The day passed a little more slowly than the one before, maybe because it didn't have the same newness. Her thoughts too took her away from the restaurant, took her away for a moment even from what Annie had gotten herself into as Beth found herself imagining the cooking class. She'd never taken advantage of something like that before. Didn't particularly feel the need. She felt confident in her cooking skills and though she'd sometimes watch cooking shows she never was pushed to take a class. Maybe because it was a distraction that her mind drew to her back to thinking about it, that she was getting herself hyped up a little.
The class wasn't more than a mile away. Last night she'd gone over the French cookbook before going to bed, imagining cooking up a storm in the kitchen, preparing a three course meal for Ruby and Stan and Annie and for – well, she knew exactly the dishes that Dean would like. He wasn't so curious about other cuisines. He knew what he liked, but if she'd make it he'd try out a lot of dishes, she was sure.
She was sweeping the floor when Mona and another guy chatting caught her eye. Mona raised her voice in a tone that she hadn't heard in a while. Beth hadn't seen the other guy the day before and it didn't look like either was happy. Mona gesticulated, held her head briefly, before turning to one of her waiters.
"Is everything all right?" Beth asked when the man had walked away.
"Yeah, everything is fine," Mona answered quickly.
Beth didn't believe her, not with Mona checking her phone and texting while running the morning shift. A few more loads of washing and Beth glimpsed at the clock. Thirty minutes and she should head out. She collected the trash bags and carrying them out through the back.
Mona was standing outside, talking on her phone. Once she spotted Beth she spoke even more softly, waving her free hand in the air. Beth opened the large trash container and threw the bags inside. When she turned back Mona was off the phone and stepping back to the door.
"Mona," she called out.
Mona turned her head.
"What's going on?"
Mona didn't reply right away, frowning slightly. "We need to make this delivery," she finally said with a sigh. "Having some problems with getting a driver."
"Oh. What is it?" Beth asked, trying to understand what the delivery was for.
"Just some watermelons the supplier's expecting today," Mona shook her head.
"Oh, I didn't know you grew them," Beth said, surprised.
"We're just the middle guy," Mona said easily and stared down the alley.
The man who'd spoken with Mona earlier stepped outside. Barely acknowledging Beth, the two started speaking in rapid fire Spanish. Mona sighed and looked up, thinking.
"How much were you going to deliver?" Beth asked, taking advantage of the lull in conversation. They had to be talking about the same topic.
Mona shook her head sharply, "No."
"What?"
"This isn't something you're going to do."
"Why not?" She asked, skipping the part where she wasn't going to offer to do it. She saw the opportunity as soon as it had come up.
The man said something under his breathe that Beth didn't catch. Mona answered back and the man quietly left.
"It's not just watermelons," she said quietly.
"What?"
Mona stared back at her. Unable to read her meaning, Beth shook her head.
"There's something else too," Mona motioned with her head. "OK?"
Beth's eyes widened. "Drugs?" She asked softly.
"You can call it that," Mona said, looking behind Beth. "They all are, aren't they? Yeah, some basics."
Beth tried to school her face to a neutral expression. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, what Mona shared or that she trusted her with it. It was something that before she would've told her. They were never close friends but they shared a certain camaraderie. But since their fallout...
"My brother doesn't know," Mona stepped closer. "So yeah. The police has their eyes out. We know who they'll stop. We can't do it today. And we were counting on it."
Beth thought for a moment before blurting out, "I could do it."
Mona's reply was quick and sharp. "No."
"No one knows me here," Beth gestured at herself, adrenaline rushing through her body at the offer. "That's what you're worried about right?"
She could do something. It wasn't getting Annie out of anything, but Rio gave her no in with that.
"If Rio found out..." Mona hesitated.
"I won't tell him," Beth said, sensing the crack in Mona's refusal.
Mona lifted her head, shook it, before meeting Beth's eyes. "Wasn't there some workshop you wanted to go to or something?"
Beth waved her hand. "I can always do that."
