Seven
Jas paced outside the school gates and peered down the long lane which ran down and away from the campus. He was on his third Marlboro Light, and was about as close to being nervous as he had ever been about anything. He wished he had a drink; something strong, like a scotch or vodka. He found it easier to think when he had a drink in his hand.
So far, he hadn't seen anyone approaching, but Paige had told him that her brother was coming to collect his pills - or $15,000 - whichever Jas happened to have on him when he arrived. Unfortunately, Jas had neither, but he wasn't the sort of guy who ran away from responsibility, and he had agreed to meet Paige's brother; he was going to try talking to him directly. Most people, Jas found, responded well to him in person. Admittedly, they were usually women, but he did make people feel relaxed and good about themselves, and he had an air of calm authority which put people at ease. And, frankly, he wasn't afraid of a small-time dealer who sold pharmaceuticals to Yale trustafarians while using his little sister to organize drop-offs and pick-ups. No, Paige's brother might be a big fish in his sparkly Yale pond, but Jas had met dozens of people like him, and he wasn't intimidated.
So why was he pulling a fourth cigarette out and lighting it? And were his hands shaking?
The fact was, Jas could easily come up with $15,000 if he needed to. His father had set up several trust funds through which Jas could access enough money to pay off this little debt without any trouble at all. He would hardly miss it. Unfortunately, he would need to talk to his broker and get to a bank, neither of which he was able to do while he was tucked away at St Croix. If he wanted to get the money, Paige's brother would have to wait until the weekend at least. That way, Jas could transfer the funds to a local bank and get it sorted it out before the next week of school. Students at St Croix were allowed out on weekends, but on weekdays they were pretty much locked-down on the school campus, and anyway, they had classes from 8.30am to 5.45pm every day. Saturdays and Sundays were the only days you saw St Croix students in town. The rest of the time, St Croix might as well have been an island in the middle of the South Pacific.
Jas checked his watch. Four-forty-five. Paige's brother was late, if he was coming at all. He pulled out his cellphone and texted Paige:
JasGen: Hey...waiting outside for yr bro...no sign...when's he coming?
Two minutes later, she replied:
PaigeGrrl: Can u be at the Pigskin tonight, 8pm?
JasGen: Will he b there? What's going on?
PaigeGrrl: Don't worry, I'll xpln l8r.
Jas flipped his phone shut and flicked his cigarette away. He was pretty sure he could get into town and meet Paige's brother at the Pigskin, a preppy English pub frequented by underage St Croix students. What concerned him was how evasive Paige was being. Still, it didn't do any harm to head down for a drink with her brother and sort everything out, did it? He thought about bringing Mills along, but then he would have to explain the whole thing, including Paige, and he preferred to keep that part to himself, for now. Of course, he still wouldn't have time to get the money together, but then he didn't plan on handing it over until he could find out what the fuck was going on. If Paige's brother wanted something from him, he would have to ask him directly.
The cab dropped Jas outside the Pigskin, and he headed straight in through the heavy wooden door. He had started going to the Pigskin with Brand, Tibby and Mills at the end of their freshman year, and they dropped enough cash there that the bar staff tolerated the young-looking drinkers. It was a busy pub, and they generally kept to themselves. Besides, come summertime, there was so much wealth flowing through the town with all the weekend visits from parents in their Bentleys and Benzs that everyone turned a blind eye. And the St Croix kids behaved themselves and tipped well, unlike the townies. Basically, as long as the kids had their fake IDs - and they all had the best - no one got thrown out of anywhere. Jas slipped into a booth at the back with a pint of Boddingtons and watched the door.
He knew something was up as soon as Paige walked through the door, but she looked so good that for a moment he didn't care. Her hair was swept to the side, like before, but now it was clipped back in a 20's style, and she wore a long pea coat over tight black pants. Several patrons stared as she crossed the room and sat down opposite Jas, and he stood up politely to greet her. She smiled lightly and leaned in to peck him on the cheek. It was only the second time he had met her, but Jas felt the same attraction he had in California, at the beach house in Carmel.
"I wasn't expecting you, Paige." He settled into his seat across the booth from her. Her eyes avoided his, preferring to flicker around the room. She looked uneasy.
"Yeah, well, my brother got hung up again."
"What are you doing over here? I thought you had to stay in Carmel?"
"My, uh, my brother called me. Said I should come and sort this out with him. I arrived last night."
"Just to take care of business?" Jas took a sip of his beer. He felt relaxed in her presence, despite her weird evasiveness.
"Yeah, well, you know. It's not personal, Jas, but I need to convince my brother that you didn't try and rip him off."
"I'm telling you the truth, Paige. I left the package at the restaurant, just like you said. I can't believe it wasn't there. When did your brother look for it?"
"Uh, I guess he went the day after you were there."
"Sunday?"
"I guess." Paige paused and nodded to a waitress. "Gin and tonic, please."
"That was almost a week ago."
"So?" She replied quickly, defensively.
"Well, why are you just telling me this now?" Jas tried to catch her eye. "Why didn't you call me on Sunday?"
"I don't know, Jas. My brother didn't tell me until yesterday morning. He probably has a bunch of deals going on. What does it matter? We're fucked unless my brother gets his money. He has people to pay, too. He's not an asshole, its just business."
Jas grunted and took another sip of his beer.
"What?" The waitress brought the gin and tonic, and Paige stirred it before taking a sip. She stared at Jas. "You know, I wish I hadn't asked you to take that package, too. You're not the only one who regrets this fucking mess. I should have told my brother to find someone else." She scowled. Jas looked at her for a moment.
"I offered, Paige. It's just as much my fault." Despite his frustration, Jas spoke softly. He even felt slightly sorry for Paige. It seemed to him like she had only tried to do her brother a favor and it had all gone wrong. She looked up from her drink and met his eye at last. She looked miserable and tired.
"So what are we going to do, Jas?" She asked, with what seemed authentic hopelessness. Jas pitied her. In the low light of the pub she looked pretty and, he had to admit, young and even naive. At that moment she didn't seem much like the confident girl he'd been first drawn to at the house in Carmel.
"When are you going to see your brother?"
"I was going to go down to New Haven tonight."
"Can you stay here tonight? Meet me tomorrow morning? I'll wire your brother's money from my account into a bank in town. I can pick up the cash when they open."
Paige's eyes sparkled and she smiled broadly at him. A cloud appeared to lift from her face.
"Thanks, Jas, you saved my life. I'll get a hotel in town tonight."
"Will you stay and have another drink, though? Since you're here?"
Paige looked deep into Jas's face. He was awfully pretty, with his dark blond hair falling down over his forehead and his thick eyebrows. Heavy, long lashes surrounded his hazel eyes, and they were full of gentle calm. She felt suddenly very safe with him.
"Definitely." She smiled and nodded. She and Jas finished their drinks, then she got up and went to get two more. Again, many of the other patrons in the busy pub stared at her. Jas watched her up against the bar, so petite but oozing confidence again. He admired her poise, her neat hair, the curve of her back, her teeny waist with the broad, low-slung belt, the outline of her trim butt and leg
s in the tight black pants. She was really getting to him, he knew, and he needed to be careful. She turned around, holding the two new drinks, and smiled at him again, exposing her bright smile. The light seemed to cling to her and surround her like a halo. Jas sucked in a breath.
He'd be careful, wouldn't he? Of course he would...
Days Of St Croix Page 7