by Nina Loard
“Here you go. I see you’re on the mend. I best be pushing off.” He handed me the cup and brushed his hands together.
“Are you sure?” I hated to see him go. We had been through a lot together over the past two days. I stood to walk him to the door just the same.
“I think it best if I do. There’s a certain ire that comes over an Irishman after a fight,” he said jokingly with an exaggerated brogue. “A hotel room with you may not be the most prudent choice for me.” The wild glint in his eyes gave his meaning away. I felt my cheeks blush crimson. “However, before I go, I’d like to welcome you back… properly.” He stared down at me, placing his hands on my shoulders. His fine features were drawn tight. He was struggling with something.
Whatever reservation he felt melted away as he pulled me close against him. I could feel his warm exhale through my hair, his firm hands sliding across my back. I moved my arms up further and held on tight around his neck. Despite the smokers at the pub, he smelled fresh, like stone after a hard rain. I couldn’t help but inhale his scent again as the tip of my nose passed softly across his neck before I rested my head against his shoulder. After rocking us both, back and forth, he pulled away slowly, looking into my eyes. I was confused by the emotions streaming through me. Between the threat of a fight and the closeness we were sharing, I was completely rattled.
“I’ve been waiting to do that.” He smiled, but it didn’t erase the longing in his eyes. Taking his cue, I unlocked my arms and took a difficult step back. The pull between us was stronger than I’d felt to any other person in my memory. “I hadn’t gotten a chance before. My progress was slowed by you thinking that I was an axe murderer.” He laughed and I slowly relaxed.
“Well, you can’t blame me for being a little cautious.” I tried to be casual too, but he was better at it.
“Sleep well, Evelyn. Thank you for saving my ass this night.” He took my hand, bowing with a pretend formality. As I opened the door for him, he told me he’d meet up with us tomorrow after breakfast. He wanted to show me Ari’s house. He bent to kiss the top of my head, then slowly strode down the hall. Despite the warring emotions within me, one truth was clear: Fintan Edwards, whoever he was, was someone to me.
Chapter 8. The Take
“Do you want another espresso?” Bounce asked as she downed her third.
“Sure.” I moved to get up, but she was already at the counter. Alfredo, the cook, looked over again at me and waved vigorously. I waved back again, wishing for a second time that Bounce had warned me someone might know me.
Dura Vita was a coffee house on The Strand in London near the Thames River. Its urban atmosphere was offset by the eclectic art for purchase and the thick, billowy couches and leather barrel chairs scattered about in conversational settings. Not surprisingly, it was filled to the brim with college students and local workers anxious for their first cup of the day.
I’d woken up restless so I showered and called Bounce, hoping my early wasn’t too early for her. She had answered on the first ring. About thirty minutes later, Edwin, the concierge, called to let me know she’d arrived. I stepped outside the hotel, looking for her curls in one of the nearby cars. Instead, she waved me over to a lemon-lime colored Vespa. Her curls were flattened down by a matching mini helmet.
“Put this on and hop on the back,” she instructed as she handed me a spare.
“Nice scooter,” I commented as I tried to figure out the helmeting process.
“Thanks, it’s the GTS 300 Super.” She looked to me for some recognition. I tilted my head and gave it a once over to look impressed. It didn’t look like the most comfortable way to travel, but she moved forward and the seat was ample enough for me. We were off, and the parts where I was brave enough to watch were exhilarating. Bounce careened through traffic like she did people on the sidewalk. I held onto her tighter than I’d ever held a woman. I had to admit, the scooter certainly beat being stuck in London gridlock. Once we got to the restaurant, we disembarked and she patted it affectionately between the handlebars.
“It’s my contribution to saving the environment. Well, here we are — anything?” She took our helmets and secured them, looking at me hopefully.
“Anything what?” I answered back.