Once she was driving second thoughts crawled up her spine. As quickly as they came she dismissed them. She was going to do this. Sure, she was looking forward to the class but just like she'd told Mona, there'd be plenty of opportunities for that. But beyond that, she wanted to do this. Since figuring out Mona was here she'd wanted to find her to make amends. What had happened between them hadn't sat right with her but it was also an act self preservation. Give Rio another reason outside of her shaky connection with Sylvie to protect her. And, she'd even been able to negotiate to get a few bucks from it. Nothing specific. But something to help incentivize her more.
It had taking a little more persuading, but once Mona'd agreed she gave her clear instructions where to park the car she'd lent her and where the associate would meet her to exchange a bag for the watermelons.
In the first few minutes on the road Beth inhaled sharply at each passing car, checking the mirror carefully to see if she was being followed. The shot of adrenaline laced the trepidation, and before long she was smiling to herself, remembering herself pacing down the great hall, doing the job for Rio.
It didn't take too long to get to the destination, another car already waiting. Two men got out as she parked the car. Mona hadn't told her that two men would meet her, but one of them met her description. As she got of the car Beth appreciated how the spot seemed fairly deserted on a side road. But she was here.
"Hi," she said, noticing she had lowered her voice by an octave.
The two men nodded at her, keeping a distance of several feet.
"Skins?" She asked.
The taller man, with sturdy shoulders and sandy hair smiled.
The two men stood as if waiting for instructions from her.
"Ready?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Skins nodded. Beth nodded back.
"Prettier than we thought you'd be," Skins said as she started making her way to the trunk of the car. Ignoring his comment, she waited by the trunk as the men exchanged glances. After a few seconds of silence, Skins opened his mouth.
"Me and my friend here, we were just talking."
The other man put his hands in his pockets.
"Maybe we could sweeten this deal a little," the taller man continued. "We do it all the time."
Beth's heart lurched as he spoke.
"You say some of of the watermelons didn't go through. We take a little, you take a little. Nobody has to know."
"I don't think so," she said, glancing at the man's partner, the other man staying quiet. Her voice came out shakier than she wanted.
"See," Skins turned to the car, his arm disappearing into the driver's seat, before his hand came out holding a gun. "People just aren't as trusting as they used to," he said, turning to his friend, before returning his eyes to Beth, smiling widely.
Beth's pulse raced, held at the man's side. It wouldn't take much for the gun to be turned up against her. Her memory flashed to the last time it happened.
"Sure we can't change your mind?" Skins raised his shoulders and dropped them.
Beth froze, her options flying in her mind.
"No?" Skins raised his gun to Beth's face. "How about you give us all you got?"
Her face twisted into a smile as she breathed out. "You think you could disappear with everything? You know that won't happen," she said, her face turning slowly from one man to the other.
"We might just not be here for that," Skins said easily. "We were thinking of taking off, you know? Start fresh. Wouldn't mind some cushion," he motioned with the gun to her car's trunk.
Swallowing, Beth unlocked the trunk, opening it.
"Come on," Skins said as Beth moved some items around.
"It was covered," Beth snapped, "I'm working as fast as I can."
"I can help her," the shorter man finally spoke.
"No. No, get the trunk. She can handle it."
The other man moved towards the trunk of their car.
Beth pulled up the first box. It was heavy, but she had no intention of asking for help. Pulling the box the car shook slightly and she stepped back, getting her balance, before walking to the other car. The man took the box from her.
"Thought I told you she didn't need help," Skins snapped.
Beth listened to the men's back and forth as she stepped back to the car.
"Gonna head somewhere warm for the winter?" She asked as she moved a watermelon off the next box before picking the box off.
Skins laughed, showing his teeth. "Make sure nothing's missing."
Slowly and carefully she carried the boxes, adding the watermelons she'd removed at the end.
"Real nice doing business with you," Skins smiled.
As they drove away she grabbed a baggie from the trunk, unable to resist, knowing it was delaying her. Within seconds she behind the wheel, her foot flat on the accelerator.
How had she been able to focus, to talk at all, with a gun aimed at her? But it hadn't been the first time had it, she thought as she made a left turn.
She'd managed to get a few baggies out of the boxes, hid between the watermelons. The pills were in the watermelons, Mona had told her. While she was maneuvering the first box one baggie stuck out underneath and she'd pulled it, trying to slow down her work as if the weight of the fruit was the problem.
