heard it land with a rustling sound. Gary was still stretched across the passenger seat of his car, hand reaching out the window. “Fuck,” said Jeff, “what’s the matter with you?”
The Ford pulled into the spot right next to Jeff and the doors opened. Of all the possibilities to tangle with on the street, Gang and Narcotics Division was the worst. If they smelled fear they knew they didn’t have to treat you like an ordinary citizen.
“So, you going to the beach tomorrow?” Gary asked, loud enough for his voice to carry over to the cops.
Jeff yelled back, “Yeah, I’ll be at the pier playing volleyball at eight,” and he started his car. He heard the Ford’s doors slam shut. He froze, wondering if they would knock on the passenger window or come around to his side where the bag was in plain view on the ground. He heard Gary’s car start.
The cops, two big guys in sports jackets, headed toward the market, ignoring Jeff and Gary. Gary opened the door to his Mustang and, lying across the seat now, picked the bag off the ground and pulled it into his car.
“Fuck you, man, how could you just drop it like that?”
“I thought you had it,” Jeff replied. “Call me tomorrow and let me know what’s happening.”
Gary pulled out of the parking lot. Jeff got out of his Audi and walked back to Pop’s.
He needed a drink. His heart was pounding—he hated those guys. They never went for the “Oh, hello Officer, how can I help you?” routine.
Freddie nodded him in again at Pop’s. He went to the table in the back room and ordered a Jack Daniel’s. It took two more before he felt normal enough to venture out to the main room and see what was happening. Maybe he could still salvage the evening.
⍫
He noticed a woman he used to date sitting at the bar and managed to edge in next to her.
“Hello, Janet.”
“Jeff. Hi. What a surprise.” She smiled.
Jeff said, “Christ, this place is a zoo tonight.” He needed to plant the seed of possibility here, just in case nothing else was happening by last call. Janet brought him up to date on her life since he had stopped calling her. “Well, Jeff, I don’t want to bore you with my hum-drum story. How about you? Your life is always so much more interesting.”
He looked at her and drew a total blank. Nothing was very interesting. His sister was dead and he was drinking in a bar. He was out of money and living in a dump. He was driving a heap and he owed money to the wrong people. “Oh, the usual, you know . . .” He looked at her and shrugged. She looked so pretty, with her dark hair pulled straight back, her smartly tailored jacket, and her breasts pressing against her silk blouse. She had always had such high expectations of him. “Let’s see if we can find a table where it’s a little quieter.”
“Yeah, let’s move. Don’t look now, but there’s a guy across the bar that’s been staring at me ever since I got here. It’s giving me the creeps.”
“You know, it’s funny seeing you here—I was just thinking about you earlier in the evening.”
Several drinks later, he led Janet out of the club. Freddie looked at Janet and gave Jeff a surreptitious thumbs-up gesture. Jeff said, “Why don’t you give Gary a call,” and walked Janet to her car. She drew him to her and they kissed, her breasts pressing against him as she opened her mouth. Jeff closed his eyes and felt himself sway. “Whoa, there,” Janet said, “are you going to be able to drive?” The plan was that he would follow Janet to her place in the Palisades.
“Hey, I’m fine,” he told her, but he wished he hadn’t turned all of the coke over to Gary.
Janet drove him around the corner to his car. They pulled out of the parking lot together, heading back down San Vicente toward the beach. Janet’s place was only a few miles past his apartment.
On the long stretch through Brentwood Janet suddenly raced ahead of him. He put on some speed but the taillights of her car were
The Ford pulled into the spot right next to Jeff and the doors opened. Of all the possibilities to tangle with on the street, Gang and Narcotics Division was the worst. If they smelled fear they knew they didn’t have to treat you like an ordinary citizen.
“So, you going to the beach tomorrow?” Gary asked, loud enough for his voice to carry over to the cops.
Jeff yelled back, “Yeah, I’ll be at the pier playing volleyball at eight,” and he started his car. He heard the Ford’s doors slam shut. He froze, wondering if they would knock on the passenger window or come around to his side where the bag was in plain view on the ground. He heard Gary’s car start.
The cops, two big guys in sports jackets, headed toward the market, ignoring Jeff and Gary. Gary opened the door to his Mustang and, lying across the seat now, picked the bag off the ground and pulled it into his car.
“Fuck you, man, how could you just drop it like that?”
“I thought you had it,” Jeff replied. “Call me tomorrow and let me know what’s happening.”
Gary pulled out of the parking lot. Jeff got out of his Audi and walked back to Pop’s.
He needed a drink. His heart was pounding—he hated those guys. They never went for the “Oh, hello Officer, how can I help you?” routine.
Freddie nodded him in again at Pop’s. He went to the table in the back room and ordered a Jack Daniel’s. It took two more before he felt normal enough to venture out to the main room and see what was happening. Maybe he could still salvage the evening.
⍫
He noticed a woman he used to date sitting at the bar and managed to edge in next to her.
“Hello, Janet.”
“Jeff. Hi. What a surprise.” She smiled.
Jeff said, “Christ, this place is a zoo tonight.” He needed to plant the seed of possibility here, just in case nothing else was happening by last call. Janet brought him up to date on her life since he had stopped calling her. “Well, Jeff, I don’t want to bore you with my hum-drum story. How about you? Your life is always so much more interesting.”
He looked at her and drew a total blank. Nothing was very interesting. His sister was dead and he was drinking in a bar. He was out of money and living in a dump. He was driving a heap and he owed money to the wrong people. “Oh, the usual, you know . . .” He looked at her and shrugged. She looked so pretty, with her dark hair pulled straight back, her smartly tailored jacket, and her breasts pressing against her silk blouse. She had always had such high expectations of him. “Let’s see if we can find a table where it’s a little quieter.”
“Yeah, let’s move. Don’t look now, but there’s a guy across the bar that’s been staring at me ever since I got here. It’s giving me the creeps.”
“You know, it’s funny seeing you here—I was just thinking about you earlier in the evening.”
Several drinks later, he led Janet out of the club. Freddie looked at Janet and gave Jeff a surreptitious thumbs-up gesture. Jeff said, “Why don’t you give Gary a call,” and walked Janet to her car. She drew him to her and they kissed, her breasts pressing against him as she opened her mouth. Jeff closed his eyes and felt himself sway. “Whoa, there,” Janet said, “are you going to be able to drive?” The plan was that he would follow Janet to her place in the Palisades.
“Hey, I’m fine,” he told her, but he wished he hadn’t turned all of the coke over to Gary.
Janet drove him around the corner to his car. They pulled out of the parking lot together, heading back down San Vicente toward the beach. Janet’s place was only a few miles past his apartment.
On the long stretch through Brentwood Janet suddenly raced ahead of him. He put on some speed but the taillights of her car were
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