“This is where we met. Let’s go in.” She took my hand and led me through the doors. I inspected the place hoping I could make her day, but nothing looked familiar. I was impressed as we stood in line to place our order. The café made my every day Starbucks visit look more like a McDonald’s drive-thru experience. I didn’t remember it, but I could see myself as a patron easily.
While I waited on my second espresso, I listened to the acoustic guitar music piped through the place and closed my eyes to let it ground me. My goal for the day was to understand the role I had played in everything. I had been assured that no harm would come to me, so I felt I could ask the tougher questions.
“Here you go. I got us some pumpkin bread also. It’s really good here.” Bounce put down the two espressos and two plates she expertly balanced on her arms.
“What does Dura Vita mean?” I asked as I broke off a corner of my bread.
“It’s a play on all the Dolce Vitas out there. It means something like hard life in Italian, not sweet. I’m not sure it is an actual translation. Ari’s uncle owns them.”
“How many other Dura Vitas are there?”
“Three. The other one here is in Knightsbridge and one in Paris.”
“So, how did you and I actually meet?” I settled in, waiting for a long story as to how our obviously close friendship took root.
“Well, in all honesty, Raven stole your purse.” Bounce shifted in her chair, smiling to herself.
“What?” I laughed.
“Yeah, she’s more controlled now than she used to be, but still pretty compulsive. You were sitting at the high tops along the windows, as you did every day. I used to come here all the time too, we all did. You brought books with you, but all you really did was stare out the window. You were always alone.” Her description sounded about right. “Anyway, I liked you. When people in line were mean to this young girl that worked at the counter in the mornings, which they inevitably were because she wasn’t the brightest, you always tried to cheer her up. I don’t do well with rude people, either.
“Not long after that, you were going about your business when Raven came in. I watched her scope the crowd with that look of hers and I told her to behave. I went to get a refill and when I got back she had your purse over her shoulder. It took several minutes of tugging to get her to give it back to me. I went over to you and let you know it had dropped from your chair, hoping you would keep a better eye on it. She isn’t one to give up once a target is acquired. When I went back to her to tell her to back off, she was going through your wallet. At that, I kicked her out and took it back to you, saying it must have fallen out. You were very thankful.” Bounce took my purse off the back of my chair and put it on the table as a lesson.
“We started hanging out here at night, sometimes for the live sets, or we’d sneak into clubs or some plays. We must have seen Les Misérables five times. You were desperate for adventure. It was all you talked about. You were planning to backpack through Europe alone. The thought of you out there on your own made me nervous. You’d have been stripped of everything you had in a week. You weren’t super skilled when it came to self-preservation. Anyway, I told you about Raven and what she’d done to you. I convinced you that travelling alone all over Europe might be something to think about more. Not long after that, you discovered we were into more than just purse snatching.”
“How did I discover it?”
“I’m guilty there. Maybe I wanted you to know. Regardless, you were at my flat and wanted to borrow a pair of sneakers since we were going to walk the Thames that afternoon. You pulled the wrong bag out of my closet. I didn’t have the heart to try and make up some elaborate lie. Loose gems and stacks of money are hard to explain away. I hadn’t gotte
n to my safe deposit box yet. From there, you knew, so we kind of had to bring you in. You eventually dropped out of school and moved in with me. You were smart, completely independent, and dying for some excitement. Ari signed off on you knowing more, so we went from there.”
I sat soaking it all in. It felt familiar, spending all my time alone, the longing to do something adventurous and live a different life. That was me for sure. I’d had friends growing up, but they were more like decoration than an actual support group. They went with the life I had, like I could've been a completely different person and they'd have still been there, having lunch with the imposter. It was mostly my fault. When my dad died I felt a distinct break inside. Not one that would mend in time, but a no-hope-for-repair, shards everywhere kind of shattering. I wasn't as fun as everyone wanted me to be after that. I could see how a good friend with an interesting alter ego could have been a catalyst for me.
“Ari signed off?” That was the part that had surprised me.