She couldn't salvage them from each box, but she'd able to get four. The baggies were velvet and closed so she couldn't see what was inside. They were on her mind as she drove, wondering what was inside.
At a light she stopped and grabbed the baggie she'd taken, opened it up. Tiny gems fell out. A car behind her beeped and Beth put the baggie away before continuing her drive back.
Heaviness ate at her chest. She hadn't been able to do what she needed to. But she'd made it out. What was left of her adrenaline carried her the rest of the way.
"It's coming out of your cut," Mona said.
Beth nodded, heart stricken. Once she'd arrived at the restaurant she'd sighed in relief she had come back in one piece, but that was just about forgotten at Mona's words. The moment Mona heard what happened she got on the phone, speaking quickly before ending the call and making another call.
"I brought this back," Beth tried when Mona came back.
"That was part of the delivery too," Mona reminded her. "I'm glad you did," she allowed. "But somebody's gotta pay for that."
"You shouldn't have gone there alone. It's usually just a straightforward deal," Mona closed her eyes for a moment. Beth looked down.
"Look, everyone has bad days," she heard Mona say, maybe at her saddened expression.
"I'd do it again. Next time-"
Mona shook her head. "It's better we cut our losses," she looked away. Beth was about to speak when she raised her palm. "Look, maybe in the future, back in Detroit. Maybe we can work something out."
How would she get better if she didn't have the chance?
"Please don't tell him," Beth said. "Or Sylvie."
It was one thing if he found out, but now that she failed...
"I won't," Mona assured her.
"What are you going to do? About the-"
"We'll figure it out," Mona said in a tone of what choice do we have? "I gotta go,"
She'd made something, but the thought she could've made more gnawed at her. It was better if Annie didn't know about this either. Maybe later, when this was all behind them and they got back to Detroit. It wasn't something Beth wanted her sister to worry about. She had enough on her mind.
Once she arrived at the road leading to the cabin she kept going straight instead, riding around in circles. Thoughts of what she could've done and should've done would catch up with her the moment she'd settle down and she wasn't ready for that yet. The rush she'd felt on her way to the exchange had all but dissolved. At least while she biked the trees and houses and occasional sighting of people kept her mind elsewhere.
Finally, once she'd worked out some of the tension in her body she made her way to the back of the cabin, leaving the bike and helmet in the shed. No splashing or laughter came from the spot by the lake, but still she walked over the water first.
Her head turned at the sound of wheels crushing gravel. Barely making out the car as it backed out beside the house, Beth could still tell it wasn't Rio's car. Maybe Sylvie knew someone else in town, she figured, who'd stopped by to say hello.
"Hey, who was that?" She asked when she'd stepped in through the patio door.
"Who was who?" Annie returned the question.
"Whoever was here and just drove away," Beth motioned in the direction of the front entrance.
"Oh. Just Sylvie's friend," Annie said, fidgeting a little with her hands. "I didn't think you'd be back yet. How was Mona's place?"
"Busy," Beth answered and sat back on a couch in the living room, before laying down. Raising up she opened the window above it. "What were you up to today?"
"Just hanging out."
"We figured out dinner," Sylvie added as she and Annie exchanged smiles.
"I can't wait," Beth said.
The girls returned to the kitchen.
Listening to the wind blow through the trees' branches, Beth again got lost in thought. It surprised her though. Now that she was back at the house she was actually not distracted by what had happened earlier in the way she thought she would. The fear that trickled down her body at the gun had faded and her thoughts circled less around what she could have done better. A different sensation came up instead of disappointment. Satisfaction. A kind of pride. She was actually feeling good as she watched birds fly from one branch to the other. She'd gotten something back. She'd been able to salvage something. That deserved feeling good about.
Were those gems real, she wondered? She had asked Mona about them, but the question got lost in what had happened. She hoped that Mona would be able to get what was taken. Thinking about that angered her, how they'd been able to drive away with the watermelons and remaining baggies. The thought ate at her and she pushed it away. It couldn't have been such an awful job if she got a little money out of it. It really wasn't much, but she took what she could get. Mona had said it was for the risk she took. And hadn't she?
Rio had come in but she hadn't even heard the door, only realized it when she felt a pair of eyes on her. She pulled her legs up and then lowered them to the ground, clear he was staring her down.
