Husk

by J. Kent Messum

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Military-grade gear, very hard to come by.’

  ‘I want a pair of those.’

  ‘No you don’t,’ Craig says. ‘They damage optic nerves if you use them too much, give you retinal cancer. Kinda like those augmented-reality glasses did before they were all pulled off the market.’

  Ryoko casts another glance at the bouncers. The sunglasses have been either put away or pushed up on their crowns. I remember back when augmented-reality glasses were all the rage, before it came to light that the eyewear was watching and recording everything for third parties while slowly blinding you at the same time, everyone donning little toxic invasions of privacy that could be exploited. Walking into any establishment while wearing a pair nowadays will get you beat the fuck up in NYC.

  ‘Can I get you good-looking kids another round?’ Craig asks.

  We both nod and Craig fetches us more tequila. I check the time on my Liaison and see there is a notification about a person of interest in proximity. The link shows me Phineas is in the area, at a restaurant only a couple blocks away. I message him to come meet us if he’s free. The message I get back says he’s on his way.

  Ten minutes later I’m surprised to see Phineas enter the front doors of the Rochester with Nikki, the receptionist, in tow. He spots us instantly and leads her by the hand through the crowd. Ryoko greets both of them with a hug and kiss. Nikki looks happy to see me, much to my surprise. I embrace her. She tells me I’m looking good. I must admit that she is too. Whatever tension there might have been between us before seems to have evaporated.

  I order a round of shots for everyone as Ryoko and Nikki indulge in some chatter. The girls have always gotten along well. The smiles between them are plentiful and genuine. Phineas saddles up next to me at the bar and leans over, speaking in a lowered voice, answering my question before I even ask.

  ‘Nikki needed a night out. She’s taking Miller’s death pretty hard.’

  ‘I think we all are.’

  ‘I got talking to her after I saw you and Baxter this morning. She was awfully fond of the guy.’

  ‘Yeah,’ I say. ‘He was always real sweet to her.’

  Phineas nods. ‘A real gentleman.’

  ‘Did they have a thing going on?’

  ‘More of an unspoken thing … an off and on kind of thing.’

  I risk a glance at Ryoko. ‘I know the type.’

  Our tequilas arrive and we fire them back in unison. Phineas orders beer chasers, making them Miller Genuine Draft for old times’ sake. I picture Miller leaning against the bar with a bottle of the stuff in hand, bullshitting all the girls, saying his family owned the brewery and that he was heir to the company fortune. He always got us laughing with that stunt. We gave him shit about it more times than I can remember.

  ‘I didn’t think you’d be out on the town tonight,’ Phineas says. ‘What with your gig tomorrow.’

  ‘It’s not a gig I give a shit about.’

  ‘Who you got a session with?’

  ‘Does it matter?’

  Phineas looks to the ceiling and says nothing. I watch as Ryoko puts a sure hand on Nikki’s hip, her thumb hooking into the belt loop of the girl’s jeans as they talk and laugh. Nikki responds by twirling a finger in Ryoko’s dark hair, telling her how much she likes the feel of it, asking her what kind of product she uses. Craig delivers the MGD and Phineas raises his bottle high.

  ‘To a good friend, colleague and trailblazer,’ toasts Phineas. ‘It’s Miller time!’

  We clink bottles and chug. Conversations continue. Lots of laughs, plenty of smiles, the odd touch here and there. As more people enter the bar we find ourselves squashed together, bodies pressed up against the bar. Another round of drinks and things get more affectionate.

  ‘It’s starting to get crowded in here,’ Ryoko says.

  ‘We could move on to somewhere else,’ Phineas says, checking the time on his Liaison. ‘What are you guys in the mood for?’

  Nikki throws back another shot. ‘I’m in the mood for some loving.’

  Phineas scans the room for prospects. ‘See anything you like?’

  ‘Yeah, you guys,’ Nikki says, giggling and pointing at the three of us.

  Ryoko doesn’t hesitate. ‘I’m game.’

  She downs her shot, then leans over and plants one on Nikki, fingers sliding up the girl’s neck and grabbing a handful of her hair. Phineas and I watch as their tongues dart in and out of each other’s mouth. Some jackass behind us hollers at the sight like a frat-boy. We both turn and tell him to grow the fuck up. He is quick to quiet down.

