by Ari Reavis
I put my hand to my chest. “I must be dead because you cannot have just said that in real life.”
“Believe it, little sister.”
“Just what has the lovely Nia done to my brother?”
From the way he smiles just at hearing her name, I know she’s made my brother fall in love with her. Whether he knows it or not yet.
My mind is entirely on the man I love as I pull up to Damir’s site the next day. I marvel at it, seeing how far it’s come since he gave me a tour before. There are seven buildings already done, another three more full of men putting in windows and drilling things into place.
“Can I help you?” A deep voice asks.
I move my eyes from one of the buildings to find a slim, tall young man in front of me. His hard hat tells me he works here.
“Hi. I’m looking for Damir,” I say.
He squints at me for a moment before questioning, “Mariah?”
“The one and only.” I nervously chuckle, wondering what Damir has told him about me.
“He’s in the trailer. I’ll take you. You want me to carry that for you?” He motions towards the basket I’m carrying.
“No, I’m okay. But thank you.”
“Alright. Right this way.” He waves me forward, and I walk beside him. “I’ve heard a lot about you. And yes, all of it good because Damir talks about you like you are a goddess who blesses him by even looking in his direction.”
Surprised laughter bursts out of me. “Does he really?”
“Oh yeah. Don’t say I told you that though.”
“Pretty hard to tell on someone when you don’t know their name.”
“Oh sorry.” He grins and extends his hand. “Stan.”
“Ah. I’ve heard about you too, Stan,” I say as I shake his hand. “The best worker here.”
He stumbles in his step, and I have to tuck in my lips to hide my smile at his genuine surprise. “He said that?”
“He did.”
It takes him another moment of looking at me with shocked and partially confused eyes before he nods and begins walking again. The trailer comes into view and Stanley walks ahead of me, opening the door.
“Damir, I found this woman wandering around the site,” he jokes. “I thought you might know her.”
“What?” Damir’s confused voice reaches me, and I quietly chuckle before stepping through the door Stanley holds open.
“Surprise!” I state.
He smiles immediately. “Wow. This really is a surprise. And a very nice one.”
“Oh, so you do know her?” Stanley asks.
“Get outta here.” Damir chuckles, throwing a roll of duct tape at him.
Stanley barely ducks it before laughing and closing the door.
“I thought I’d bring you a little lunch,” I say as I set the basket on his desk. “I hope you haven’t eaten yet.”
“Nope. Starving actually. What do you got?”
“Chicken salad, chips, some iced tea.”
“Sweetened iced tea?” His eyes get wide with excitement.
“Yes. We all know you need excessive amounts of sugar, so what you want,”—I take out the huge jug of iced tea—“I provide.”
He comes around the desk and gets a chair out of the corner of the trailer for me while I unpack the food.
“You guys have made a lot of progress,” I say after my first bite.
“It’s going well. We haven’t really had many issues so far, and we’re over half way done.”
“Am I getting another tour when it’s done?”
“Absolutely. We can even christen an apartment or two.”
“Or two?” I arch a brow. “Interesting. You better hurry up and get it done then.”
“Oh, are you going somewhere?”
“Never,” I state and his smile grows. “So what are you guys doing this week?”
“Digging out where the pool is going to go starting tomorrow, working on the other three buildings to get the walls up and then start laying the pipes. The developer came to see the progress earlier and was excited at how fast we’re getting everything done, so I wanna keep the same speed, if we can. But tell me about your day.”
“Well apparently I won’t have to race Matthew.” I chuckle.
“He made a friend?” he asks.
I nod. “Finally got an invite to a birthday party. And, someone asked him to play tag on the playground the other day.”
“Go head, Matthew,” he whoops. “See? You just had to soften him up. The opposite of what his prick of a father was trying to do.”
I burst out laughing. “Did you just call his dad a douchebag?”
“He sounds like one, so...” He shrugs before finishing the last of his salad. “Gonna save the chips for later.”
I nod, pushing my own empty container towards him so he can throw it out. “Well, it was nice to have lunch with you.”
“It was. We should do it more often.”
“You let me know when, and I’m there.”
“Will do. I’ll walk you back to your car.”
I pick up the empty picnic basket and walk to the door he holds open. When we come out of the trailer, Damir tucks me into his side as I look across the site to where the other workers are broken into circles of men, eating their lunches as well. Some of them turn around when we come closer to them, making ohh sounds. Damir chuckles and shakes his head while I smile at them.
“You’re all working overtime for that,” he jokes.
“Shit, I’ll take the extra money.” A man sitting next to Stanley laughs.
“Carlos, if you...” Whatever Damir was about to say cuts short as I feel his body stiffen.
I look up at him, noticing the muscle ticking in his jaw before I see his hard eyes staring at something. Following his gaze, I find a cop and another man walking towards where me, Damir, and the workers are.
“Not right fucking now,” Damir practically growls.
I stare at the cop, trying to figure out where I’ve seen him before. “Miller?” I ask.
Damir shakes his head. “Higgins. Just as fucking bad.”
“And the other guy?”
“Ray. Stan’s probation officer.”