"Wanna tell me what you did today?" He asked evenly, but tension came off from his body.
A red, fresh cut lined above his eyebrow and his eye was bruised. He had clearly gotten in some fight. Was he OK, was Beth's first thought, quickly followed by curiosity as to what had happened.
"At the restaurant," she sat back on the couch. "You want to tell me what you did?"
His jaw locked.
"Beth, do you know where the- hey, you OK?" Sylvie asked Rio as she walked in the living room.
"Yeah," he said, keeping his eyes on Beth.
Sylvie seemed unconvinced, and left the room without a word.
"Did she tell you?" Beth asked when it was clear Rio wasn't going to let it go. She really trusted Mona wouldn't. It must've only have been a couple of hours since she'd left. Mona couldn't even wait that long?
"No."
"Did who tell you what?" Annie, who'd wandered in, asked. "What happened?"
Neither of them answered right away. Sylvie came back with a towel and what Beth expected was ice. Rio tsked at her but Sylvie pushed, putting it against his eye. Rio sighed loudly but took the towel from her, applying it to his eye, before taking it away.
Beth could tell he didn't want to have this conversation with his sister present, maybe as much as she didn't want Annie to hear it either, but as much as that she suspected he didn't want to ask her to talk somewhere else.
"My sister and yours get themselves in something, I should've known you were the one I had to look out for," He shook his head.
"OK, what is he talking about?" Annie raised her voice and stepped closer, worry tinging her words.
"I was doing your sister a favor," Beth turned her palms up. "What's it to you? You have competition all the way up here?"
"Beth," Annie repeated impatiently.
Beth closed her eyes briefly before turning her face to Annie. "I made a delivery for Mona. It wasn't a big deal."
Annie's eyes widened.
"What happened to your eye?" Sylvie asked.
"Nothing," Rio said impatiently but applied the towel to his eye again, flinching at the contact.
Sylvie shook her head and her expression wore a familiarity that she'd seen this before.
"No big deal," Rio said to Beth. "Just something else that's gotta be cleaned after, yeah?"
"Nothing happened," Beth said, wanting to calm her sister down but keeping her attention on Rio.
"No?"
The memory of Rio holding his gun to her face flashed in her mind. "Nothing that hasn't happened before," Beth snapped back and got on her feet.
He wasn't really worried about her. Not after what he'd done himself.
"OK, can we stop with the puzzles!" Annie said, snapping Rio and Beth out of their staring game.
"Your sister got unnecessary attention on herself just when things were starting to cool off," Rio said, his eyes quickly returning to Beth.
"These two guys, they tried to pull one over me. I worked it out," Beth returned her gaze to Rio, who snickered.
"That what you call it?"
"I came back with something, didn't I?"
"They stole your product," Rio ignored her answer, "so you came back with no payment," He counted on his fingers. "They saw they could get away with it."
"What did you want me to do? They had-" Beth paused before continuing. She'd all but admitted she was threatened by a gun but she didn't want to spell it out in front of her sister.
"Had what Beth?" Annie asked, her voice smaller.
Beth raised her palm. "I'm OK," she just said. "It didn't go like I wanted it to," she admitted, facing Rio again.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"But I could've come back empty handed."
"Yeah, that's your idea of staying low?" Rio lifted his chin.
"You weren't letting me help," Beth raised her voice. "I can't just sit around here!" She lifted her arms, then glanced at Annie and Sylvie.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I can't just wait for him," Beth answered Annie.
"And this was better?" She asked icily.
"This isn't summer camp, Annie," Beth snapped before turning her attention back to Rio. She wasn't done with him. "Besides, your guys go and do assignments all the time. They take a risk."
"Yeah, cause I tell them what to do. And they listen."
"And everything ends well when you're in charge," Beth said, Rio returning her a glare. "I gotta take care of my sister. I have to to take care of myself. No one's gonna do that for us," Beth said.
Apart from Dean of course. But when it came to this he'd already said he couldn't help with money.
If Rio had caught on to what Beth was saying, he didn't let on.
"Bull."
Beth whipped her face to her left to find Annie's frowned face with her arms crossed.
"You didn't do this for me. This was all about you."
