audience.
“Did he make it?” she asked uncomfortably.
“Nope.”
“What happened to the woman?”
Brandon grinned deviously. “She couldn’t stand what happened to him, so she got deeper into drugs. She died from ’em after too long. I don’t know what happened to that poor kid. But my point is why . Why did my friend do that? Everything he had he gave to her, because it made him happy to see her happy. But there was no purpose in the end. He lost everything, and so did she.”
Brandon’s long, slow walk to the kitchen ended. He arrived at Heather and reached his arms around her to lean on the countertop. As their bodies pressed together, he removed the fifty from Crystal’s purse and dangled it between their faces. “You do this—giving—over and over, until eventually you have a revelation. There is no justice. There are no rules. And at the end of the day, without exception, everything burns.” He slid his hand lazily down Heather’s cleavage and tucked the money into her bra. “So I’ll ask you again. Before the flames consume what little you have, why would you squander it on anyone but yourself?”
Heather nodded solemnly, pondering, and for a few seconds Brandon tasted victory. But then she looked him in the eyes and plucked the fifty out from between her breasts.
“Because she needs it,” Heather said, and dropped the money back into Crystal’s purse.
Before Brandon could retort, Cole and Crystal entered the living room, Crystal wiping off tears and making a beeline for her purse. She had some kind of big red book under her arm. Heather turned to Crystal to offer some comforting words, so Brandon backed into the shadows by one of the deactivated studio lights.
As Cole stomped through the room, he bumped his shin into the coffee table Brandon had moved for his card game. “Fuck!” Cole yelled, and shoved it out of his way, scattering cards across the floor, ruining Brandon’s game. He proceeded to the sliding glass doors by the balcony and brooded there like he always did. Feel sorry for me, Brandon , his whiny expression seemed to say. I’ve had a rough life, and now I have tough decisions to make.
Get a life, pal , Brandon thought. He glanced past Cole at the spectacular view beyond the condo. The Port Bridge was lit a deep blue from underneath, the MacArthur Causeway purple next to it, snaking out toward the glittering bustle of South Beach. Brandon wished he could be out there tonight, getting hammered and chasing tail instead of dealing with the fallout in here.
“Cole, we’re gonna take the rest of the night off, okay?” Heather said.
Cole raised his hands in defeat, then leaned against the glass.
“You can spend the night with me,” Heather whispered to Crystal. “I’ll drive you.” Of course she would, because Crystal was a lowlife who couldn’t afford her own car.
“Give me a minute,” Crystal said. “I’ll meet you down front.”
Heather’s gaze swept from Cole to Brandon, then back to Crystal. She reluctantly left for the elevator. Before long the doors closed over her wary gaze, freeing Crystal to approach Cole again. Brandon watched every step as she shuffled up to him, hopefully to say goodbye forever.
Instead, she softly kissed him on the lips. “Thank you for reconsidering,” she said.
What? Brandon’s heart skipped a beat.
“No promises,” Cole said.
No, buddy. This was supposed to be all wrapped up! What are you thinking? Brandon had framed Cole’s choice as a choice between Brandon or Crystal. And if Cole had chosen Crystal… if Cole was even thinking about choosing Crystal…
Crystal exchanged a glance with Brandon as she walked to the elevator. As she waited for it to come back up, Brandon quickly went to Cole and whispered to him. “So what’s the verdict?”
“Jury’s still out,” Cole said.
DING. The elevator opened, and Crystal left.
Brandon rushed to Cole’s bedroom. This was very bad. Brandon’s job, his status, his
“Did he make it?” she asked uncomfortably.
“Nope.”
“What happened to the woman?”
Brandon grinned deviously. “She couldn’t stand what happened to him, so she got deeper into drugs. She died from ’em after too long. I don’t know what happened to that poor kid. But my point is why . Why did my friend do that? Everything he had he gave to her, because it made him happy to see her happy. But there was no purpose in the end. He lost everything, and so did she.”
Brandon’s long, slow walk to the kitchen ended. He arrived at Heather and reached his arms around her to lean on the countertop. As their bodies pressed together, he removed the fifty from Crystal’s purse and dangled it between their faces. “You do this—giving—over and over, until eventually you have a revelation. There is no justice. There are no rules. And at the end of the day, without exception, everything burns.” He slid his hand lazily down Heather’s cleavage and tucked the money into her bra. “So I’ll ask you again. Before the flames consume what little you have, why would you squander it on anyone but yourself?”
Heather nodded solemnly, pondering, and for a few seconds Brandon tasted victory. But then she looked him in the eyes and plucked the fifty out from between her breasts.
“Because she needs it,” Heather said, and dropped the money back into Crystal’s purse.
Before Brandon could retort, Cole and Crystal entered the living room, Crystal wiping off tears and making a beeline for her purse. She had some kind of big red book under her arm. Heather turned to Crystal to offer some comforting words, so Brandon backed into the shadows by one of the deactivated studio lights.
As Cole stomped through the room, he bumped his shin into the coffee table Brandon had moved for his card game. “Fuck!” Cole yelled, and shoved it out of his way, scattering cards across the floor, ruining Brandon’s game. He proceeded to the sliding glass doors by the balcony and brooded there like he always did. Feel sorry for me, Brandon , his whiny expression seemed to say. I’ve had a rough life, and now I have tough decisions to make.
Get a life, pal , Brandon thought. He glanced past Cole at the spectacular view beyond the condo. The Port Bridge was lit a deep blue from underneath, the MacArthur Causeway purple next to it, snaking out toward the glittering bustle of South Beach. Brandon wished he could be out there tonight, getting hammered and chasing tail instead of dealing with the fallout in here.
“Cole, we’re gonna take the rest of the night off, okay?” Heather said.
Cole raised his hands in defeat, then leaned against the glass.
“You can spend the night with me,” Heather whispered to Crystal. “I’ll drive you.” Of course she would, because Crystal was a lowlife who couldn’t afford her own car.
“Give me a minute,” Crystal said. “I’ll meet you down front.”
Heather’s gaze swept from Cole to Brandon, then back to Crystal. She reluctantly left for the elevator. Before long the doors closed over her wary gaze, freeing Crystal to approach Cole again. Brandon watched every step as she shuffled up to him, hopefully to say goodbye forever.
Instead, she softly kissed him on the lips. “Thank you for reconsidering,” she said.
What? Brandon’s heart skipped a beat.
“No promises,” Cole said.
No, buddy. This was supposed to be all wrapped up! What are you thinking? Brandon had framed Cole’s choice as a choice between Brandon or Crystal. And if Cole had chosen Crystal… if Cole was even thinking about choosing Crystal…
Crystal exchanged a glance with Brandon as she walked to the elevator. As she waited for it to come back up, Brandon quickly went to Cole and whispered to him. “So what’s the verdict?”
“Jury’s still out,” Cole said.
DING. The elevator opened, and Crystal left.
Brandon rushed to Cole’s bedroom. This was very bad. Brandon’s job, his status, his
Similar Books