  ‘I don’t even think they need us,’ I chuckle.

  Phineas turns to me with a broad grin. ‘You interested a little group hug, mate?’

  ‘Let me settle up.’

  I throw back my shot and catch Craig’s attention with a wave, signalling for the bill. He sends the tab to my Liaison and I try to pay it from my account. Craig is quick to come over with an apologetic look on his face.

  ‘It’s not going through,’ he says.

  ‘What?’

  ‘It says the transaction failed.’

  ‘How the hell is that possible?’

  All at once the panic comes. I can feel it welling up in my chest, the anxiety over just the possibility of somehow being broke. Childhood memories flood my head. The bounced cheques, maxed credit, even the counterfeit money that came into play at one point. I’m struck by a memory of my mother standing at a supermarket checkout lane and arguing with the cashier, ashamed that she’s being forced to leave groceries behind yet again because the debit card wouldn’t go through.

  ‘The blackouts screw up all kinds of stuff,’ Craig says. ‘I’ve had a couple problems already tonight with customers trying to pay.’

  ‘Shit, just put it on my credit card then.’

  I pass him my card. Craig rings it through on a terminal and frowns. He tries it two more times without any luck.

  ‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding,’ I say, patting my pockets. ‘Jesus, I don’t have any cash on me, Craig.’

  I look over my shoulder at my companions, Ryoko and Nikki still kissing, Phineas watching, as entertained by it as they are. The thought of asking any of them to cover the bill, especially Ryoko, is disheartening. I check my accounts and credit via my Liaison and find both have a temporary suspension notice on them. After firing off an angry message to my bank, I consider asking my roommate for a favour. Craig is intuitive, beats me to the punch.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ he says. ‘I got you covered tonight. You can pay me back later.’

  ‘Really? Are you sure?’

  Craig laughs and waves me away. ‘Like you’re not good for it, buddy.’

  I thank him and turn back to my friends, only to find a stranger standing before me, the unexpected sight making me jump. The brunette is about my age, skinny, wearing too much make-up. She stares at me with nothing less than hatred, lips pressed together so hard they whiten. Before I can speak, she throws her martini in my face and shoves me hard against the bar.

  ‘What the hell, lady?’

  ‘You bastard!’ she screeches.

  I watch as she winds up. Before I can duck the punch, Phineas’s hand shoots out and grabs the woman’s forearm, stopping her in mid-strike.

  ‘Easy now, honey,’ he says, looking at me with increasing worry. ‘What’s the problem here?’

  ‘What’s the problem?’ she spits back. ‘What’s the problem?’

  The question is rhetorical. Clearly, I’m somehow the problem. The woman wriggles out of Phineas’s grip and pushes him away, giving herself another opportunity to attack. She comes at me with both hands, fingers curled into claws like she’s ready to rip my eyes out. I raise my palms, bracing for her this time, but Ryoko slips between us. With cat-like reflexes she deflects the woman’s assault, ensnaring one of her arms in a kimura before spinning her into the bar with a bang. The woman writhes next to me, her eyes ablaze as Ryoko twists
the arm up her back and pins her against the countertop until security arrives.

  ‘Call the police,’ the woman shrieks. ‘Arrest this man!’

  A bouncer takes over Ryoko’s armlock and glances at Craig, who gives him a quick shake of the head that says there is no need to involve the police.

  ‘Get her out of here,’ Craig orders.

  The woman struggles ferociously in the bouncer’s grip, making him work to keep her subdued. Ryoko and Phineas step forward to offer assistance, but are waved off.

  ‘I got it from here,’ says the bouncer and begins hauling the woman away.

  She doesn’t go easily. The bouncer has to lift her off her feet to make any progress. She kicks wildly, one of her stilettos stabbing into his shin, making him yell and drop her. As soon as she touches the floor she’s out of his grip and running at me again. I catch her by the wrists as she hurls her body at mine.

  ‘Lady,’ I protest, holding her firmly, our faces close enough to kiss. ‘I honestly have no idea who you are.’

  Her eyes search mine frantically. I can see it, the sudden amazement and curiosity in her prying pupils. It’s clear that she has looked into my eyes before, stared into the windows of this soul while I wasn’t home. Her expression softens, somehow realizing from the look on my face that I really don’t know who she is.

