Chapter 5 - Messy meeting

I arrived at Moe’s shop early in the morning, just as Bea unlocked the door to let me in. She greeted me with a broad smile and held the door open for me as I stepped inside.

As suspected, last night’s sparring with Lukas made my ribs and arms sore. But I loved it. I hadn’t had a good training in months. Luckily, Moe’s opened around 9 AM, giving me enough time to sleep after my hard night of training at Sal’s.

“Want a cup of coffee, Hon?” Bea asked me cheerfully.

“Sure, you know how I like it,” I replied, winking at her.

Bea had always been thoughtful enough to prepare the coffee machine the day before, so all she had to do was press start in the morning, and coffee would come flowing down. I waited patiently for Bea’s return on the chair in front of her desk, and when she did, she handed me my drink and sat down at her computer, typing away.

“Where’s Moe?” I asked, sipping my coffee.

“Oh, you know how it is with this rainy weather. His leg hurts, and—”

“And the shrapnel makes it even worse,” I finished the sentence for her. It was always the same thing. “Gotcha. Will he come in later this evening?”

“Probably. You know it’s hard to keep him away from his business even on his bad days. Speaking of which,” said Bea, handing me a folder, “I got you a contract for one Desmond Carter. Wanted for assault and battery charges. He broke parole. Locate and apprehend the fugitive. Once he’s back in custody, you’ll get $2500.”

“Any known whereabouts?” I asked as I took the folder and flipped through the pages with the target’s description and charges.

“He was last seen at his grandma’s place down on Delaware Street,” Bea replied. “He’s been extorting money from her, and he’s known to frequent the drug strip in the area. Approach with caution, Max. Mr. Carter carries a gun. Wouldn’t want an accident to happen.”

“Great. Same as usual, then. I’ll start looking and ask around if needed. Don’t wait for me tonight, and say hi to Moe for me.”

“Will do, Honey.”

I left the bail shop in a rush to get into my trusty VW Beetle. My mission was to search the area and then visit Carter’s grandmother’s house. I had a hunch that the suspect might be looking for money to pay for his heroin and that he might have stopped at the old lady’s place. I was grateful that I had remembered to grab my bulletproof vest from the trunk. If the suspect were armed and dangerous, the vest would come in handy.

I spent most of my morning driving around, trying to spot Carter, but he was nowhere to be found. Not even at the old lady’s place. Frustrated and disappointed, I decided to take a break from the search and satisfy my grumbling stomach. I stopped in front of a deli that I often went to and ordered myself something to eat. I could hardly wait to sink my teeth into the delicious sandwich I bought, but as I was walking out of the deli, lost in my own thoughts and salivating at the sight of my food, I didn’t notice the person walking in front of me. Before I knew it, we collided, and my drink spilled all over my white T-shirt. To make matters worse, my sandwich tumbled out of my hand and landed on the ground. Annoyed and embarrassed, I stood frozen for a moment, realizing that my $15 worth of food was now wasted.

I pouted and shook my arms to remove the liquid, then bent over to pick up the mess. As I did so, I hit my head on the same person who was also trying to help me pick up the mess.

I heard a man exclaim in pain, “Ouch! Damn, your skull is hard.”

Curious, I lifted my head to see the person and found myself standing just inches away from a pair of captivating pale green eyes. I had never seen that eye colouring before, but it was breathtaking.

The man was about to say something else, but when he locked eyes with me, he just stood there with his mouth slightly open, forgetting to breathe. I felt embarrassed and mumbled an apology.

He cleared his throat and offered me napkins to clean my dripping wet clothes. I muttered my thanks and took the small paper towels, dabbing them on myself.

“I feel bad for the state I just put you in. I’ll pay for your lunch.”

I peered at him through my lashes and saw he was an attractive man with a three-day-old beard, pale white skin, and short-cropped black hair. His features contrasted starkly with his enthralling eyes, making it hard for me to look away from him.

