Gazelle (7 page)

              She smiles a Cheshire grin at him.
 “
See!  Something in common!  Who would have guessed the Amish and the Cholawould hit it off so well
?
”

              They pull into the check cashing lot.  She rummages through her bag and emerges with a wad of hundred dollar bills.  He looks at the money and then at her.

“
I
t’
s no
t…
I do
n’
t have a checking account so I have to do everything cash
.
”
“
What?
!
”

“
I know
.
”
“
How do you not have a checking account
?
”
“
I
t’
s a long story
.
”

“
Wait, do you not have
any
type of bank account?  Credit cards?  Savings
?
”

“
…
Lots of people do
n’
t, okay? I like to know where my money is
.
”
“
Tha
t’
s so dangerous
!
”
“
Yeah, probably, if I had
millions
like
some
people.  But this is pretty much it and i
t’
s all bills.  Just-do
n’
t judge me, okay
?
”
              Her face flushes and she rapidly tucks her hair behind her ears as she shuffles through her paperwork, no traces of her earlier humor remaining.

“
Hey
,
” he says, placing a gentle hand on hers, genuinely worried he may have fucked things up so soon.  She stops and tilts her head to him without looking up.
 “
Sorry. I did
n’
t mean to judge you
.
”

              She beams up at him again, melting his heart.
 “
Thanks.  Come on.  Yo
u’
re in for a real treat.  Ther
e’
s nothing more humbling than waiting in line to pay your bill
!
”

              The room is hot with the early afternoon as the sun blazes through the plate glass windows and cooks the people inside the small room.  Large fans blast the crowd, twisting in a sweaty, discombobulated line towards the door, most of them of Latin descent.  The chatter of conversations in Spanish flitters about the hum of the fans, periodically imposed with sharp laughter or coarse swearing.  Children run in and out of their legs in an attempt to fight their boredom.  Julian stands feet above everyone, completely, uncharacteristically self-conscious and out of sorts.  Nobody takes notice of him in a specific way.  Most of them initially shoot him sidelong glances before completely ignoring him.  He has not felt so misplaced and insignificant in a long time, and it is refreshing.  He sighs and relaxes, letting himself pretend to belong.  However, after nearly thirty minutes in the suffocating heat, he is bored and annoyed, realizing he wears the same expression as the rest of the room, and is no longer pretending at all.

“
You go through this every month
?
”
“
N
o…
every three months.  I only come in when I get the 15-day notice. 
I’
d kill myself if I had to do this every month
,
” she whispers as her fingers rapidly text on her phone.

“
Who are you texting
?
”
“
Work.  They want me to come in.  I am telling them very politely to fuck off
.
”

“
Your work texts you
?
”
“
No, well, kind of.  My supervisor is also my friend so, yeah.  Sucks, huh?  And I ca
n’
t tell her
I’
m sick or anything because she knows
I’
m lying.  Guh
.
”

              Her ring tone goes off loudly as a call comes through
.“
Shit
.
”

“
Who is it
?
” Julian asks.

            
 “
The car
.
” She shoots him a look, and answers sweetly.
 “
Hi, Anthon
y…
I know.  I was going to call you last night but I had Michell
e’
s part
y…
N
o…
.n
o…
I kno
w…
.
I’
m sorr
y…
It broke down and you were close enough that I could tow it for cheap.  I would
n’
t have gone there otherwise, trust me.  I kno
w…
.listen, can you fix it or not because I need to make arrangements if you ca
n’
t, I need it by tomorrow...Anthony, do
n’
t...I know but I ca
n’
t get into that right now.  What?  Seriously??  Why?...Are you joking?...Ay, pues, fine! 
I’
ll stop by after I pay ren
t…
I do
n’
t
know
, Anthony, an hour?  Two hours?  Do you need me to text you when
I’
m on my way?...Ay, fine!  Bye
!
”

              Her face is flushed again and she shakes her head as she steps up to the counter.

“
Who was that
?
” Julian asks again.

“
My ex
,
” she says, and then to the clerk
,“
Hi, Kim.  I need to pay fifty on this account, please
.
”

              The clerk sits behind plexi-glass in a room clearly air-conditioned.  Alice pushes her paperwork through a tiny slot with the accompanying payment.  The clerk, a round woman with a frizzy perm poofed up off her head and heavy make-up plastered across her face, shuffles through the bill and then looks at her in reproach
.“
The bill is for a hundred
.
”

“
Yes, I know, thank you. 
I’
m paying the minimum due
,
” she mumbles.

