Devotion 13
Later that day Edward brought one of the kitchen chairs outside. He sat it next to his plant. He went inside and got one of the two bottles of water he'd brought home from the grocery. They'd never made it to the fridge, but the old box didn't cool things very well anyway.
He eyed the stack of boxes he'd tossed in the room. They remained in the configuration he'd put them in when he'd moved in. The library table was on its side. He had no memory of why or how.
He hadn't looked at the clock but knew it was the time of afternoon when things started to slow a little. He poured half of his bottle of water on the plant and took a swig from what remained. He couldn't quench his thirst this morning. It went all the way down the tunnel of his throat to his guts.
He set the bottle on the ground, put his ankle on his knee. He quickly scanned the empty courtyard, the windows, the barbecue pit the young couple fired up for friends, the hose circling the spigot, the old lady's fork and spoon chimes. He looked up. All the way up, moving just his eyes. Alice's window. She wasn't there. He slumped a little in the chair, put his head back enough to feel the sun's warmth. His mind slugged about. He thought about his books. One of the boxes. Then he thought about bookstores.
There was an independent bookstore in the small downtown area where he'd once lived. Stacks of inventory and a cat on a cushion. The owner's feline princess. She would leave long white hairs on his black pants. The cat, not the owner. That woman was perfect with her hair like the driver of the Magic School Bus. It was another world, that place, the portal to many other worlds. And pens. So many different kinds of pens. He remembered how they'd splayed…everywhere after the woman was robbed. He'd arrived first on the scene. Just there to get away for a while. This world…
The memory evaporated as he heard Bella's steps. A quick, sure gait.
"Edward?"
One eye open. He looked up. Bella.
She wore the shorts, but he was careful to keep his gaze on her face.
"How's it going?" she said.
Oh. She was talking to him? And with a normal tone. She had her hair rolled into a tall knot that sat atop her head. It was adorable. And comical. Edward imagined himself undoing the knot, and he folded his hands on his lap.
"Some vitamin D, dude?" she said, like the proverbial nosey neighbor. But small talk, he was out of ideas.
"Shanni told me about the plant," Bella said.
When he was still mute, Bella continued, "Glad to see you watered it."
"Yeah," his voice finally kicked in. "They ah…like water."
They both laughed a little. He noticed she looked tired. She got in at 4 a.m.
"Well…I have to get to the store. Take care of it," she motioned toward the plant. "Talk to it," she said.
He smirked a little. "Hey…what store?"
She stopped, hand on hip. "Aldi's."
"Could I…ride along?" He had no idea he was going to ask this. Had he even brushed his teeth?
She stood there, out of words for once.
"No pressure," he said. "I mean…I can walk uptown later."
"No. It's not pressure," she said.
He followed the shorts then, not checking to see if he had his wallet until he was practically to her car.
Inside the vehicle, he breathed slowly to adjust to being near her. It was close in here, of course, but he'd have to put forth more effort than usual. Maybe. He remembered her hands so willingly at her waist, undoing the button. Conjuring that image didn't put him more at ease.
He tried not to cringe when she started the car. It ran rough and loud. He wasn't a mechanic, but better oil would help the knocking in her engine for starters. Did she do maintenance? Was that in her world at all or did she run behind everything trying to squeeze out a little more?
He knew the answer.
Before pulling into the street, she looked at him. She was nervous.
"What?" he said.
"What? Nothing," she said. She pulled from the curb. "I just…the other day…Shanni told me more about it. You ah…were just trying to help. She thought."
"There was no plan," he said, looking out his window, oddly relieved to be pulling away from his apartment in Bella Swan's company.
"I have to go by Vibe. Pick up my check," she said.
"Where's Vibe?" he asked as if he hadn't looked it up on his phone.
She answered that, and he put on his seatbelt.
There wasn't much to say now. Bella seemed content to be quiet for once, and Edward was always comfortable in silence. He didn't particularly approve of her driving. She definitely was prone to road rage, like most disempowered people, he thought, realizing how repulsed she would be if she could read his thoughts.
Fifteen minutes later they pulled up to Vibe. The neon sign was off, but he could see the figure of a girl shaking it in three varied positions. The club was near an underpass. This part of town—vintage, to be more kind. It was a cool dump. Popular for a season, and this was it. It was an old brewery, two brick stories. The building had been a few things, and now this.
