Read Online Gravesend by William Boyle - Free Book Online Page B

almost tripping her up once.
    Teemo was tending bar again. Disgusting. Greased up. Shiny little diamond earrings punched into both lobes. Wearing a skintight Nautica T-shirt, a gold medal on a thick gold chain hanging out across his chest.
    Alessandra stood at the bar and ordered a Bloody Mary.
    Teemo flexed his pecs under his shirt, made them dance a little. “Bloody Mary, what’s that?” he said.
    “You don’t know what a Bloody Mary is?” Alessandra said.
    “Maybe you know too much, hon.”
    Hon . She shook her head. “You’ve been tending bar how long?”
    “What do you want?”
    “Give me a gin-and-tonic.” She turned to Stephanie. “Ginger ale?”
    “I’ll get the same as you,” Stephanie said. “Live dangerously.”
    Alessandra smiled. “Two,” she said, and she watched Teemo make the drinks. He poured the gin with a weak hand and went too heavy on the tonic. He forgot to put limes in.
    He set them on coasters in front of Alessandra and took way too long to calculate a total. “Six bucks,” he said.
    Alessandra paid for it with a ten. Didn’t tip when she got the change. “Could we please please get some limes?” she said.
    He pawed out a couple of lime wedges from the tray over the sink and handed them to Alessandra on a cocktail napkin. “Anything else, princess?”
    Alessandra took the limes and drinks and ignored Teemo. She led Stephanie to the same table they’d been at the night before. Sitting down, she said, “Can’t believe they let him serve here. Doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing.”
    “I know,” Stephanie said, leaning close.
    “We’ve got to find another bar.”
    “Exactly.” She paused and looked around. “So, how was day two?”
    “Dull. I don’t know. It’s hard. I feel sorry for my father, but it’s really hard.”
    Stephanie nodded.
    “Your mom knows you’re out?” Alessandra said.
    A laugh caught in Stephanie’s throat. She lifted the gin-and-tonic and took a baby sip. “Kind of,” she said. “I lied. She didn’t want me to go out with you.”
    “How old are you?”
    “No, I know. It’s embarrassing. But it’s the way it is.”
    “You need to get out from under that, Steph. You can’t live your whole life that way.”
    Something about Alessandra calling Stephanie “Steph” made her face light up. “No, I know, it’s crazy, fucking crazy,” like she’d never said the word, “but it’s so good to have you here, you know. I’ve never really had to think about this stuff. Life’s pretty quiet. I go to work, I go home, my mother doesn’t say boo.”
    “I’m just saying. Don’t let it get out of hand. Her controlling you. Trying. That’s bad shit.”
    “I know. It’s over. Maybe I’ll get my own place.” She stopped. “Hey, maybe we can—”
    Alessandra realized what light bulb had just gone off in Stephanie’s mind and wanted to put a kibosh on it fast. “No, well, I . . . I don’t think, I’m just not sure.”
    “I’m saying maybe we can be roomies. Find our own place. In the neighborhood. Wherever. We could get cable, a futon, have little dinner parties.”
    Alessandra said, “Maybe. We’ll see.”
    “It’d be so fun. I’m gonna start looking.”
    “I’m not sure, Steph. I was thinking Manhattan. A studio.”
    “Manhattan’s so expensive. Maybe Williamsburg? Everyone lives in Williamsburg now. It’ll be fun. We’ll live near a market. I’ll make dinner every night. Broccoli rabe and chicken cutlets. Pasta with my mom’s gravy. I’m a good cook, you’ll see.” Stephanie put out her drink to cheers Alessandra.
    Alessandra realized what she was hooking herself into but said fuck it. The gin was taking hold a little and Stephanie was sweet. She was Alessandra’s only friend at home. Whatever. She tapped her glass against Stephanie’s. Anything was better than being cooped up with her old man.
    Alessandra, Steph, Teemo, and a couple of old barflies back by the pinball machine were the only people in the