“Probably still in the bag on the floor. Let’s go I’m going to be late.” Ungrateful twit.
We followed her out the door and down to the waiting car. Tony looked us over before shaking his head and turning the car on.
From the secret grin on his lips I’m sure he’d read the situation well. Who wouldn’t with her face set up like a storm cloud?
I dragged her across the seat from where she was hugging the door to avoid me, ignoring the scathing look she gave me. The ride wasn’t that long and we were there before I was ready to let her go.
I started to stress about her disappearing until I remembered that I had her brother. She wouldn’t go anywhere without him.
I got out with her when we pulled up outside the Internet café in midtown. “What time should I pick you up?” I brushed at her hair which was all I could do here without her spazzing the fuck out.
“You’re not. I have something else to do today, I’ll find my way back to your place when I’m done.” That’s what she thinks.
She turned to her brother who’d also exited the car and warned him to behave while she was gone. It was funny to watch the two of them. Her lecturing as he towered over her by almost a foot. That’s probably how the two of us look together as well, come to think of it.
Chapter 21
“Where to?” Tony asked as Travis and I climbed back into the car.
“Let’s take the kid to the square. That way we won’t have to drive back down this way in a couple hours.”
“Didn’t she just say she didn’t want a ride?” I just gave him a look in the mirror.
“You’re already in enough shit as it is; don’t start.”
“What did I do?”
“You called fucking mom, now she’s coming home tomorrow night instead of three weeks from now.”
And I can’t thank you enough for doing that shit. The more I think about it, the better it is all around for mom to come and do her thing. I had no doubt that she could handle Annabelle and her shit with both eyes closed.
The jackass just grinned as we pulled into a short term parking garage. Travis was jumpy as was to be expected of a teenage boy his first time in the hustle and bustle of Times Square.
It was too early for the bright lights, but the place
still packed a punch for anyone seeing it for the first time. The gloss had long worn off for Tony and I, who used to run these streets every weekend back in the day, but it was fun seeing the excitement in the kid’s eyes.
We grabbed a quick lunch after walking around since I figured she’d eat in the café, before heading back to where we’d left her. “How do we know she’s still here?” Travis looked back at me.
“Tony!” He got out his phone and called inside. The story was that he was looking for his daughter who was there with her study group. It only took describing her ugly ass jacket for the person to come back and tell him she was still there.
We sat on the place for the next fifteen minutes before a group of college kids came through the door. My heart smiled when I saw her, like I hadn’t just seen her a few short hours ago.
There were five of them, four girls one guy. Of course I peeped him to see if there was any interest and felt like an ass when he put his arm around one of the other females before the two of them walked away.
She said her goodbyes and headed off down the sidewalk, her shoulders hunched from the cold. Damn girl, I bought her a nice three quarter shearling with fur around the collar, but she preferred that thrift store reject. We’ll just see about that shit.
She headed for the bus stop and we had to go around the block twice before it came. It was a miracle that she didn’t see us, but there was too much traffic and I doubt she could even pick the car out in a lineup.
We followed the bus downtown, stopping each time to see who was getting off. Never again, that shit’s annoying as hell.
She finally got off near fourteenth street in Chelsea and walked towards a building that had seen better days, but wasn’t the worst. The way she pulled the door and walked in it looked like this wasn’t her first time here.
All three of us got out and looked up at the building after Tony fed the meter.
“What the hell is this place?” It looked like an apartment building with businesses on the bottom floors, but there was no awning outside to give us a clue.