"Two brothers scraped the money and bought this place. Two assholes who didn't pay their bills to the wrong people who had loaned them money," she said, also observing the building with him. "Now it belongs to them. The tough guys. And we have law and order, believe me. They don't mess around like Riley and Vic did. I know the building looks like shit in the sunlight. But at night…the lights going, the parking lot jammed and the beat…you can feel it in your feet the minute they hit the asphalt, you know?"
He did know. But it was different for him. It wasn't a palpable beat he used to feel. It was more private than that. But he knew all about anticipation. For her…that beat, that vibe at Vibe? That was the promise of life. He wondered if it ever delivered.
"I won't be long," Bella said quickly moving out of the car. "You want the keys? For the radio?" she leaned in the window extending the keys and the rattly key chain with the big letter 'B.'
"No," he said. He opened his door, looked at her over the roof. "I want to see where you work."
She looked surprised but never thrown. Not her. She grinned. A beautiful smile, really. Lit her up. Maybe lit him a little. "Really?"
"Sure," he said like he was cool.
Bella responded, right off. All in. Up for grabs. He could lead her back into his palm. She'd never left. She was so easy. He almost felt sorry for her as he followed the shorts inside because there was nothing behind whatever it was she perceived him to be.
Inside Vibe was one of those industrial environments you paid for with each drink. Lots of brick and exposed pipes. Also cool. Like him. Rotten and far, far out.
"Bella," big man behind the counter said. But his eyes were on Edward.
"We ain't hiring," Big Man said.
Bella smiled. "It's a friend."
BM leaned over the counter to really eye Edward now.
"Friend?" he said.
Edward nodded.
"You got enough friends up your ass," Big Man said addressing the Swan.
"Not like that," Bella said. "Be nice."
Big Man straightened, went back to a black computer behind the bar. "I'm always nice."
"I forgot my check. Imagine that?" Bella said elbows on the shiny surface.
Edward slid his hands in his pockets. Big Man grinned at Bella. "You know why? You were that trashed."
"I was not," she said.
"Oh yeah. You're always the first. I told you direct deposit. It's enough you got a posse of assholes hanging around. One of these nights, Bella."
Edward's hands came out of the pockets, and he stepped beside Bella.
"I like it in my hand," Bella said. BM looked at her, and they laughed. Maybe she was trying to break the tension? Big Man fished around and came up with the envelope Bella was after. He sauntered over, slapped it on the bar, looked at Edward like he was there to steal it from the wayward girl.
"Don't be late tonight," BM warned raising a green glass to his lips.
"I wasn't late one time last week!" Bella countered, that old pissed off tone apparently also used when talking to her boss.
She grabbed the envelope and grinned at Edward, but her eyes were troubled. More than he wanted to face.
No 'nice meeting you,' between the two men. Edward followed Bella out.
"He's a jerk!" she declared as soon as they were in the parking lot.
What passel of assholes followed Bella? This girl walked a tightrope over a firepit. She was still agitated enough when they got in the car, and he knew how it went if he said the wrong thing, so he stayed quiet.
Until he had to ask. "Do they walk you out at night?" That was a stupid question. It couldn't be anywhere near safe. That guy behind the bar gave off darkness. That's all Edward could think.
"What?" she laughed. "Whatever, Edward. It's safer here than being a cop in this city."
"Okay," he said. He didn't get the comparison. She didn't think things through enough.
"Don't put me down." She pulled around the car in front and sped.
"Slow down," he said before he thought.
"Fuck you," she mumbled. They reached the store that way. She'd pulled in quiet, but so serious, for her.
"Listen," he said. "I'm not against you, Bella. I'm…not anything. But…are you safe working there, that's all. Shanni…"
"Do not hold my daughter up to me. You have no fucking right. You are nothing in my life. I gave you a ride. Let you see where I work to be nice. I don't want your fucking opinions on anything. Loser."
She got out then, and he slowly followed.
"Bella," he called after, "you want me to walk home?"
She turned, the tight bun starting to unravel. She immediately addressed that, managing to shove her keys and phone in her tiny pockets and undo the hair, retwisting it in an angry way that truth be told had his attention.
"I want you..," she started loud, then in uncharacteristic awareness looked around and bun back in place she moved close to him, "I want you to stop being so weak."
Then she moved off, fast, hips side to side. And over her shoulder, "You coming or what?"
After a second's hesitation, Edward followed her inside.