All the kids (luckily, there weren’t that many of them that early in the morning) stared.
* * * * *
The morning was its usual madness.
I called my doctor to make an appointment to discuss birth control because I was done with the condom business. There might be ways to make it fun but Vance and I were kind of active (okay, really active) and spontaneous and enough was enough.
My cell rang mid-morning. The display said “Crowe calling”.
I flipped it open. “Hey,” I said.
“Got time for lunch?”
I didn’t and that sucked. “Not really,” I told him.
“I’ll bring something to the Shelter.”
I smiled into the phone. “That’d work.”
“See you around noon.”
My pug gave me a sleepy, puppy cuddle.
“Okay,” I said.
I went in search of Martin and Curtis and hustled them into the yellow room. It was time to get to the bottom of why they’d run away so I could start fixing it but even though I knew I had their respect, they gave me nothing.
We walked out of the yellow room and one of the tutors, Stuart, was coming at me. The boys took off. Most of the kids avoided the tutors like the plague.
“Hey Stu,” I said.
“Got a problem,” he told me. “Roam and Sniff had an appointment with me yesterday and today, they missed them both.”
Hmm.
Not good.
Roam seemed all fired up to get an education so he could become a badass mother. Clearly he’d lost interest when he thought Vance was out of my life.
“I’ll take care of it,” I said to Stu and I went in search of the boys.
Not stupid, they knew I’d come after them and I caught them making their getaway. I cornered them outside in front of the building.
“You missed two tutor appointments,” I said to them.
“What of it?” Roam asked, all lip and attitude.
“You need to get caught up so we can enroll you in high school, get a foster home sorted, get your life sorted.”
“Life’s good,” Sniff put in, in an attempt to assure me they knew what they were doing.
My eyes sliced to him and the look in them made him clamp his mouth shut for once.
I looked back to Roam. “I thought you wanted to get your diploma.”
“Don’t matter now,” Roam said to me.
“I don’t think you understand, what happened with me and Crowe –” I started.
“I understand, Law, you know I fuckin’ do. Can’t trust no-fuckin’-body. You think they’re cool, got it goin’ on and you find out they’re just assholes. Everyone’s a fuckin’ asshole.”
Hmm.
Really not good.
I got closer. “Roam –” I started again but to my shock (and it must be said, supreme annoyance), he put both hands to my shoulders and shoved me hard. I went back on a foot and then steadied.
“Fuck off, Law,” he clipped.
“Hang on a goddamned minute,” I snapped but I’d lost his attention. His already tense body froze and he was looking over my shoulder.
I looked too.
Vance was there not a foot behind me. How he’d materialized, I did not know. I hadn’t heard him or sensed him but I couldn’t worry about that at the moment. Vance’s face was hard and set, his eyes were scary and his mouth was tight. I’d never seen him look that angry, in fact the word angry didn’t begin to do it justice.
“What the fuck?” Vance’s eyes flashed on Roam.
“What are you doin’ here?” Sniff asked.
Vance didn’t take his gaze off Roam. “I said,” Vance went on, his deep voice quiet, pure silk but not in a good way, “what the fuck?”
Roam brought himself up to full height which was an inch taller than Crowe but he still looked like a boy. Crowe didn’t move from behind me and I could feel the white-hot vibes crackling between them.
Roam didn’t answer.
“Never,” Vance continued in his scary voice, “do you put your hands on a woman in anger.”
All of a sudden I was finding it difficult to breathe, realizing belatedly why Vance looked ready to commit murder. Roam swallowed, his eyes darted to me then went back to Vance but he kept his position, his guard up and his mouth shut.
“Okay boys –” I decided it was time to cut in.
Vance didn’t agree. “I see you do that again, I hear you did it, I’ll find you and knock some goddamned sense into you,” Vance warned and I knew it wasn’t a threat and I suspected so did Roam. “Now’s the time when you nod your head,” Vance went on.
