New to New York

Under the florescent lights of the diner Willow could see clearly the dark circles highlighting his eyes. She could also see tiny pink scars she hadn’t seen before; one over his left eye, another to the side of his chin, a few disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt. She could tell by their pinkness that they’d only been there a short while, maybe just over two weeks.

Her mind wondered to places where Jason was chasing dark figures down rough allies, saving girls from the mean city and its meaner inhabitants. But something told her that maybe it wasn’t always dark figures he was chasing; that maybe he was the meaner inhabitants people needed saving from.

Jake soon pulled her out of her own thoughts. “So…you knew about this all along?” he asked Jimmy who was trying to flag down an older woman with a light purple beehive. “Why did you get to know?”

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders, “Past jobs I guess. I’ve worked with the higher ups. God can we ever get some service?”

“In a minute,” said the old woman from the small kitchen window. Jimmy sighed and sat back down in a huff.

“In a minute I’m going to get my own damn coffee,” he said under his breath shaking his hair out.

“Wait, wait, wait. You’re saying that you’re in this thing too?” blood had rushed to his face and his eyes had the angry storm clouds again; Addi raised her hand to comfort him but thought better of it and returned it to her lap.

“Am I officially involved in the same thing as these two? No. I’m more the man behind the curtain. You know those really action-y bank heist movies? Where they hack into the computers and steal from the inside? That’s what I do. I’m a world class hacker, buddy boy.”

By the end, Jake’s mouth was hanging open and he looked like a guppy slowly pulling in breaths. “You’re a hacker. You’re a hired assassin. And you’re – I don’t even know who you are,” he said looking around the table. When he got to Will he looked the most astonished. “Aren’t you the least bit – I don’t know – angry, surprised, something?!? You’re sitting there quiet as ever.”

She just sat there, moving her mouth up and down but no words coming out. She didn’t know what to say. She’d been there just over 24 hours and already someone’s world was crashing down around them; what was she supposed to say? “I – I – I’m as shocked as you?” she sputtered; but again, deep in her gut, she’d already figured out that Jason had something untouchable about him.

“Oh. Shocked. That’s all?”

Will just looked down. She didn’t know how to answer his questions anymore.

“Jake, move. I want my damn coffee,” Jimmy said pushing the other guy from the booth and walking behind the 50’s style bar to the coffee maker. “And stop grilling the newbie. It’s not her fault; plus she’s dealing with it in her own way. Anybody else want some?” he asked holding up the pot. Nobody said anything so he just poured one mug full. “Look at Jason; he’s as white as rice right now. God knows what’s going through his head. And Addi is looking a little green. I think it’d best if you’d calm down a bit, ya know?”

The woman suddenly sprang from around the corner; she started shooing Jimmy back to the table with a bright yellow broom. “Young man, no one but me is allowed behind the bar. Got it?”

He held up his hands in surrender and back up, “Okay, okay. Got it. Golly gee, Batlady. Anyways, like I said. This is a big bomb. I think we all need to be calm. Calm like the sea in spring.” He was moving his hands in small waves, grinning like a crazy person. “You should know about the sea my man.”

Jake just shook his head, but they all knew Jimmy had defused the situation for the time being. Will looked up then to find Jason staring at her again, making her feel naked. He looked so sad and her heart went out to him; she’d have to talk to him one on one later.

“Jake, I’m really sorry,” Addi begin. “I just wanted to keep the two worlds separate, ya know? With you not knowing it was just way easier. Plus I didn’t want you to get mixed up in everything; I couldn’t stand it if you became a target.” She finished and looked up at him, happy to see that he looked much calmer. “Any questions? From now on I’m an open book.”

“That’s just fine with me,” Jake said smiling so that Willow felt she had to turn away; it seemed way too intimate. His voice had gone husky and his eyes were brighter than before.

“Yes, well. Since that’s over with, Jay you look like you need a smoke,” Jimmy said nodding towards the big picture window where you could see the orange-y glow of the sunrise over the skyscrapers. “I’m gonna get some cake.”

Jason seemed in a daze as he rose from his spot quietly, stretching his arms above his head while popping his elbows and knees. “I’ll be back I guess,” he said to the table, but Will couldn’t shake the feeling that he was really speaking to her alone. He brushed her arm as he passed which caused her to look up at him and notice that’d he probably wanted her to follow him. At least that’s what she hopped she saw or she was going to be very embarrassed.

&&&&&

Outside everything seemed incredibly far away. Like when you exit a movie theater after an intense movie, it’s still on your mind but unreal. “What do you think?” Jason asked his back to her. All she could see was the smoke trail rising up over his right shoulder, the way he was standing was ridged and stiff. “Do you even really care? You did just meet me...”

“Well, I mean, you’re right – I did just meet you. But I like you.” Jason turned towards her and she had to rush through the rest. “You seem like a really nice guy. And if it’s like a gang then you’re in it for life right? You don’t like doing what you do, but you do what you have to….right?” he shook his head and a smile spread across his face.

“I don’t just sit around waiting to kill people. I mainly fight, like boxing and MMA fighting. People bet on me or against me and I’m supposed to win or lose according on what my boss says,” his grin grew. “You like me?”

