she took her hair all down and washed and conditioned it into soft waves to the small of her back. Now she looked respectable. She was going to have to get out her good clothes. She had put them away when she moved here but she was going to have to dress up for work now. That sounded funny. Sometimes she missed the life she had when the guys had been big dawgs in the neighbourhood. She knew it was selfish but no one had messed with them, and they had everything. She snapped out of it and reminded herself that they were as good as racing again and she would be back on top of the world again soon.
She made supper for everyone then made a lunch for Sean and herself for the next day, Monday. They again watched some TV and went to sleep. Sean was gone when she woke up. She didn't get up till 11am so he was already down at the garage. She got dressed and then woke Kale and Stacy up. She made them some lunch then headed out. She caught her bus and was at 'The Racer's Edge' about an hour early. She walked in and smiled at Harry and Brian.
"Kat, you're very early. That's good to see." Harry smiled down at her. She was looking good, her hair and nails were done. It was plain to see she was happy to be working with them. That should work out to the advantage of everyone.
"Mornin' Kat." Brian said. "You ready to start to learn the system?" She nodded. Brian spend the morning teaching her how to use the part system and was shocked at how quick she caught on. He even left her on her own a few times and she did great. He was always within ear shot just in case. She met Hector and Edwin. Brian's team wasn't in but then they rarely were, since they could just get Brian to bring home what they needed.
Kat had the money to order her parts with her. She told Brian that when her shift was over. She told him she wanted him to place the order for her and tell her what she owed. She needed a lot of parts. Brian ordered them all. He couldn't tell what kind of car she had specifically based on what she ordered but it was definitely an import of some sort. The parts would be in the next day. She headed home.
Stacy and Kale were already home, having a beer when she got home. They had made another 2000. They put it away cause they knew that the work they were doing wouldn't last. Kat started supper. Sean got home and showered cause he was all grease. They ate then decided to catch a movie. She told them that she had ordered all her parts and got a sweet discount on 'em too and she was going over to Stacy's mom's the next night to see how close to done she could get.
The car had been wrecked some time ago. She had been in a race with the car and someone had run her off the road. The car had flipped and messed up both the body and the front end. She was lucky she hadn't been hurt very badly. She had the body ready for paint and the parts coming in would finish fixing the engine and front clip.
They caught the movie then went home to bed. Kat had never been a big partier but the guys had. There was a time not so long ago when they all would have been at some party and the guys all would have been wasted. Now they rarely did anything like that. They should go to a party this Friday coming to celebrate the turn for the better they had gotten she decided. She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.
She woke up to a knock on the door the next morning. She didn't know who would be at the door at this hour. It was only 9am. Shit she didn't want to be up yet. And where were the guys? She knew Sean was at work already but Kale and Stacy should be home. Oh well. She went to the door and looked out the peep hole. If she didn't know them then she wasn't opening the door at all. She grabbed the gun and stuck it in the back of her shorts. It was cops. Oh shit, could they have been found out? No way. Not in this neighbourhood. There wouldn't be witnesses even if there had been sort of thing.
She left the chain done up and opened the door just a crack.
"Can I help you?"
"Hello miss, we're just investigating a crime that happened the other night in this area. Mind if we come in?"
"Well, yes I do really. I'm not dressed for company, you woke me, and I'm home alone right now. If you wanna ask me questions you can ask them from there." She knew she didn't need to ask them in. And they didn't need to see the obvious fact that 4 people lived there either.
The cops thought she was being perfectly reasonable in this neighbourhood. "Well miss, you didn't hear anything about 4 guys holding up a delivery driver did you?"
She sighed mentally that they were looking for 4 guys and told the cops she hadn't heard a thing, but then she rarely left the house but to work and that was a while away from here. The cops couldn't blame her. They could tell she was a small girl even through the crack she held the door open. They weren't looking for a girl, even though someone had told them there was a chance one was involved. They didn't buy it. They thanked her and left.