“I told you about my being a thief, but it was up to Ari what we did from there. Not like we were going to off you or anything. We just weren’t sure we were recruiting any new talent, so to speak. He seemed to like you. Everyone did once you started hanging out with us. I guess Ari thought it was safer to have you involved than out on your own, knowing I had committed a robbery.”
“Well, it feels good to know the beginning at least. I still don’t understand exactly what we did or how.”
“You will. I think Finn is going to join us soon, and we can take a look at the bat cave.”
“Bat cave?” She couldn’t be serious.
“It’s just a joke. We give Ari a hard time with the Batman comments. It’s not a cave.” I didn’t join in the laughter. It was hard for me to see Ari as someone anyone joked about. I turned to look out the window, as I apparently had done many mornings before. All the people shuffling off to their busy lives — I wondered if any of them had ever discovered their best friends were thieves.
“What kind of gems did I found in your bag?”
“Six big rubies that we split as a welcome to the team — three of them you were reintroduced to just a couple days ago. How did your mom like the car?” Apparently, the rubies had been the jewelry version of my gateway drug.
“The BMW arrived after my accident. We all just assumed I’d sent it to myself.” I clarified, trying not to feel selfish. “Do you know why I stashed them in my car?” I was having a hard time understanding my motivation for many things.
“Yes, you were going to pay your mother back part of your tuition during your visit home. We have a good contact in New York that was going to take a look at them and give you a good price. You had your trust fund money, but you said giving your mother money from your father seemed ridiculous.” I nodded in response, even more aware that Bounce and I must have known each other well. I glanced out the window and recognized the gray Mercedes that pulled up to the café. Finn jumped out and strode through the doors. It was disconcerting how happy I was to see him. I felt Bounce watching me with interest.
“Looks like our ride is here.” I turned to her, trying to downplay my enthusiasm.
“Good morning, Ladies. Anything familiar, Evy?” Finn inquired. I debated telling them about my reaction to Ari before, but I wasn’t sure how to explain it. I remembered your friend’s eyes and they scared the crap out of me, felt like something that would just spur more questions. I resolved that I would wait until something more concrete surfaced.
“Nothing yet, but I do like the coffee here.”
“I’ll be right back. I want to go put my scooter in the back. I’ll meet you guys in the car.” Bounce was off and I focused on finishing my breakfast. So, I’d hung out in a coffee house. It seemed likely since I still did that regularly. I imagined Bounce and I sitting together, plotting our next crime, surrounded by all these people in the heart of London. Shockingly, it painted a happy picture for me. It felt almost like standing beside Jasper on a hectic day at the hotel, checking in guests and planning happy hour at the Pearl, except for the illegal activity.
“Are you ready, or can I get you anything to go?” Finn captured my attention, standing over me at the table as he bit into his apple. In the same moment, a pretty barista brought him his coffee directly instead of calling out his name. He thanked her with a wink, causing her to smile wide.
“No, I’m good. Thanks. How’s your stomach?” I got up and walked over to throw out my cup, thinking his effect on the female population should be studied.
“Tender, but otherwise okay. Don’t forget this.” Finn snatched up my forgotten purse and handed it to me as we walked out to the car. No Name emerged and opened my car door for me. I smiled in greeting and slid into the all black leather interior. Finn came to the center next to me and Bounce joined us soon after.
“What’s his name?” I asked quickly before No Name could make it back to the front.
“That’s Derek. He isn’t a talker,” Bounce explained. With his dark coloring and black uniform, he looked like he melted into his seat as he poured his lengthy self behind the wheel. Finn advised him that we were going to Ari’s.
“Where do you both live?” I asked as Derek pulled away from the curb. Sitting so close to Finn and hearing about my past relationship with Bounce made it important for me to understand the present day circumstances. Was Finn someone’s husband and she thought he was out working as a banker or something? Maybe Bounce had a family somewhere as well.
“I live with Raven in her townhouse in Notting Hill right now,” Bounce answered.