  ‘You don’t know what you’ve done,’ she whispers.

  Then she is gone, pulled off of me by Phineas and Ryoko who throw her to another bouncer as he emerges from the surrounding crowd. There is no more fight left in the woman as she is escorted to the front door and tossed out of the joint. Craig signals us over to the bar and nods toward the rear of the Rochester.

  ‘You guys are more than welcome to leave out back,’ Craig says. ‘Might be a good idea to avoid that one out on the street.’

  Everyone is in agreement. We make our way through the kitchen of the Rochester and exit into the cool air of the back alley, all of us strangely turned on by the mix of drinking, flirting and unexpected violence. Our breath is heavy as we walk and talk, though no one speaks of the woman who attacked me. We all know situations like that arise sometimes, come with the territory. Ryoko and Nikki exchange expectant, aroused looks between themselves and us. Both girls’ nipples are hard against their shirts. I have to adjust the crotch of my jeans. Phineas is all smiles. Out on the street, Ryoko is quick to hail a cab for us.

  ‘Whatever happened back there,’ Nikki says, eyeing Ryoko and fanning her face with a hand, ‘that was freaking hot.’

  Phineas pulls me aside for a second before we get into the cab. ‘Hey, you took an HIV vaccine, right?’

  9

  The four of us are flopped on the sofas in my living room, naked bodies beaded with sweat, air smelling of sex and perfume, limbs only recently untangled after nearly an hour tied together. Down-tempo lounge music plays through the apartment. Nikki’s breath still comes rapidly, a lingering effect of her recent orgasms. Ryoko stretches like a cat and licks her lips, still tasting the sweetness of skin on skin, pleased that she had everyone right where she wanted. My tongue aches in the best possible way, my groin even more so. Phineas rests his head on a pillow, staring up at the ceiling with a grin. The level of pleasure experienced was mind-blowing, but it doesn’t hide the fact that it was also escapism, our way to try and outrun personal demons for a mile or two.

  I make my way to the kitchen, find some cognac and pour everyone a nightcap. I don’t want to think, don’t want to let any of my worries weasel their way back into my head. Ryoko runs her fingers up and down our receptionist’s milky thighs. Nikki sighs and playfully kisses Phineas’s rope-like muscles. She grabs my ass as I serve her drink, squeezing me in appreciation. Ryoko slides a hand up to cup Nikki’s breast, her thumb stroking her nipple. They both groan affirmatively, eyes widening, twinkling with deviancy. Everyone’s still in the mood, although we’re almost too tired to do much about it. Nikki rests her head on Phineas’s chest, her tongue flicking its way down to his abs.

  ‘What time will your roommate be back?’ Phineas asks, twirling Nikki’s blonde hair in his fingers.

  ‘Not until dawn,’ I say. ‘But we should call it a night soon. I have to get some sleep.’

  Nikki wants to say something, but her mouth is suddenly full. Phineas moans. Ryoko sips from her tumbler and watches, a sly smile on her face. She gives me that look, inviting me so she can perform as well. I go to her without hesitation. Soon, the girls are spreading the taste of cognac all over us. Then Phineas and I are both on our knees, dripping liquor on them, licking them thank you and goodnight as the ambient music plays on.

  Outside my apartment the activity on the street is still boisterous. Men and women catcall to each other. Cab drivers pip or lean on their horns. Thumping music from car stereos ebbs and flows up and down the blocks. Once in a while there is an angered shout or pained shriek, preceded or followed by brittle things breaking. A car alarm goes off, then another. Two gunshots ring out. Minutes later the wail of a siren sounds. New York has always been the city that never sleeps, but it’s becoming the city that never stops to take a breath. Oxygen deprivation leads to brain damage. You can hear the increasing insanity outside my window almost every night. Exhausted, unable to indulge in each other any more, we lie about and listen, fully aware that our world is worsening. Deep down, I think it terrifies us all. Knowing Craig’s Glock is in the apartment provides me with some small measure of comfort.