He takes his arm from around me and fear suddenly fills me. About what’s about to happen. About all the possible outcomes. About why the police are here in the first place because I know it isn’t for anything good. I watch with a knot in my stomach as Damir walks towards the two approaching men. But then one of the men, the one who isn’t in a police officer but still has a badge of some sort, isn’t looking at Damir, but rather looking for someone else.
“Stanley Phillips,” Ray calls out.
My eyes swing to where I know Stanley is sitting. He pauses in talking and looks up, first in confusion, then his eyebrows draw down in obvious anger.
“Yeah?” he snaps back.
Ray waves him over, and even from here, I can see Stanley’s nostrils flare at the command. He gets up and walks over to stand beside Damir. Only then do I notice the way Damir and Higgins are glaring at each other. Higgins has a sickening smirk on his face. Then I realize where I’ve seen him before. The bowling alley, one of the cops who was at the end, staring at me and Damir damn near our entire time there.
I had never let Damir know just how much I’d notice their attention was on us that night. And after finding the ticket on his car when we came out and learning the extent of what was going on, I didn’t think he needed the reminder of how uncomfortable their stares had made me. But I feel that discomfort again right now, as Higgins looks away from Damir and his eyes come to me. There’s clear excitement in them, like he’s glad I’m here to witness this.
That only makes me all the more worried.
“What’s this about?” Damir asks.
“Some issues have come to my attention that may violate Stanley’s probation,” Ray answers.
“What? That’s bullshit,” Stanley shouts. “I’m doing the best I can. There’s no w
ay there’s any reason for you to be here.”
“You had better calm yourself down right now before your ass ends up back in county,” Higgins yells at him, getting closer to him with each word until they’re only a few feet apart.
Too close. I can see Stanley’s hand ball into a fist and that knot moves from my stomach to my throat. I have seen this play out too many times in my neighborhood growing up, cops using the smallest excuse to arrest someone, to beat them, to shoot them.
Damir puts his hand on Stanley’s shoulder, and I can see the squeeze he gives it. I hope he understands Damir is trying to tell him to calm the hell down. This could all go very wrong, very quickly. He must know that just as well as I do.
“What seems to be the problem?” Damir inquires, looking at Ray and ignoring Higgins.
“I was informed that a man who lives at the same residence as Stanley was arrested for being in possession of narcotics. If there were drugs in the home, then that’s a violation of his probation,” Ray answers.
“What does any of that have to do with me?” Stanley exclaims. “I didn’t know anyone had anything in the house. That’s my sister’s house. I have no control over who she allows to stay there.”
Higgins scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. “She’s letting her criminal brother stay there. Doesn’t really speak too highly of who she allows to live in her house.”
“What did you..” Stanley progresses, but Damir is quick to hold him back. Higgins’ hand still creeps towards his gun.
“Was the person arrested in the home?” Damir questions.
Ray shakes his head. “A few blocks over.”
“Then there’s no way to know if the drugs were ever in the home,” Damir argues. “How can he be penalized, or even held responsible, for what someone did, especially outside of his home?”
“As I told Officer Higgins.” Ray casts a sidelong glance at the officer beside him. “I wouldn’t have called Stanley in for something like that, but when an officer had a word with my superior, it became out of my control.”
Damir narrows his eyes at Higgins. He’s probably thinking the same things I am; why is he doing this and what grudge does he have against Stanley? Are the police going to begin harassing him the way they do Damir now?
“Is there anything we can do to resolve this that doesn’t include him getting arrested?” Damir asks.
“Arrested for what?” Stanley exclaims. “I didn’t do nothing. This is fucked up.”
“Stan!” Damir barks. “That isn’t helping anything. Be quiet.”
I want to beg Stanley to listen to him. But I stay silent. Especially because rather than paying attention to what’s going on in front of him, Higgins is staring at me again. I can feel it, see him from the corner of my eye, but I don’t meet his stare.
With my eyes still on Stanley, I see his nostrils flare, him glaring at Damir, a muscle ticking in his jaw. But relief fills me when he does remain quiet.
“We can do a drug test right now,” Ray says. “If he has any drugs in his system, and I mean any, he’s leaving here in cuffs. If he’s clean, then we’ll leave, but we may have to discuss other living arrangements, if where he currently resides isn’t conducive to his rehabilitation and in line with the conditions of his probation.”
“Are you willing to take the drug test?” Damir asks him.
“Hell yeah. Let’s go.” Stanley quickly agrees. “Then Ray and this damn traffic cop can get the hell away from me. Because this is all some bullshit.”
“Is there somewhere we can go?” Ray questions.
“There’s a bathroom in my trailer.” Damir points towards it.
“Thank you. After you Stanley.”
“No mouth Stan. Just take the test,” Damir warns him.
Stanley gives him a single nod before leading Ray to the trailer. I can’t take my eyes away from their disappearing forms, hoping Stanley passes the test, hoping he doesn’t say anything to get himself into trouble. Hoping this can just all be over with the drug test results.
When they go into the trailer, I look back to where Damir and Higgins are to find Higgins watching me again. But this time Damir notices as well. He walks over to me, standing in front of me so Higgins and I can’t see each other.
