glasses against his eyelids. “Never say that, Telly. You are the smartest guy I know. I’m patient, and I’m willing to wait for the rest of the world to realize it!”
Telly took her hand. “Come home with me, Gretchen,” he said urgently. He had a bad feeling. He didn’t want her going into the bar. “Don’t go in there.”
“Stop. There’s a fight this week in town. There’ll be a lot of customers tonight. What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” Telly looked at the ground, feeling silly. They stood together at the back door near the nasty-smelling garbage. “What time do you get off?”
A red mustang pulled in, spraying gravel everywhere. It jerked to a stop, and Gretchen’s boss got out. Rob Couts had a bullet-shaped shaved head, with beefy arms that reminded Telly of Popeye. In fact, that was what Telly called him, at least at home. He was short, but he walked with his hands fisted in a determined stride. He stepped from his car, his beady eyes moving down Gretchen’s body, and briefly glanced in Telly’s direction. “What’s up, Radio?”
“It’s Telly,” he replied, feeling the hairs go up on his neck.
“I know. I feel funny saying it. Hi, Gretch, you ready for tonight?” He turned to Gretchen, his voice a gravelly caress.
Gretchen’s shoulders hunched. “I’m not on for another fifteen minutes,” she replied. Telly watched her shrink before his eyes. He reached out to take her fingers loosely within his own. The air felt weighted; an electric current of tension sizzled in the hot air. A cat meowed, breaking the silence.
“You the poker player?”
“I like to play, yes,” Telly said defensively.
“Yeah, I bet you’re a regular Phil Hellmuth.” Rob looked him up and down and then dismissed him. “So I’ll see you at the Series, right?”
“The Series?” Telly asked.
“Yeah, doofus. The Series. If you play, you gotta play in that.”
“Of course—but I…I think we may have another commitment, right, Gretch?”
Gretchen nodded mutely, her eyes wide. She did not like Rob Couts. Rob stayed longer than he should have, even though he saw Gretchen slide her hand inside Telly’s. He looked at their clasped hands and said quietly, “I think it’s time for you to leave, Radio.”
Gretchen squeezed his hand and said loudly, “Not yet,” staring the other man down.
The couple appeared to be having a private moment, but Rob stood watching them. He hawked once, spitting a glob of mucus toward the trash. “If you change your commitments, I’ll see you at the Series. Thirteen minutes left,” he said abruptly, pushing through them to go inside. He had wide shoulders and wore short-sleeved shirts so you could see the veining on his muscled arms. Telly felt like a gawky kid next to him. Telly straightened his shoulders, but Rob had already dismissed him. He looked at her, trying to catch her eyes in the moonlight. “I’m going for the cab job first thing tomorrow. Are you uncomfortable here? Don’t go in.”
“It’s silly. You know I like my job. He’s just got a crush on me this week. He’ll move on to Jana next week.”
“I don’t like the way he was looking at you.”
For the first time, his mild-mannered girlfriend bristled. “You think I can’t take care of myself? I’ve been on my own since I was seventeen, Telly. I can take care of myself.”
“I never doubted that, Gretch,” Telly said honestly. He loved her independence. Gretchen had reunited with her mother just recently, after a lifetime of foster care. Her mother had spent Gretchen’s youth in a haze of alcohol abuse and drug addiction.
“Go home, Tel. I’ll be back by five.” She turned toward the door.
Telly reached into his pocket, opening his wallet to pull out a thinly folded ten-dollar bill. It was his emergency cash. When he’d first gotten his license, his mother had given it to him and insisted that he keep it behind his ID card so he would never be without money. He had never
Telly took her hand. “Come home with me, Gretchen,” he said urgently. He had a bad feeling. He didn’t want her going into the bar. “Don’t go in there.”
“Stop. There’s a fight this week in town. There’ll be a lot of customers tonight. What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” Telly looked at the ground, feeling silly. They stood together at the back door near the nasty-smelling garbage. “What time do you get off?”
A red mustang pulled in, spraying gravel everywhere. It jerked to a stop, and Gretchen’s boss got out. Rob Couts had a bullet-shaped shaved head, with beefy arms that reminded Telly of Popeye. In fact, that was what Telly called him, at least at home. He was short, but he walked with his hands fisted in a determined stride. He stepped from his car, his beady eyes moving down Gretchen’s body, and briefly glanced in Telly’s direction. “What’s up, Radio?”
“It’s Telly,” he replied, feeling the hairs go up on his neck.
“I know. I feel funny saying it. Hi, Gretch, you ready for tonight?” He turned to Gretchen, his voice a gravelly caress.
Gretchen’s shoulders hunched. “I’m not on for another fifteen minutes,” she replied. Telly watched her shrink before his eyes. He reached out to take her fingers loosely within his own. The air felt weighted; an electric current of tension sizzled in the hot air. A cat meowed, breaking the silence.
“You the poker player?”
“I like to play, yes,” Telly said defensively.
“Yeah, I bet you’re a regular Phil Hellmuth.” Rob looked him up and down and then dismissed him. “So I’ll see you at the Series, right?”
“The Series?” Telly asked.
“Yeah, doofus. The Series. If you play, you gotta play in that.”
“Of course—but I…I think we may have another commitment, right, Gretch?”
Gretchen nodded mutely, her eyes wide. She did not like Rob Couts. Rob stayed longer than he should have, even though he saw Gretchen slide her hand inside Telly’s. He looked at their clasped hands and said quietly, “I think it’s time for you to leave, Radio.”
Gretchen squeezed his hand and said loudly, “Not yet,” staring the other man down.
The couple appeared to be having a private moment, but Rob stood watching them. He hawked once, spitting a glob of mucus toward the trash. “If you change your commitments, I’ll see you at the Series. Thirteen minutes left,” he said abruptly, pushing through them to go inside. He had wide shoulders and wore short-sleeved shirts so you could see the veining on his muscled arms. Telly felt like a gawky kid next to him. Telly straightened his shoulders, but Rob had already dismissed him. He looked at her, trying to catch her eyes in the moonlight. “I’m going for the cab job first thing tomorrow. Are you uncomfortable here? Don’t go in.”
“It’s silly. You know I like my job. He’s just got a crush on me this week. He’ll move on to Jana next week.”
“I don’t like the way he was looking at you.”
For the first time, his mild-mannered girlfriend bristled. “You think I can’t take care of myself? I’ve been on my own since I was seventeen, Telly. I can take care of myself.”
“I never doubted that, Gretch,” Telly said honestly. He loved her independence. Gretchen had reunited with her mother just recently, after a lifetime of foster care. Her mother had spent Gretchen’s youth in a haze of alcohol abuse and drug addiction.
“Go home, Tel. I’ll be back by five.” She turned toward the door.
Telly reached into his pocket, opening his wallet to pull out a thinly folded ten-dollar bill. It was his emergency cash. When he’d first gotten his license, his mother had given it to him and insisted that he keep it behind his ID card so he would never be without money. He had never
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