"Annie-"
"What happened to us having each other's backs? We already talked about this. Or you just thought that I couldn't handle it when you did so great on your own."
"At least I don't treat this like vacation."
"We are?" Annie's voice shook a little and Beth's heart twitched.
"Why? Because I'm a girl?"
Beth and Annie turned their attention to Rio and Sylvie. Belatedly Beth realized at some point that they'd started their own conversation while Beth and Annie were talking.
"Yeah," Rio said, and Beth had an inkling he was trying to get a rise out of his sister. "And because you're a kid."
"I'm 18," Sylvie pointed at herself, and Beth flashed to similar exchanges she and Annie had themselves. "Besides, your girlfriend's in it," she said, and from her tone Beth understood she'd meant her.
"She ain't in anything," Rio said calmly, "and she's none of your business."
"Maybe if you'd actually talk to us, you'd hear our ideas for a change."
"You gotta stay out of this."
Sylvie lifted her hands in the air. "You try and tell me what to do, Mona tries to tell me what to do. We only talked to Ray because we thought that he'd help us handle this."
"Syl-" Annie started.
"No!" Sylvie waved her off and glanced between Beth and Rio. "While you two are doing business or whatever, Annie and I were trying to fix this."
Beth tried to meet Annie's eyes but Annie kept hers locked away.
"Maybe if you'd concentrate on what you need to do-"
"I don't want to go to college," Sylvie cut her brother off. "You and Mona didn't go to college and you're doing OK."
"You're going to school."
"Why, because somebody has to?"
"I was trying to fix things too. I'm not a kid," Annie said and walked off, Sylvie hurrying after her.
Beth's chest sank. She hadn't meant what she said, didn't want Rio as an audience out of anyone to witness it.
Rio had turned his face back to Beth after door front door closed behind Sylvie, tightening his mouth to a thin line before heading off himself to th back door. Beth remained alone, sighing into an empty room. The day just kept getting better and better.
Her feet dangled in the lake, her feet submerged in the coolness of the water. The comforting sensation relaxed her but the chilly temperature wasn't as welcoming as it felt that morning.
If she could take back the words she threw at Annie – when it sounded like she'd actually been trying to get out of this mess. But even if she was taking some time off for herself was it so terrible? She was a parent and had turned her life around to care for Ben. In the beginning Annie hadn't quite grasped the change. But she'd taken responsibility. Being apart from him couldn't have been easy either. Beth couldn't begrudge her taking some time for herself. She had wanted to do the same but had felt guilty. That she wasn't working. That Dean worried about her. That she wasn't able to help Ruby out like she would if she were home. Not to mention the difficulty in sitting around not doing anything to deal with what was going on with Annie and Sylvie being the targets of wrath of two gangs. Even if one of those was Rio's. Turned out her sister and friend had their own plans, and she was proud of Annie for trying, even if she would've liked to know what's going on. If that was hypercritical of her – hey, she's the oldest. That's how it went.
After everything she'd ended up missing the cooking class too, she thought as she kicked up some water with her feet. But despite the set back earlier that day she didn't regret what she'd done. It was a way to make amends with Mona. Even a way to make money. She always needed money. And she couldn't deny she hadn't been hoping to plant a seed. After all, it wasn't like Rio had given her any confidence that she'd be able to work for him again. If he'd even agree to it now. Clearly he thought this was beyond her capabilities. He was right in that she shouldn't have been doing something to attract attention to them but she couldn't sit around doing nothing and when she'd approached him he didn't want to listen. Besides, she wasn't her sister, and no one knew her here. Then she allowed herself to think – did he get beaten up because he went after the guys?
Mona had been right, she shouldn't have made a delivery like that on her own. Beth hadn't expected it to get derailed like that. At the party the woman had stepped back quickly enough.
Steady shuffling sounded from the back yard. It was Rio making his way towards the shed. He probably saw her, she thought, but had kept walking. She got up and started following him, the wind blowing on her wet feet. He made eye contact and shook his head at her. Beth stopped, watching him disappear into the woods.
Well, this was great. At least everyone was equally pissed off at everybody. Apart from Sylvie and Annie she supposed. And maybe her and Sylvie. At least Annie was with someone. Beth turned back to the wooden platform, cool grass softening the path for her bare feet.