“
But if you just pay the other half, yo
u’
ll be clear.  You obviously have it
,
” she says, gesturing to the wad of money Alice shoves in her front pocket.

              Alice stops and stares hard at the woman, her attitude changing instantaneously.  She narrows her eyes and draws her mouth tight, her brow dropping dangerously.  Julian freezes, unsure of the sudden anxiety welling in him at her transformation. 

“
Oh, oh you mean this money
?
” she asks, holding up the wad.
 “
This?  You suddenly know where all this needs to go, huh?  You wannabalance my check book, Kim, is that it?  Pay my groceries?  Feed my dog?  Who you talking to right now
?
”
“
You do
n’
t need to get crazy
,
” Kim sighs, hits the button on her microphone and types the information into her computer
,“
I was just trying to be helpful
.
”

“
Every time, lady!  Every time you bust my balls about my bills!  Why?  Why me and not the
thousands
of other poor bastards that waitforever in your line while you move like a snail, taking your time behind that bullet-proof glass!  What makes you think I need or want your help
?
”
“
Have a nice day, Alic
e
” Kim says through a cold smile as she hands Alice her receipt.

“
Yeah, you, too.  And next time you come through
my
line,
I’
ll be sure and hook you up with our sugar-free shit
.
”

              Kim hits the microphone button and glowers at Alice.
 “
Wha
t’
s that suppose mean?
!
”
“
It means you need to watch your blood sugar
,‘
cuzyou acting crazy
!
”

“
Whoa, hey, le
t’
s go
,
” Julian laughs, grabbing her arm as the crowd around him snickers.

              Before Kim can retaliate, they rush outside and burst into laughter.

“
Shit, I have to find a new pay station again
!
” Alice says as they climb into the car.

“
What did your ex say
?
”

              She chews her upper lip and frowns as they make their way towards Chinatown. 

“
He says I have to stop by and give him
a‘
down paymen
t
’ to fix my car
,
” she answers, playing with the radio nonchalantly.
 “
He was pissed, as usual
.
”

“
Why?  Hey, you know, last night, you said he was your boyfriend
.
”

“
I never said he was my boyfriend...when
?
”

“
When you told the driver to drop off your car at you boyfrien
d’
s shop
.
”
“
O
h…
yeah, tha
t’
s just semantics.  H
e’
s my ex.  We broke up a while ago.  But I still, w
e’
re still friends, I suppose.  I
t’
s complicated
.
”
“
On again, off again
.
”
“
What?  No.  Not on again, never on again.  He wants to be friends and like, close friends, but
I’
m no
t…
ready for that.  So, we hang out a little bit, then I disappear and then we hang out again.  But no hooking up or anything.  He thinks I just use him
.
”
              They park on the street in front of a pool hall.  She rummages through the  middlecompartment in search of change, finding his phone instead.
 “
Do you need this
?
”
“
Probably.  How do you use him
?
”
“
You ask a lot of questions.  People who ask a lot of questions are usually trying to distract themselves from something
,
” she says as she hands him his phone with five more missed calls from CeCe.

“
Tha
t’
s pretty good, I like what you did there.  You diverted the attention from my question, which was diverting my attention from myself.  I
t’
s cool.  You do
n’
t have to tell me
,
” he says, frowning down at his phone as he notes the urgent text messages he has yet to read.

“
Jesus!  Do I nee
d‘
lawyer u
p’
?  Fine,
I’
ll answer, I got nothing to hide
detective
.  He thinks I use him to fix my car.  Which I do and don't hide it. “
“
Tha
t’
s not so bad.  At least yo
u’
re honest about it
,
” he says.

“
Wel
l…
he also thinks I use him as an excuse to keep myself single.  Which is none of his business
.
”
              She swings out of the car before he can respond and heads for the door. 

He follows her, studying the dilapidated building before them; a peeling, aged sign that read
s‘
Pool Palac
e
’ hangs over a long, tinted glass storefront, too dark to see into.  He suddenly notes his surroundings, the long stretch of street facing a chain link fence enclosing train tracks, the absence of people or cars, debris scattered along the gutters, and feels a certain amount of uncertainty and danger.  He looks to his new friend once more, playing with the alarm on the car like a child with a new toy.