“Are you okay?” He asks low.
“Is he going to pass that test?” I question instead of answering.
He looks out the corner of his eyes at Higgins before answering barely above a murmur. “I made it very clear that if he ever failed a work drug test or showed up to the site impaired in any way, he would be fired, but I can’t attest to if he’s used drugs at any other time. Even though I know that he used to use them before getting arrested, I’m hoping like hell that he hasn’t gone back to that. I don’t think he has. He’s too smart for that. He’ll pass... He’ll pass.”
He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself as much as me. I open my mouth to ask another question, but the laughing, more like malicious chuckle, coming closer to us makes my mouth snap shut. Damir begins turning around, and I grip his arm trying to remind him of exactly what he told Stanley to do. Remain calm.
“Whew. You have a time of it with these pieces of filth, don’t you?” Higgins smirks at Damir. “But then again, I guess being that you’re a criminal too, you can relate so well to them.”
“Just what do you think you know about me?” Damir asks.
He arrogantly begins walking even closer to us. “Enough to know not to be fooled by this whole act you’ve got going on. See, cause I’ve heard all about you. What you used to do, who you are trying to pretend you still aren’t.” He stops now, with his chest damn near touching Damir’s. I can’t help but smirk though at him having to look up at Damir to continue holding his stare. “So, I thought I’d come here and let you know that police officers have long memories, and we certainly haven’t forgotten about you.”
“So that’s what this is all about?” Damir seethes. “You’re using Stanley to teach me some kind of lesson?”
“Oh, I think you already know the lesson. That we’re always watching you. Always ready to bring you right back to the cage you belong in. That you’re never out of our reach. This was just a...reminder of how far our reach goes.”
“If you’ve got nothing better to do with your time than watch someone who hasn’t gotten into trouble since he was seventeen...” Damir shrugs. “Then I guess that says a whole lot about the police around here.”
“We caught you, didn’t we?”
“Because I was doing something to get caught. You won’t catch me making that same mistake now.”
He tilts his head. “Hmm. All I heard you say was that you just won’t get caught. Not that you’re not doing anything.”
“Because you’re not actually listening. Maybe if I talk to you with my lawyer present, your ears would be a little more accommodating.”
“You could try, but I doubt you’d find a bleeding heart judge for your mother to beg to spare you like last time.”
At the mention of his mother, Damir stills, the muscles in his arm getting so tight, I fear he may spring forward at any moment. I step around Damir, afraid that if I don’t do something, say something, this will reach the point of no return. Higgins’ eyes slide to me, his smirk deepening.
“If you’re truly here for something to do with Stanley, then you have no business speaking with Damir,” I say. “So you can wait over there until the probation officer comes back.”
“Well I’d heard Damir was mouthy the last time an officer came to this site, but I didn’t know if you were too. Are you...mouthy?”
Just the way he says it, along with the sleezy look he gives me, makes my skin crawl.
“Mouthy enough to be willing to recount all of this when I report you. Which I’ll need your badge number for.”
He straightens up then. “Excuse me?”
“Your badge number. That’s what I need to file a complaint, right? Or is your last name enough?”
&nb
sp; He turns slightly, making sure I can’t see his badge as he backs away, eyes narrowed on me. “You better watch yourself. Don’t go thinking you have more power than you do. I’m sure Damir can explain to you just how little you have.”
“Just enough, apparently.” Damir motions towards his retreating form.
The creaking of the door to the trailer sounds and me and Damir both turn around. Ray and Stanley are coming towards us, Stanley’s smiling, even if the rage in his eyes is clear.
“All good?” Damir asks.
“All good.” Ray nods. “Like I said, we’ll still need to discuss his living situation though. But we can just talk about that when he comes for his next check in.”
“Thanks for wasting all of our time,” Stanley says, looking at Higgins.
Higgins just grins, looks from Stanley to Damir. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you. Both of you.”
Higgins walks back to his car and leaves. Ray shakes his head as he watches him leave, then he turns his eyes to Damir.
“I don’t know why they have such a hard-on for you, but you had better lay low. You’re on their radar big time.”
“I’m laying as low as I can.” Damir defends.
“The way they tell it, you’re some type of kingpin. They had my superior believing you’re over here getting the felons drugs instead of trying to help. You’ve got a target on your back, and it seems half the police department is trying to get a bullseye.”
“You see the way he handled them?” Stanley smiles. “He’s got this.”
“The point is to not have to handle them at all,” Damir dryly states.
Ray points at Damir. “Exactly. Do well to remember that Stanley.”
“How the hell can I not see him when he’s the cop who patrols my neighborhood?”
“You know that officer?” I ask.
He scoffs. “Know him? That’s the asshole who arrested me. Everyone knows him because he’s always mixed up in some crooked shit. You know that when you see him coming, you’re getting arrested, whether you did something or not. People will literally call each other when they see his car coming so they can go the hell inside.”
I look at Ray. “And somehow he’s allowed to continue to act this way.”
“What am I supposed to do about that? People have to be willing to file a complaint against him, see it through.”