and put it in her
pocket. Morgan unwrapped hers at the counter and placed it on her tongue. Then she sucked on it, licking her lips.
“All mine?” she said, to the cashier or Moth, Ondine couldn’t tell. “I
do
like the sound of that.”
Moth’s smile curled up on one side into a smirk, but he kept his eyes on the cashier’s. “We can explore that statement in
all its, uh, positions later. Right now” — his hand snaked into his back pocket and fished out a rubber-banded roll of money,
which he handed to Morgan — “be a good little girl and pay the man.”
Morgan looked so intoxicated you’d think she’d already drunk everything Ondine was shoving into plastic bags. She double bagged
the bottles, concentrating on the practical details, because she didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but sheknew she wanted to get out of the store before it all exploded in their faces. Morgan peeled back twenties, one at a time.
She looks like a stripper giving herself a tip, Ondine thought, then felt guilty. It wasn’t like they were stealing — although
it
was
the first time Ondine had ever paid for something by stuffing the money into a cashier’s shirt pocket, which Morgan was doing
now, leaning over the counter and throwing in a little kiss on the cheek.
“Since you gave us kisses,” she cooed in his ear, “it seems only fair you should get one, too.”
Her shirt rode up when she leaned forward, exposing the small of her back above her jeans, and Moth let the fingertips of
his right hand play over the bare skin, never taking his eyes from the cashier’s.
“It’s kisses for everyone then,” he announced. Then, in a firmer voice: “Now, let’s get out of here.”
Outside, Ondine stared at Moth, who was now helping himself to the trunk of Trish Mason’s silver Jetta. She kind of wished
she smoked, so she could light up a cigarette in anger.
“What just happened in there?”
“Magic?” Moth laughed.
“You asshole. Why don’t you be straight with me? Can you ever tell the truth?”
He lifted his eyebrows. “I just did.”
“You know, there’s one thing I never understood about you, Moth. Other than chasing tail, what exactly do you
do
?”
“Help people, I guess. Isn’t that what I’m doing with you?”
Morgan spoke up from the other side of the car. “Ondine? Honey? Your chocolate’s going to melt in your pocket.”
Ondine looked at her friend across the closed sunroof of her mother’s car. She had wanted to open the sunroof on the drive
over, but Morgan had said the breeze would mess up her hair. Now she almost seemed to be panting.
“Is that all you have to say? ‘Your chocolate’s going to melt’? Here then,” she said, fishing out the candy and throwing it
at Morgan. “Since you seem to like it so much.”
Moth walked over to Morgan and whispered something in the girl’s ear. Ondine noticed his fingers wrap around her waist. She
felt a pang of something — not jealousy, surely not jealousy — despite herself. She had never been touched like that.
He turned to Ondine and smiled. “See you at ten, then.”
She clenched her jaw and clicked her keys. The Jetta hiccuped in response.
“No. You. Won’t.” But he had already started loping away.
“Come on, Morgan.” Ondine scowled, slamming the door. “Neve’s waiting.”
C HAPTER 5
T IM B LEEKER KILLS OLD LADIES ’ CATS , my friend. Why the hell are you even talking to him?”
K.A. looked over at his friend, slumped in the passenger seat. Nix didn’t say anything, just stared out the black Mustang’s
window at the soft yellow lights of Portland’s low-lying neighborhoods. The early June air was soft and a little dewy from
the rain earlier in the day.
“Hey, man. I’m serious. Why do you even mess with that stuff?”
“I can’t sleep, man. I have these dreams.” Nix looked at K.A., then back out the window. “And I wake up and can’t get back
to sleep again. The dust
pocket. Morgan unwrapped hers at the counter and placed it on her tongue. Then she sucked on it, licking her lips.
“All mine?” she said, to the cashier or Moth, Ondine couldn’t tell. “I
do
like the sound of that.”
Moth’s smile curled up on one side into a smirk, but he kept his eyes on the cashier’s. “We can explore that statement in
all its, uh, positions later. Right now” — his hand snaked into his back pocket and fished out a rubber-banded roll of money,
which he handed to Morgan — “be a good little girl and pay the man.”
Morgan looked so intoxicated you’d think she’d already drunk everything Ondine was shoving into plastic bags. She double bagged
the bottles, concentrating on the practical details, because she didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but sheknew she wanted to get out of the store before it all exploded in their faces. Morgan peeled back twenties, one at a time.
She looks like a stripper giving herself a tip, Ondine thought, then felt guilty. It wasn’t like they were stealing — although
it
was
the first time Ondine had ever paid for something by stuffing the money into a cashier’s shirt pocket, which Morgan was doing
now, leaning over the counter and throwing in a little kiss on the cheek.
“Since you gave us kisses,” she cooed in his ear, “it seems only fair you should get one, too.”
Her shirt rode up when she leaned forward, exposing the small of her back above her jeans, and Moth let the fingertips of
his right hand play over the bare skin, never taking his eyes from the cashier’s.
“It’s kisses for everyone then,” he announced. Then, in a firmer voice: “Now, let’s get out of here.”
Outside, Ondine stared at Moth, who was now helping himself to the trunk of Trish Mason’s silver Jetta. She kind of wished
she smoked, so she could light up a cigarette in anger.
“What just happened in there?”
“Magic?” Moth laughed.
“You asshole. Why don’t you be straight with me? Can you ever tell the truth?”
He lifted his eyebrows. “I just did.”
“You know, there’s one thing I never understood about you, Moth. Other than chasing tail, what exactly do you
do
?”
“Help people, I guess. Isn’t that what I’m doing with you?”
Morgan spoke up from the other side of the car. “Ondine? Honey? Your chocolate’s going to melt in your pocket.”
Ondine looked at her friend across the closed sunroof of her mother’s car. She had wanted to open the sunroof on the drive
over, but Morgan had said the breeze would mess up her hair. Now she almost seemed to be panting.
“Is that all you have to say? ‘Your chocolate’s going to melt’? Here then,” she said, fishing out the candy and throwing it
at Morgan. “Since you seem to like it so much.”
Moth walked over to Morgan and whispered something in the girl’s ear. Ondine noticed his fingers wrap around her waist. She
felt a pang of something — not jealousy, surely not jealousy — despite herself. She had never been touched like that.
He turned to Ondine and smiled. “See you at ten, then.”
She clenched her jaw and clicked her keys. The Jetta hiccuped in response.
“No. You. Won’t.” But he had already started loping away.
“Come on, Morgan.” Ondine scowled, slamming the door. “Neve’s waiting.”
C HAPTER 5
T IM B LEEKER KILLS OLD LADIES ’ CATS , my friend. Why the hell are you even talking to him?”
K.A. looked over at his friend, slumped in the passenger seat. Nix didn’t say anything, just stared out the black Mustang’s
window at the soft yellow lights of Portland’s low-lying neighborhoods. The early June air was soft and a little dewy from
the rain earlier in the day.
“Hey, man. I’m serious. Why do you even mess with that stuff?”
“I can’t sleep, man. I have these dreams.” Nix looked at K.A., then back out the window. “And I wake up and can’t get back
to sleep again. The dust
Similar Books
