high. I hadn’t detected that he was under the influence when he arrived, but it’s the only explanation that makes sense. I hope I’ve been speaking with a semi-straight person this whole time, otherwise I’m going to have to do it all over again once he’s clean.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He laughs bitterly and then sits up, staring at me intensely. “Okay? No. I’m far from okay, as you’ve so clearly pointed out.”
I stand, feeling like having a friend around right now is a good idea for him. “Mind if I invite Zach and Leonard in?”
He shakes his head, back to staring at the ground. “Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”
I signal the bodyguard to come in. When he opens the door, I say, “Would you get Leonard and join us in here?”
He nods and disappears around the corner.
I sit back down and wait for Tarin to say something. I don’t want to stop his flow of thoughts with my own spoken ones.
“I can’t fucking believe it,” he says. Then he throws himself back into the cushions, staring at the ceiling. “After all this fucking time…Austin.”
“Austin’s been gone for two years. It’s not that long.”
He angles his eyes down to look at me. “Feels like forever. I’ve been looking over my shoulder for fucking ever .”
It seems like a strange way to describe the situation, but he’s the poet-musician, not me. “I know what you mean.” I lie when I say that, because to me it feels like it was just last week that I was staring into Austin’s bloodshot eyes for the last time.
“So when do we start this deal?” he asks as the door slides open to admit Zach and Leonard. He acknowledges them with barely a glance, before looking back at me.
“We have a deal, then?” I ask. “You agree to my terms?”
“Yeah, fine.” He tips his head back into the cushions and looks at the ceiling “We have a fucking deal.”
“Good. To answer your question, it starts today. You’re going to make an announcement to all your people and your team that I’m in charge and that they follow my direction. Tomorrow morning starts your healthy living campaign. You will get you up at six for your first workout. We’ll discuss the rest of the plan while you’re running on the treadmill after.”
Zach and Leonard take seats next to me and Tarin. “Don’t look so freaked out,” says Zach, nudging him in the leg. “We’ll do it with you.”
Tarin says nothing, he just lifts his head and stares at his friends with his mouth partway open, his jaw off kilter.
I continue, not wanting to break my rhythm. “I’m going to be firing some people. Whoever I let go, you need to support me on it.” Tarin presses his lips into a thin line but still says nothing, so I keep going. “Who’s supplying you with drugs? Is it Brett Campbell?”
Tarin sighs loudly before nodding and answering. “Yeah.”
“Okay, he’s gone. Zach and Len, I need you to make sure he stays away.”
“Consider it done,” promises Zach. Leonard nods his head in agreement. They both look happy about the prospect.
“What about Clay?” I ask. “Is he bringing drugs in too?”
Tarin folds his arms. “No.”
“What’s his function in your life? Because I know he’s not a friend.”
“He’s a friend.” Tarin acts offended but it’s too much. He’s defensive.
“Truth, Tarin. No more messing around.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fine. He brings the party guests.”
“He means the hoes,” says Zach, smiling mischievously.
Tarin scowls at him, but doesn’t deny it.
“Nice. So he’s the pimp.” I look at the bodyguards. “He’s out too.”
They nod.
I address Tarin, putting the full weight of my determination in my gaze. “You’ll call them when we get back to the dock and tell them yourself that they’re out. If they have any stuff at any of your properties, they have until
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He laughs bitterly and then sits up, staring at me intensely. “Okay? No. I’m far from okay, as you’ve so clearly pointed out.”
I stand, feeling like having a friend around right now is a good idea for him. “Mind if I invite Zach and Leonard in?”
He shakes his head, back to staring at the ground. “Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”
I signal the bodyguard to come in. When he opens the door, I say, “Would you get Leonard and join us in here?”
He nods and disappears around the corner.
I sit back down and wait for Tarin to say something. I don’t want to stop his flow of thoughts with my own spoken ones.
“I can’t fucking believe it,” he says. Then he throws himself back into the cushions, staring at the ceiling. “After all this fucking time…Austin.”
“Austin’s been gone for two years. It’s not that long.”
He angles his eyes down to look at me. “Feels like forever. I’ve been looking over my shoulder for fucking ever .”
It seems like a strange way to describe the situation, but he’s the poet-musician, not me. “I know what you mean.” I lie when I say that, because to me it feels like it was just last week that I was staring into Austin’s bloodshot eyes for the last time.
“So when do we start this deal?” he asks as the door slides open to admit Zach and Leonard. He acknowledges them with barely a glance, before looking back at me.
“We have a deal, then?” I ask. “You agree to my terms?”
“Yeah, fine.” He tips his head back into the cushions and looks at the ceiling “We have a fucking deal.”
“Good. To answer your question, it starts today. You’re going to make an announcement to all your people and your team that I’m in charge and that they follow my direction. Tomorrow morning starts your healthy living campaign. You will get you up at six for your first workout. We’ll discuss the rest of the plan while you’re running on the treadmill after.”
Zach and Leonard take seats next to me and Tarin. “Don’t look so freaked out,” says Zach, nudging him in the leg. “We’ll do it with you.”
Tarin says nothing, he just lifts his head and stares at his friends with his mouth partway open, his jaw off kilter.
I continue, not wanting to break my rhythm. “I’m going to be firing some people. Whoever I let go, you need to support me on it.” Tarin presses his lips into a thin line but still says nothing, so I keep going. “Who’s supplying you with drugs? Is it Brett Campbell?”
Tarin sighs loudly before nodding and answering. “Yeah.”
“Okay, he’s gone. Zach and Len, I need you to make sure he stays away.”
“Consider it done,” promises Zach. Leonard nods his head in agreement. They both look happy about the prospect.
“What about Clay?” I ask. “Is he bringing drugs in too?”
Tarin folds his arms. “No.”
“What’s his function in your life? Because I know he’s not a friend.”
“He’s a friend.” Tarin acts offended but it’s too much. He’s defensive.
“Truth, Tarin. No more messing around.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fine. He brings the party guests.”
“He means the hoes,” says Zach, smiling mischievously.
Tarin scowls at him, but doesn’t deny it.
“Nice. So he’s the pimp.” I look at the bodyguards. “He’s out too.”
They nod.
I address Tarin, putting the full weight of my determination in my gaze. “You’ll call them when we get back to the dock and tell them yourself that they’re out. If they have any stuff at any of your properties, they have until
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