Page 12 of I'll Catch You
8
Peter
I thinkthe last time I made a verbal contract was on the playground and I timed how long each of my friends and I got with the coveted hard-seat swings. The kind you can stand on. They were a hot item, and with no other way to play fair than to time everyone’s turn, it would have been anarchy if I hadn’t stepped in. My presence made order out of thechaos.
“This does have today’s date on it and it is signed by you,” Cassie says saltily as she holds the check in front of me with her fingers pinched on two corners. “Technically I could cash this. And you wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing aboutit.”
“You’re correct,” I tell Cassie from across the counter. “It wouldn’t be fraud. Like you said, it’s signed and dated and any good hired witness would be able to attest to the validity of it if you try to sue me. Our contract was verbal and I’m not in the habit of recording every conversation I have, and with my word against yours and the check in your possession, I don’t have a leg to stand on. And you should never write out a check that you can’tcover.”
“You don’t really have fifty grand?” Cassie raises an eyebrow atme.
“I do, but this check wasn’t for the purpose of cashing. It was for the purpose of ensuring to you that Claire would be returned homesafely.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to use financial instruments for anything other than their intended purpose, butalright.”
Cassie puts the check on the counter and grabs a pot of coffee. She puts a mug in front of me and gives me a pour. I take the check and slip it into mywallet.
“When is Claire coming in for the day?” I ask as I bring the cup of coffee to my lips. I look around the restaurant. There aren’t many customers here, but with only a few tables occupied there are far more than there wereyesterday.
“Sheisn’t.”
“Is everything alright?” I feel my heart beat double-time for a moment. The thought of anything being wrong is cause for concern, though if there were something wrong I don’t think Cassie would be here so casually pouring coffee for people she doesn’t particularly care for. She might actually be my in. If she’s being nice to me even though she doesn’t like me, maybe she can get through to Claire on mybehalf.
“Yes, everything is fine.” She gives me a square look in the eyes. This woman is trying to face me down in a staring content. If she comes bundled with Claire, I’m okay with it. My brother and I have always been surrounded by strong women. The more the better. She finally breaks her stare and turns away to put the coffee pot back with a chuckle. I can tell she’s planning to talk to me over her shoulder if this conversation continues. Good business tactic. Make it seem as though you’re doing the other side a favor by merely being in their presence. Again, these women are strong and a little rough and they know what they’redoing.
They’ve done well with keeping the lights on in this place as long as they have without having to resort to a go-fund-me campaign. I don’t think Claire would ever agree to something like that if the need arose. I say the more tools in your belt the better, but I think she would feel uncomfortable with it. I say charity isn’t wrong if you’re truly in need, and she is, though I don’t think she wants to admitit.
I look around and take the place in. Lots of metal surfaces and they look like they’ve been beaten with a hammer. It’s not updated to today’s standards, but then again the mid-century look has had a second coming in the last ten or fifteen years. And anyway, places like this don’t draw a crowd based on their atmosphere. Places like this live on bread alone and the views you get from the picnic tablesoutside.
“What am I not seeing here?” I ask Cassie. My timeline on this is short and I’m not talking about the restaurant. I’m talking about Claire herself, and I know Cassie knowsthis.
She turns around, plops her rag on the counter and brushes her hands on herapron.
“Claire hasn’t had the best few years, okay? This is something you should know about her if you really intend on doing whatever it is I can see you trying to do. Brynn is her sister’s daughter. Claire’s parents and sister were killed by a drunk driver three years ago, and overnight she became a nineteen-year-old single mom. Mike and I were there to help her, but we were young ourselves, too.” She picks up the rag again and points at my chest. “That’s what you’re not seeinghere.”
I feel myself deflate like I’ve been punched in the gut. Ice hits mychest.
“I’m so sorry. I had noidea.”
“She doesn’t like to talk about it and I don’t blame her. And the only reason I’m telling you is because you seem to really like her and you didn’t run at the first sign she might go ahead and chomp your head off like most guys. So if you’re serious about this, you’ll be really fucking careful around her. She would probably murder me if I told you all this, but it’s information you need if you’re going to keep hanging aroundhere.”
“I understand,” I tell her, “I getit.”
I wipe the corners of my mouth with my napkin and put a ten-dollar-bill and a few coins on thecounter.
“Nowyou get it, man,” Cassie says with a turn of the subject, sliding the coins to the edge of the counter and into her palm. “This is how we roll. Quarters and pennies, people. Quarters andpennies.”
“Thank you, Cassie. For everything. Can I please get an order of fish and chips togo?”
She gives me a smile and a nod and grabs the bill from the counter. I can see in her eyes the words she doesn’t have to say:don’t hurtClaire.
I won’t hurt her. She’s my woman. I will do right by her no matterwhat.