Roam decided to play with fire. “Don’t see why it’s your fuckin’ business. You dumped her.”
Uh-oh.
“Roam, there’s been a –” I started again, and got interrupted again.
Roam continued talking. “Thought you were the shit. Thought you knew a good thing. Thought you knew everything. You don’t know nothin’. You threw away a piece like that?” Roam’s head jerked in my direction. “You’re an asshole.”
Yikes.
“Roam,” Sniff said in a cautionary tone. Even Sniff knew Roam was carrying it too far.
“Okay, listen to me right now –” I put in only to be thwarted again.
“I have another rule,” Vance talked over me, his voice was still scary however now it was scary-scary and I knew he was just hanging on to his control, “you call Jules a piece again and you’ll be sucking your meals through a straw. I don’t care if you’re a kid.”
Roam looked from me to Vance and back again and opened his mouth to say something but luckily Vance got there before he dug his hole any deeper.
“Only reason I don’t put my hands on you right now is because you’re pissed on Jules’s behalf. We had a misunderstanding. I didn’t dump her. We’re together, nothing’s changed, except the fact that I was gonna find you and offer you some time. You want that time, see what I do, understand why you have to be smart, you learn some goddamned control.”
Roam’s face changed, confusion warring with hope.
My face probably changed too mainly because Vance just offered to take Roam under his wing. I was finding it hard not to turn to him and kiss every inch of his beautiful face.
“You’re still together?” Roam asked.
“Yeah,” Vance answered.
“Hey! Cool!” Sniff exclaimed.
“You didn’t dump her?” Roam went on.
Vance didn’t bother responding.
Roam looked at me. “Why didn’t you fuckin’ say anything?” he asked or more like accused and I knew he felt like a fool.
“Sorry, Roam. I didn’t know I needed to inform you of the intricacies of my love life. I’ll add your name to my girlfriend list and invite you to the next powwow,” I said it full of attitude, hopefully loving attitude, and went on. “And for fuck’s sake, stop saying fuck!”
The confusion faded from Roam’s eyes, leaving only the hope.
He turned them to Vance. “I’ll learn control,” he promised.
“I fuckin’ hope so,” Vance responded.
“It won’t happen again.”
Vance nodded.
The crackling, white-hot vibes disintegrated.
Crisis averted.
Thank God.
“Go make an appointment with the tutor,” I ordered.
“This mean I’ll get to be a pall bearer?” Sniff put in.
I looked to the heavens.
Jeez.
“Ring bearer, stupid. How many times do I hafta –” Roam started.
“Tutor! Now!” I snapped in my word-is-law voice.
Sniff grinned at me.
Roam didn’t but his eyes were shining. “Later?” he said to Vance.
Vance nodded again.
They took off.
I turned to Vance.
He didn’t look ready to commit murder anymore. He was staring at the front door of King’s where Roam and Sniff ha
d disappeared and he looked like he was thinking about something.
“You okay?” I asked.
His eyes came to me. “That boy’d lay his life down for you.”
I blinked.
Then I realized he was right. Not a lot of people would throw attitude at Vance like that especially when he was promising physical retribution.
I felt that velvet shroud coming around me again and I mentally snuggled into it.
I looked at his empty hands. “I thought you were bringing lunch?”
“I left it in the Explorer. Saw you with Roam and Sniff and didn’t have a good feeling about the body language.”
He’d come to my rescue.
“I want to kiss you right now,” I blurted.
Oh jeez.
Why did I say that?
Before I could take it back or affect a head crackin’ mamma jamma pose, Vance’s face went soft and sexy and his arms came around me, drawing me into his body.
“Don’t,” I said, “we’re standing right out front, everyone can see. I already had a public display of affection with May this morning. I can’t take another direct hit to my street cred.”
His head was descending, completely ignoring me.
“Your street cred?” he asked, his voice silk again this time in a good way. His eyes were amused.
