CHAPTER TWO - Reelin' from da feelin'
The kid's face went from an effervescent grin to one of concern. "You're shakin'? You're lookin' kinda bummed out, boss-man. What's goin' on?" I was a bit reluctant to tell him at first. I was so thrown by what had transpired, right before he walked in, it was the shock of an event that wasn't felt 'til after. When a friendly face walks in and you choke up a bit. With my eyes, with one look, I grabbed and hugged him, begging him to never leave my side. I imagined his arms around me, that warm, smooth flesh touching my back. Just imagining this made me feel like I was in a good place. Nothin' to worry about now. He's here.
"I got a case just now."
"AWESOME!"
"Well, I don't know about that, but it should be a good one. Dame comes in, says her boyfriend or someone's out to kill her. Said she wants to talk to this one, to find out why?"
"D-uh, you piss a guy off and you're dead meat", the kid chuckles.
I continued, "we gotta find out who it was. I'm not sure how to go about this one. I mean, there ain't no hit-man club or nothin' where you get a drink and sidle up to some hood and say 'hey, got any good contracts lately?' "
The kid chuckled at this, making me laugh, too, realizing what I just said. But he continued grinning. "Well, maybe not the way you put it, but a hood's gotta get drunk, too, ya know." I agreed, "yeah, that's true, start hangin' out in clubs, that kind of thing." "maybe we can start droppin' this broad's name, you know, some undercover stuff, maybe"
"Yeah", I muttered, looking away, still distracted. The kid took note of this right off. "Hey, that's not what's buggin' ya, is it, boss-man?" I couldn't even make eye contact with him... him of all people. He reached over and put his hand on my shoulder. The sensation sent a wave of warmth through my body, like he had a tranquilizer seepin' outta his skin, or somethin'. I couldn't look at him, I wanted to, but I couldn't. I slammed my mouth shut so hard if I even gave an inch, I'd be bawlin' in no time flat. The kid leans over and softens and lowers his voice, "boss-man?".
I mutter to myself, "god-dammit" I sniff and wipe my nose. "No, that ain't all of it. She came on to me, started feelin' me up and all that. I pulled away, sayin' it ain't good to get personal, too emotional, that kinda thing". I still can't look at him, but I hear him exhale and half-whisper, "holy mackerel". I feel him trying to turn me around, "hey, listen to me, boss-man. I don't know why you're all broken up about it, happens to everyone." His voice went from reassuring to a little sad, "why couldn't ya tell me, huh? It's me, boss-man, your boy Friday." My body was facing his, but I was still lookin' down. He cups my chin with his thumb and index finger and pushes my head up. "Ya ain't gotta hide jack from me, ya know. I'm a good detective. I got ways of makin' ya talk." He was smiling at this point, I wasn't sure I could, but a grin came across my face, too. "First one I thought of was you. You're such a sweet kid, been through a lot with me here. Last thing I wanted was anything that'll hurt you - the last goddam thing. That would've ripped right through ya worse than a million rounds of ammo, and she was about to pull that trigger." "Yeah, but ya ducked, ya got outta the way, ya pushed me outta the way - we're all right, boss-man, we're all right."
We're all right - and, I tell ya somethin', so was he.
"I got a case just now."
"AWESOME!"
"Well, I don't know about that, but it should be a good one. Dame comes in, says her boyfriend or someone's out to kill her. Said she wants to talk to this one, to find out why?"
"D-uh, you piss a guy off and you're dead meat", the kid chuckles.
I continued, "we gotta find out who it was. I'm not sure how to go about this one. I mean, there ain't no hit-man club or nothin' where you get a drink and sidle up to some hood and say 'hey, got any good contracts lately?' "
The kid chuckled at this, making me laugh, too, realizing what I just said. But he continued grinning. "Well, maybe not the way you put it, but a hood's gotta get drunk, too, ya know." I agreed, "yeah, that's true, start hangin' out in clubs, that kind of thing." "maybe we can start droppin' this broad's name, you know, some undercover stuff, maybe"
"Yeah", I muttered, looking away, still distracted. The kid took note of this right off. "Hey, that's not what's buggin' ya, is it, boss-man?" I couldn't even make eye contact with him... him of all people. He reached over and put his hand on my shoulder. The sensation sent a wave of warmth through my body, like he had a tranquilizer seepin' outta his skin, or somethin'. I couldn't look at him, I wanted to, but I couldn't. I slammed my mouth shut so hard if I even gave an inch, I'd be bawlin' in no time flat. The kid leans over and softens and lowers his voice, "boss-man?".
I mutter to myself, "god-dammit" I sniff and wipe my nose. "No, that ain't all of it. She came on to me, started feelin' me up and all that. I pulled away, sayin' it ain't good to get personal, too emotional, that kinda thing". I still can't look at him, but I hear him exhale and half-whisper, "holy mackerel". I feel him trying to turn me around, "hey, listen to me, boss-man. I don't know why you're all broken up about it, happens to everyone." His voice went from reassuring to a little sad, "why couldn't ya tell me, huh? It's me, boss-man, your boy Friday." My body was facing his, but I was still lookin' down. He cups my chin with his thumb and index finger and pushes my head up. "Ya ain't gotta hide jack from me, ya know. I'm a good detective. I got ways of makin' ya talk." He was smiling at this point, I wasn't sure I could, but a grin came across my face, too. "First one I thought of was you. You're such a sweet kid, been through a lot with me here. Last thing I wanted was anything that'll hurt you - the last goddam thing. That would've ripped right through ya worse than a million rounds of ammo, and she was about to pull that trigger." "Yeah, but ya ducked, ya got outta the way, ya pushed me outta the way - we're all right, boss-man, we're all right."
We're all right - and, I tell ya somethin', so was he.
posted by Brendan Chenowith at 8:26 AM
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