I moved forward a bit more and asked, “How do you live this life al the time? They’re your friends. How do you do it?
I couldn’t stand it.”
His eyes changed and his hand tightened even more on mine, “I can do it because their shit doesn’t stay in their circle, it filters down to kids in schools and old people wanting quiet lives forced to live next to crack houses and pretty girls who work in bookstores who have shitheel fathers. Someone has to protect those people.”
“That’s you,” I said.
“That’s me and that’s Eddie,” he replied.
“You don’t see gray,” I told him.
His hand let go of mine.
“Sorry?”
“You see black and white, you don’t see gray,” I said.
“No. I don’t see gray, it’s not my job, it’s the judge’s job to see gray,” he said it and he meant it. I could tel because his face went hard and kinda scary.
I stared at him. He was the boy-next-door, the boy-next-door with an edge.
“You’re scary too,” I said.
He grinned, taking us out of the moment.
“I’m the good guy.”
“You’re the scary good guy,” I said.
He motioned to the waitress. Our conversation was over.
“Let’s get you home.”
* * * * *
By “home” Hank meant Eddie’s. He parked on the street, I let us in using my key for the first time. He sat down and immediately found a bal game on TV.
(Why was there always a bal game on TV? Didn’t these sports people take a night off?)
I got Hank and myself a beer and cal ed Mom and Lottie.
They were playing Trivial Pursuit with Tex. I cal ed Daisy.
She was waiting in the Denver Castle for Marcus to get home and giving herself a do-it-yourself facial. I cal ed Al y.
She was shouting to me over the crowd at Brother’s. I cal ed Indy. She was watching Chowleena while Tod and Stevie were flying off to God-knew-where (Indy’s words) and making cookies to bring into Fortnum’s the next day.
I ran out of people to cal so I took off my shoes, put my feet up on the table, sat back on the couch and took a pul on my beer.
I watched the game for about five seconds.
It was boring.
“I’m bored,” I told Hank.
Hank’s eyes slid to me, then back to the game.
“Not sure I can pul off your brand of excitement,” he said.