“Yeah.”
“Fuck your street cred,” Vance said against my mouth and he kissed me. Not a touch of the lips but full-on, open mouths, lots of tongue. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck and when I did, he leaned in, I bent back and we went at it like teenagers.
It took awhile for the cat calls and wolf whistles to penetrate our invisible fortress. It was around the time a kid yelled, “You go, dawg!” that I pulled away.
Vance and I looked to the entrance of the Shelter and at least a dozen (maybe more), kids were standing outside the door. May was there beaming from ear to ear. More kids, Stu and Andy were looking out the windows.
We received an ovation, more whistles, cat calls, shouts of raunchy encouragement and full-on clapping applause.
“God dammit,” I whispered to Vance’s neck, trying to pull out of his arms but they just went tighter.
“I think that should do it,” he said to me and I looked into his eyes.
“What?”
“Don’t expect anyone will think you’re dumped anymore.”
Oh.
Well.
I expected he was right.
I relaxed in his arms and smiled at him, street cred be damned.
He smiled back.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Toiletries and Tiaras
This was my afternoon and evening:
About ten minutes after Vance left from lunch came call number one, Indy. “Hey, what’re you doin’ tonight?”
“I have to go to the mall,” I told her. “Vance made me leave my lotion and stuff at his house so I need to double up on toiletries.”
“That is so cool!” she shouted so loud I had to take the phone away from my ear.
“Um… you want to come to the mall?” I asked.
“Wish I could celebrate doubled toiletries but I’m meeting a couple of friends of mine, Andrea and Marianne at The Hornet. Want to pop around there after the mall, have a drink? They’d love to meet you and we can toast the toiletries. Or are you out with Vance?”
“Vance has an uncertain schedule tonight,” I explained. “He’s gonna come to my place whenever he’s done. I’m thinking about going out and crackin’ heads later anyway. Probably shouldn’t have impaired judgment.”
Or more impaired than normal.
Indy laughed. “Probably not.”
“Um…” I hesitated again, “did you ever double up on toiletries with Lee?”
“Negative, sister,” she replied, “I moved in with him the first night we were together, kind of.”
“Wow,” I whispered.
“I know,” she said. Then she giggled then for some strange reason I giggled too.
About an hour before leaving work came call number two, Jet. “Hey, what’re you doing for Thanksgiving?”
Something felt funny in my belly, not exactly the flutter, something else, a flutter mixed with a whoosh of happiness. This was because I was hoping I’d be spending Thanksgiving with Nick and Vance and that would be cool.
“I don’t know,” I told her.
“Well, Eddie and I are going to Eddie’s Mom, Blanca’s house and since Mom and Tex are together, he and Mom are coming and since Tex is Roxie’s uncle, she and Hank are coming and since Ally is Hank’s sister, Ally and Hank’s parents are coming. Blanca asked me to ask you if you, Vance and Nick want to come.”
“I’ll have to ask Vance and Nick.”
“Okay, let me know. Eddie and I are going over there for dinner tonight so just give me a ring.”
“Cool,” I said then, “um… Jet?”
“Yeah?”
“Vance asked me to leave my lotion and stuff at his place this morning.”
“That is so cool!” she shouted.
I grinned at the phone. “Did you ever double up on toiletries with Eddie?” I asked. “One set for his place, one set for yours?”
“No. Didn’t have to do that. I moved in with Eddie after a few days and never moved out.”
Yikes.
What was it with these guys?
I was heading to the mall when call number three came, Daisy. “Hey Sugar. What’s shakin’?”
“I’m on my way to the mall,” I told her. “Vance said to leave my lotion and stuff at his house so I’m doubling up on toiletries.”
“That is so cool!” she shouted.
I started laughing.
I flipped the phone shut after listening to Daisy telling me about how her masseuse was coming that night. It was only after I hung up that I realized I’d just talked to a drug dealing, gun running, pimp’s wife and I had no problem with that.
