Page 138 of Restless
“We’ll probably never see each other again,” she said. “According to the back of your vest, you live in Washington. A long way from Louisiana.”
“You’re right about what’s on mycut. And I’ve always wanted to go to Jazz Fest.”
“You missed this year’s,” she retorted, realizing he,they,referred to his vest as a cut.
“It comes every fucking year.”
“I hope you enjoy it.”
He grinned. “It happens the end of every April, doesn’t it?”
She nodded. “And the first weekend of May.”
“That gives us ten months to talk on the phone and get to know one another.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Many.”
She wrinkled her nose. “That’s nasty.”
“It’s truth,” he said with a shrug. “We’ll be hundreds of miles apart, Roxanne. We won’t be fucking. Only talking.”
“I’ll see.”
“It’s good to have friends from all different walks of life.”
“Lawd, Jesus, you’re a begging motherfucker, Kaleb,” she said, giggling. “I’ll give you my number to shut you up but I’m warning you I don’t have time to talk for hours to some old dude who lives thousands of miles away.”
“Ouch.” He placed a hand on his heart. “You wound me. I’m thirty years old. Definitely not old.”
“I’ll be nineteen in a few weeks. To me, you’re fuckingold,” she teased.
“You can be an old man’s darling rather than a young man’s fool.”
“You’re a philosopher?”
“I’m a biker, a mechanic, and a lover of the Bard. When I was young, I used to dream of having a wife with a bunch of children and we all lived in a huge fucking house. My woman and our kids would want for nothing. I’d spoil the shit out of them, and they’d never know hunger or fear or death.” His smile was sad. “That’s not how it turned out.”
“Not so far,” Roxy said, laying her hand on his hard thigh. “But don’t count out tomorrow.” He’d protected her when he didn’t have to. He must’ve had his reasons for not turning his back on Sharper Banks and the rest of them, yet it wasn’t her business. After tonight, she doubted she’d hear from K-P again. Right now, she wanted to return the favor he’d shown her and lighten his mood. “My favorite Shakesperean sonnet is 116.Let Me Not to The Marriage of True Minds.”
His eyes flared in surprise.
“It bears out even to the end of doom,” she recited from memory. “The sonnet speaks of love that doesn’t end until the world does. How does it feel to love like that?”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Instead of kicking Quincy’s ass, I should probably thank that stupid motherfucker.”
“Whatever, boy,” she said with a little sniff.
K-P kissed her hand again. “I know you’ve been traumatized, but don’t tell anyone what happened. It’s in your best interest, babe.”
Frowning, she snatched her hand away. “Are you threatening me?”
“I’mwarningyou. Sharper’s reach is far and wide, Roxanne. He has contact information on every motherfucker who was at his anniversary. I assure you, he’ll send you a warning to keep your mouth shut. What that’ll look like, I have no idea.”
“Then how will I know it’s directed at me?” she demanded.
“Because you will,” he said flatly.