Kat fell back against the door and panted for a second. She had been ready to explode, she had been sure they had found them for a minute there. She ran to the window and watched the patrol car pull away. There was another knock at the door then. Now what? She asked herself and went to the door. It was the guys, they couldn't get in because of the chain. She opened the door.
"What did the cops want Kitten?" Stacy asked her, seeing she was upset by whatever it had been.
"Just to ask if I knew anything about the robbery that happened the other day a few streets over." She talked like someone might be able to hear her just incase.
"Oh, ok. We never heard 'nothin' 'bout that ourselves." Kale confirmed. Kat winked at him. She told them she had to head to work and went to get ready. They walked her to the bus stop and waited with her till the bus came. They asked her if she was sure this car place was on the up and up for real. That the guys she was working for didn't have bad intentions behind giving her the job. She assured them that Brian and Harry were both quite nice, and she suspected Harry looked at her in much the way an adult looked a niece or younger relative. They seemed calmed by that. The bus arrived. She hugged them both, which they allowed, but only cause it was Kitten, then boarded the bus. Plus it couldn't hurt for the guys on the bus to know she was with Stacy and Kale. They went on the rounds, collecting more depts.
Kat arrived at work and chucked her stuff behind the counter. She grabbed a rag and started to wipe off the glass displays. It was boring, but it was a job, and the guys let her do more exciting stuff sometimes. Brian came out of the back. He said good morning to her and walked over to where she was.
"Hey Kat, your stuff came on the truck this morning. Wanna come see?"
"Do I? Of course I do. Lead on." She giggled and followed Brian out back. It was quite a pile. She went over the list and what was there and confirmed it had all arrived. She was so thrilled to have it all in her hands. She ran her hand over some of the parts reverently. Finally her car would be ready to race. "This is so great, Brian, I can't thank you enough for giving me this job, this chance."
"Well, you're working out so well I should be thanking you. Sure you won't give me a hint about what kinda car you're working on." He looked at how she was caressing the parts for the car, he could tell she loved the thing, just like he and the rest of his team loved theirs.
"Nice try Cutie, but no dice." She smirked at him. "You find out when he's done and not a second before."
Brian laughed at being called cutie. It must be true. After all Vince still called him that when he was pissed off at Brian, which felt like it was all the time, even though the two men got along much better since Brian saved his life and then quit the force rather then testify against them. And so the team had gotten off because of Brian's quick thinking and refusal to turn them in.
And Brian found he was just as happy now. He had Mia, and Dom was like a brother. He worked here at the Racer's Edge and with Dom at DT. He raced the supra. Dom hadn't sold it thank god, he had stashed it. Brian loved that car. He had rounded the team back up quickly, so it wouldn't become obvious they had run away, and then told his bosses that he didn't find anything on them and quit. Then he had been taken onto the team by Dom. He and Dom had just clicked in a way not too many friends ever did. Everyone had been reserved around him at first but it was all water under the bridge now.
Kat was looking at all the parts wondering how she was ever going to get them all to the car. It was not like she could take this much stuff home on the bus. She would just have to ask Brian to drive her and the stuff to Stacy's mom's place in his truck. She knew they delivered because they had had her do the deliveries a few times already the day before.
"Brian, can you drive me and the parts somewhere after work?"
"Sure no problem. I'm gonna go place some calls now. Can you watch the counter for me?"
"Yep, I can do that." She went up front and waited on the few people who came in to get stuff they had in stock and placed a few orders for custom stuff. 6pm came quickly and she and Brian loaded up the truck with her stuff and she told him how to get to Stacy's mom's. They unloaded the truck and she made him leave the stuff at the door to the garage, she wouldn't let him see in. He laughed at her determination to keep her car to herself. They finished unloading and she told him she'd see him tomorrow. Brian left and she put all the parts in the garage. Then she went into the house to say hi to mama Kelly.