  The thought of my impending gig with Winslade creeps into my mind and I urge everyone to drink up. The girls curl up with their cognac on the sofa, sleepy-eyed and speaking low. Phineas rises and walks over to one of the windows, stretching, yawning. He looks out onto Tompkins Square Park and smirks at the shocked people on the street who glance up and notice his naked black body framed by the pane of glass. It isn’t long before he turns his attention to something that makes him squint into the dark. An unimpressed grunt follows.

  ‘See something you don’t like?’ I ask.

  Phineas downs the contents of his tumbler. ‘Drones.’

  ‘They’re here almost every night now.’

  ‘I swear the only true privacy I have any more is when I’m Husking, when I’m under and dreaming.’

  ‘Shit, our clients enjoy more freedoms than we’ll ever know.’

  Phineas grunts again, more disapproving than the first time. He slips away from the window and sits back down beside Ryoko and Nikki, who are already drifting off to sleep. I watch them with envy as their eyelids droop and their heads loll. It’s me who needs sleep most, yet I’m wide awake. I fetch the cognac and pour myself and Phineas a second helping. We don’t say anything for a while, lost in our own thoughts. When Phineas finally speaks, it snaps me out of a trance I wasn’t aware I was in.

  ‘You all right, mate?’

  I shake my head. ‘I’ve been better.’

  ‘What’s on your mind?’

  ‘Just thinking about the woman back at the Rochester.’

  ‘Yeah, I was too. It happens every now and then, running into our recent pasts like that. Some woman came up to me at a restaurant in Brooklyn a couple months back, crying her eyes out, asking me how I could be so heartless.’

  ‘Can’t help wondering what I was involved in,’ I say. ‘What role I played in whatever happened to her …’

  ‘Could have been anything, mate. You know how kinky or cruel clients can be.’

  I swallow hard. ‘She screamed for the police, man. She cried for my arrest.’

  ‘Hell, maybe you flashed her in the park,’ Phineas chuckles. ‘Maybe you took naked pictures of her and posted them online. Maybe you screwed her out of her life savings. Who knows? You can’t burden yourself with it.’

  ‘Why can’t I?’

  Phineas looks me square in the eye. ‘Because it wasn’t you.’

  We Husks pass this excuse around like a joint. It’s not you, it’s them. That’s our motto, our mantra, our rationale to make sure we’re nev
er on the hook for anything. It’s what I told Ryoko yesterday. The same thing I’ll tell another Husk tomorrow or the day after. For the first time I begin to wonder how I can get out of this business. I fantasize about Ryoko and me making an exit, escaping from the likes of Baxter and Winslade and Ichida and Navarette.

  ‘You’re in love with her, aren’t you?’ Phineas says softly.

  ‘Huh?’

  Phineas is looking between me and the woman I realize I’ve been staring at for the last minute. A woman I trust so much that I’ve just shared her with two other people, a woman who deep down I know only I belong to. I can’t hide anything from Phineas, and I don’t try.

  ‘Yes.’

  Phineas looks at me for an almost uncomfortable length of time. In the persisting silence I feel exposed. Love is one hell of a dirty word in our line of work. Most people’s opinions don’t mean shit to me, but his does. Phineas’s lips finally split into a wide, knowing grin.

  ‘I think she might be in love with you too, mate.’

  He leans over and knuckles my bicep, making me grin in return. Nikki stirs from slumber and looks at us with squinty eyes.

  ‘What time is it?’ she asks, rubbing her face.

  ‘About time I took you home and put you to bed, my dear,’ Phineas says, pulling his pants on.

  ‘I’ll call you a cab,’ I say.

  They dress in the near dark while I order a ride. Ryoko opens her eyes long enough to say goodnight before falling asleep among the pillows. Nikki and Phineas both bend down and plant kisses on her cheek. I walk them to the front door and hug them both. Outside, we hear the wail of another police siren.

  ‘Stay safe you two,’ I say, finishing my cognac, feeling a swirl of tiredness.

  Phineas puts on his coat. ‘Tell me, who are you Husking for today?’

  ‘Between us,’ I mumble, ‘it’s Winslade.’

  Phineas stops, shooting me a distasteful glance, his coat hanging awkwardly on his shoulders. Nikki gives me a watered-down version of the same expression, her hands frozen midway on the zipper of her jacket. They share a nervous look between them.