He removed his suit jacket and gave it to me so I could cover myself up. I felt a little shy and said, “That’s okay, I wasn’t that hungry anyway.” But as if on cue, my stomach growled, and the man heard it.

He chuckled at my lie. “Please, it’s the least I can do.”

I nodded, sat on the terrace just before the deli, and waited for his return. The man came back with  what I had ordered and set everything down on the table in front of me.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked.

He had made it up to me, so I felt bad not letting him sit. “Sure,” I replied.

He sat across the table from me, and looked awkward and nervous. I ate my lunch, but he kept staring at me intently. It was a bit uncomfortable, but I tried to ignore him and continued eating.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up. “I hope you’re not working after this. With the state of your clothes and all,” he gestured toward my T-shirt.

Embarrassed, I looked down and realized that it had become see-through. I quickly flipped the jacket he had offered me over my shoulders to hide underneath but sat uncomfortably as I tried not to soil the material.

“Don’t worry about my jacket, and you can keep it until you get home.”

Huh. Cute, generous and a gentleman. Man, where did these guys keep dropping from?

I spent practically ten years being single because the last one had been an asshole, and then “bam,” two hot guys in less than twenty-four hours.

“My name’s Jace,” he said, extending his hand for a handshake. I took it but was surprised by how cold his skin was. I quickly withdrew my hand and placed it on the table beside my drink. “Can I ask yours?”

“I’m Hard Skull, it would seem.” I laughed clumsily at my joke, then frowned because I didn’t know if there was enough time to salvage me looking too giddy. “But usually, people call me Max.”

Jace’s lips curled into a smile as he listened to my words, giving me the impression that I had managed to save myself.

“Is it a habit of yours, bumping into strangers?” he asked, his eyes glinting with amusement.

I shook her head. “No. Again, I’m sorry for that.”

It was entirely my fault. I was too busy salivating over my lunch instead of looking at where I was walking. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him due to the shame I felt, and I quickly tugged at the jacket he had given me to cover my black bra, which was visible beneath my wet shirt.

“Can you give me the address of where I can bring your jacket once I have it cleaned? It looks expensive, and I feel bad for keeping it from you,” I said, trying to make amends.

The suit jacket was styled with a single-breasted, two-button front and notch lapels. It was made of soft and lightweight tweed, with a satin finish on the inside. Although it was a bit too big for me, I was grateful for the coverage it provided.

“Might I be so bold as to see you again instead? You could give it back to me then,” Jace suggested, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“That would be bold,” I stated as I got up.

Despite feeling a bit flattered by Jace’s advances, meeting the other guy, Lukas, for coffee later today was causing me some stress. I wasn’t sure if I could handle two dates in a week, especially after being single for so long. I had grown used to the idea that men were too afraid to ask me out, which made me happy. But lately, it seemed that my barriers weren’t working anymore, and I was attracting stunning men who made my knees go weak.

“I’ll tell you what,” I said, trying to find a compromise. “I often come to this place and can keep your jacket with me. If we ever meet again, I’ll return it to you and even buy you lunch as a thank you. How does that sound?”

Jace seemed to find it amusing and laughed before moving closer to me. He placed his hand gently on the small of my back and walked me toward the sidewalk. “I’ll hold you to that.”

My heart raced, and I tried to hide the growing heat on my cheeks. Having pale skin was a nightmare for hiding your feelings and thoughts.

After Jace left, I walked toward my old blue popsicle-coloured ‘64 VW Beetle with some wear and tear. I got inside the car and waited for a while, ensuring Jace was out of sight before I drove away.

As I hit the road, I made one last circle around the drug strip, hoping to find my target, but I didn’t see him. So, I decided to go home. My day had already started exciting and intriguing, and it would continue to be so with my upcoming coffee with the guy I had trained with at Sal’s the night before. But before I could do that, I had to cool off and quell the heart palpitations rolling in waves inside my chest.