American Pie by Maggie Osborne Page B

Jamie. "Believe me, this ain't the girl for you."
    Jamie's chin firmed. "Yes, she is. I knew it the minute I saw her."
    "Well, you ain't gonna get her. Not while Stefan Kolska is alive. You ain't never going to be on borrowing terms with Stefan and that's regrettable, but that's a pure fact."
    "There was a time, Mr. Gustoffer, when no one thought I could get to America. And here I am. A time when it didn't look as if I could find work. But I did." He reached in his pocket. "I've got two dollars that says Kolska will eventually allow me to see his sister. I won't give up until it happens."
    "Two dollars?" Gustoffer's eyebrows soared. "How much have you been betting on yourself with the books?"
    "Are you willing to wager two dollars?"
    "Hell no, son. It don't take no wall to fall on Henry T. Gustoffer. I lost enough money betting against you, I ain't gonna lose no more." He grinned, waved, then turned into a side street.
    Jamie continued along Broadway for another block, then cut toward his new lodging house. It wasn't fancy, he hadn't won that much money. For three dollars a week he received breakfast and a cold supper, and shared a room with only one other man who worked the night shift at the Chatham Street El station. That's where Jamie slept; he lived for the moments he saw Lucie.
    The next day when he realized he was listening for the noon whistle and waiting for his first glimpse of her, he remembered what Gustoffer had said about everyone on the site being aware of the long silent looks he exchanged with Lucie Kolska. He warned himself to be more discreet, but when he saw her pert straw hat appear over the rim of the pit, his mouth dried and his spirits soared. Just the sight of her was balm to his aching back and blistered hands. She refreshed him in a way nothing else could.
    At some point before she departed each day, she managed to send him a secret smile and today was no different. He stared up at her and read volumes into that single wonderful smile. He believed she was telling him that he was never further from her thoughts than she was from his. Yesterday her smile had spoken of pride in his staying power and he had returned to his shovel with renewed vigor. The day before her smile had turned tender with sympathy for his raw sun-burn. Always her smile gave him hope for the future. He could not see that lovely sweet smile and doubt that someday they would be together.
    Today after Lucie departed and Gustoffer shouted them back to the shovels, he crossed the pit and forced a place for himself beside Stefan Kolska. Matching the heavier man scoop for shovel scoop, he worked in silence for several minutes, rehearsing his approach. It was pointless to request permission to call on Lucie until they settled the bad blood between them.
    Stopping work, Jamie straightened and looked at Kolska. "Gustoffer made the choice, Kolska. I didn't."
    Stefan dug his shovel into the dirt with savage force, refusing to acknowledge he was being addressed.
    "It was luck and desperation, that's all. In any other circumstance, you would have won." He was flattered that Kolska did not seem to believe him, but he knew it was the truth. "It's over. There's no reason you and I can't be friends."
    Finally Kolska straightened and glared at him. His dark eyes glittered with loathing. Beads of sweat clung to his heavy mustache and eyebrows. "Ordinarily I'm not a fighting man, Kelly, but anytime you want a rematch, you just say the word. I'm ready."
    Jamie stared at him, seeing Lucie in Stefan's thin nose and beautiful dark eyes. "I have no quarrel with you. No wish to fight again."
    The muscles in Kolska's jaw knotted. His knuckles turned white on the shovel's handle. "Get out of my sight, Kelly, before I take you on right now and cost both of us our jobs."
    Someone nearby laughed and Jamie swore he heard Lucie's name mentioned. He didn't have much time to put things right. As it seemed he would end in another fist fight no matter what, he decided