“So, you don’t have any family or kids or anything?” It was hard to picture Bounce alone — she was so full of life.
“No, my mother killed herself not long after my father went back to Trinidad. I never heard from him again. No kids or husband. I was living with a guy, but it didn’t work out. That’s why I’m with Raven.”
“I’m sorry about your parents… your mother.” Despite her very positive personality, I should have guessed there was some darkness in her past.
“Thanks. I was young and barely remember either of them. My brother and I lived with my grandmother until she died. My brother raised me, basically. Anyway, Finn lives on a boat out at the marina or stays at Ari’s place some. Brinks lives in one of the apartments above Dura Vita. Ari’s uncle owns the building.”
“So, no wife and baby waiting on you anywhere?” I asked Finn. The second I said it I wanted to kick myself. What if there was, or it was also some tragic tale that would be hard for him to talk about? I had already gone there with Bounce. I scolded myself for rarely thinking before speaking.
“No, no wife or baby… that I’m aware of.” He laughed, looking straight ahead. Oh, thank God, I thought. I wasn’t sure I could’ve kept a poker face if he’d pulled out wallet photos. I was increasingly aware of how warm Finn’s body was where it was pressing against my own. I was sure there were other very important questions to ask, but I was fighting the dominant urge to move in closer to him. He kept his eyes straight ahead, but he never moved to give me more room, despite what little Bounce took up on her side. Instead of more fact-finding, I settled for basking in the moment.
Too soon we slowed to turn into a driveway barely visible from the road. Iron gates churned to life and allowed us to pass. The drive was covered in small, cream-colored stones that crunched as we passed over them. Beyond the large boxwoods, a modern home came into view. It was a symphony of wood, steel, concrete, and glass. It was not what I was expecting from the “bat cave” reference, or from my first impression of Ari. However, it did remind me of Dura Vita, so his family must like something about contemporary design.
Inside the spacious home, the floors throughout were light wood and gleaming. As we walked through, Finn named the different rooms and turned on lights to give me a look. Impressive artwork was lit by recessed lighting and hung on professionally textured, neutral walls. If it weren’t for the furniture, you could easily think
you were in a gallery. The art provided all the color in the house. All else was varying shades of beige and white. There were no people in the art, I noticed, mostly still life, land and seascapes. The entire back wall of the house was glass and looked out onto the rectangular pool off to the left and the manicured grounds beyond.
The idea of seeing Ari’s home had made me think I might learn more about him. There was no chance of that based on the tour. The huge kitchen was empty of even a box of spaghetti, though I didn’t look in the refrigerator out of politeness. The absence of character told me something about him, at least. He didn’t know himself or he didn’t want anyone else to. The upstairs were bedrooms and Finn asked if I wanted to take a look. It felt creepy to skulk around in Ari’s private quarters, so I declined.
“Well, that’s the main part of the house. Ari has parties here sometimes. He has to keep his image up. He’s pretty well known in fashionable circles.” Finn was trying to be a good tour guide. It had turned into a warmer day than expected for London in December. I slid open the glass door leading out onto the pool patio and sat in one of the well-cushioned armchairs around the outdoor dining table. Finn and Bounce followed, joining me as I looked out onto the grounds.
“So, since this all started with Ari, can you tell me more about him? Something other than he doesn’t want me here?”
“Right, well, not one of us has a fairy tale to tell, just so you know,” Finn responded with a sardonic smile.
“Yes, but I really want to understand.”
Finn nodded. “Ari’s mother was one of the gypsies who lived in Blackheath, outside Lewisham. She was taking jobs as a seamstress in London, where she met a man that got her pregnant. It was a short-lived romance. She and the rest of her family raised Ari. She became a virtual outcast from some of the more traditional families and had a hard time making ends meet. What little they had was from his uncle, through the hard work he did as a day laborer and cook for a tavern. Ari and some of the other kids would go into the city on the train and spend the weekends robbing tourists for extra cash.