None at all.
How weird was that?
Call number four came about five minutes after Daisy. It was Tod.
“Girlie! You’re doubling up on toiletries?”
Someone was obviously talking and that someone was either a redhead, a platinum blonde or a honey blonde. I was guessing platinum or Daisy.
“That calls for champagne!” Tod screeched. “I’m getting on a flight as we speak and Stevie’s in Baltimore. We’re both back in a couple of days and then we’re having a Toiletries and Tiaras party.”
By the way, when Tod wasn’t a drag queen both Stevie and Tod were flight attendants.
“Toiletries and Tiaras?” I asked.
“Everything goes with tiaras, girlie.”
There you go.
Call number five came when I was in Bath and Body Works at Cherry Creek Mall. It was Roxie.
“Daisy says you’re at the mall.” Her tone sounded accusatory.
“Um, yeah. Vance told me to leave my lotion –” I started to say.
“I know, I know. Why didn’t you call and tell me you were going to the mall?” she asked then didn’t give me time answer. “I’ll meet you outside the MAC store in fifteen minutes. We’ll shop, then get pizza at California Pizza Kitchen and we’ll gab.” Again, she didn’t let me answer, she disconnected.
Roxie and I were browsing in the underwear section of Nordstrom’s when call number six came, Ally. “Hey chickie. What’s this I hear about leaving your lotion at Vance’s?”
I gave her the lowdown.
“That is so cool!” she yelled then, “listen, I’m working a shift at Brother’s.” Ally, I’d found out the other night, was a bartender at My Brother’s Bar when she wasn’t working at Fortnum’s, “come over, I’ll buy you a drink to celebrate.”
“Can’t. Roxie and I are at the mall. We’re looking at undies then we’re getting a pizza. Anyway, Tod is going to have a Toiletries and Tiaras party in a couple of days,” I said.
“Works for me,” All replied, clearly always up for
any kind of party.
I was buying three new silky, lacy and satiny underwear sets when call number seven came, Vance.
“Where are you?” he asked, not taking my instruction in common civility that you should identify yourself, he launched right in with macho-speak.
“Buying underwear at Nordstrom’s with Roxie.”
Silence.
“Vance?”
“Give me a minute, Princess.”
“Why?”
“I’m enjoying a mental picture.”
I grinned at the phone. “Still your mind, Crowe, and tell me why you called.”
“Lee tells me you’re goin’ out tonight.”
“How did he…?” I started.
This time, I figured it was the redhead who had the big mouth, Indy.
Jeez.
“Yeah, I’m thinking about it,” I said.
“I’m caught up in something. I can’t take your back.”
“That’s okay.”
More silence for a beat and then, “It’s not okay. I don’t want you on the streets without someone doin’ backup.”
“Crowe, I’ve been doing this alone for months.”
“You’re not doin’ it alone anymore.”
Again the macho-speak.
“Crowe –”
“I’ll ask around, get one of the guys to ride with you.”
“Crowe –” I started again but I heard the disconnect.
“God dammit!” I shouted at my dead phone.
“What?” Roxie asked.
“Vance is arranging for someone to ride with me tonight even though I’m perfectly fine going it alone. I mean, I did flip a drug dealer onto his back and nearly shot another one in the foot not a week ago and two nights ago, on my own, I dropped a pimp and two of his whores!” I snapped.
The customer service representative who was ringing up my sexy, silky, lacy, satiny delicate, pretty, girlie underwear gasped.
Roxie’s gaze swung to her then back to me and she giggled.
Then she said, “Ask Uncle Tex. He’s dying for some action.”
This was true, he was. But Tex was a little scary. Tex had an old gym bag full of tear gas at the ready. Tex, I thought, was not a good idea.
“I don’t think –” I started but she was already hitting the green button on her phone.
“Uncle Tex? It’s Roxie, listen Jules needs someone to ride with her tonight…”
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