“Out of everything I said that’s what you caught on too?”

Pinching the cigarette between his thumb and pointer finger, taking a short drag, he was suddenly a moment from kissing her again. “I tend to see the silver lining.”

She watched his lips as he spoke, captivated by them and the way they moved around words. Then the way they felt moving on and with her own. She moving backward but didn’t know if she was pulling him or being pushed by him; someone sighed but she couldn’t tell where he ended and she began; his hands wandered to the bottom of her shirt when her back hit the brick wall, playing with the hem and running his thumbs over the skin at her waist. “We really have to stop starting this…” he said breathlessly pulling away from her; his eyes unfocused and his chest rising and falling heavily.

But he was still grinning like a crazy person.

She just nodded her head not trusting her voice.

“And you’re right. I don’t like what I do, and I am stuck in it, but I promise I won’t bring it around you Low. I swear. You’re life will still go on like I was just a normal guy.”

“I know.” She waited a moment before continuing. “Just don’t keep me in the dark like Jake was. If you’re in trouble tell me, ‘kay?” he nodded, leaning his forehead against hers.

“Anyone ever tell you how amazing you are?”

“No, but I’ve always had a feeling.” They stood there a little while longer; heads touching and just smiling at each other.

&&&&&

“Can’t believe she kicked me out,” Jimmy said opening the apartment door. Back at the diner Jimmy had gone back over the other side of the bar and gotten cake, which had been the last straw for the tired elderly woman working there. “Do you think she’ll ever let me back in?” he asked Willow who was right behind him.

“I don’t understand why you’d want to,” she answered more concentrated on the boy behind her, nicknamed Hatter, who had his hands on her hips sometimes switching them to the small of her back. “The service wasn’t all that great, and she seemed sort of mean.”

“All true, but that cake was amazing.” He grinned sloppily at her. “Do you cook?”

“Sometimes,” she shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing to fancy though.” She heard Jason chuckle and leaned back towards him. “I always planned on finding a man that would cook for me.”

She looked around to find herself in a swankier place than her own. Plush carpets and rugs covered the floor except where they met shiny white marble in the kitchen and foyer. In the living room there was a huge TV screen a few feet from a lavish desk with a complicated assortment of wires running from this thing to that thing. Multiple screens ran up about half way up the wall, all of them connected in some technical way Will couldn’t even begin to understand. Willow knew she was gaping but couldn’t stop herself.

“Welcome everyone to my humble abode,” he swept his arms wide, bowing low. “Some of you have been here before, a few haven’t.” he pushed his blue hair from his eyes and smiled at Willow and Jake.

“Nice place, Jim,” Jake muttered. Apparently he was still a little pissed he was kept out of the loop. “Your electric bill must be outrageous…” he mused to no one in particular, and no one in particular answered.

Jim went on talking, “My house is kind of like a safe house. People crash here unexpectedly if they’re in danger,” he smiled at Jason. “Dude, remember that time you showed up and GiGi was…” the words died as Jason looked pointed at him then back Will. “Ah, well you probably remember.” He rubbed the back of his neck like Jason did when he was nervous and Willow wondered if Jason got it from Jimmy. “Anyway, if you’re ever in need of a place to stay, you can always stay here.”

“Hey, Jimmy, is this that new movie?” Jason said picking up a DVD and flipping it over.
Everything seemed so absolutely normal that Will almost forgot what had happen that entire day. She almost forgot how scared she was when her apartment had been broken into. She almost forgot how scared she was when that man had grabbed Addi by the arm. How shocked she was when Addi had told her the news. And the look on Jason’s. Now the news about Jimmy. Suddenly it all came crashing in on her, her eyes stinging and getting blurry. She didn’t even notice that everyone had moved to the mega computer, not really pay attention to her.

“Um, Jimmy…bathroom?” she spoke before she got completely choked with tears.

“Down the hall, across from the creepy painting of the naked lady. Can’t miss it, it’s big and shiny and white.” She was half way down the hall before he stopped speaking, pushing back the tears till she was far away from everyone.

Will slipped off her heels, sinking an inch and a half, reveling in the feeling of the cool tile against her feet. She let out a deep sigh, and then another as the tears finally came. They came faster when she remembered she didn’t really have a reason to be crying; she had just met these people after all. She moved to the giant tube and crawled, hugging her knees to her chest. She was thinking about calling her mom when there was knock on the big door.

Will ignored it, choosing instead to focus on a tile with a blue stain on it. A minute passed, then another until she thought the other person had just left to find a different bathroom. No doubt there was one elsewhere in this place.

“Low?” even though the word was spoken softly, she stilled jumped when she heard it. “Low, babe?” Jason knocked again and it sounded low on the door. Was he sitting in the hallway?

Willow stood up slowly, her knees popping and back stiff. God, how long had she sat there?

She crawled to the door on her hands and knees, then leaned her back against it. “Hi,” she hadn’t planned to say anything but the word popped out anyway.

There was a shuffle on the other side. “Low? Baby, you okay?”

She nodded, and then realized he couldn’t see her. “Yeah.”
“
Can I come in?” the question was hesitant, like he didn’t expect her to say yes.

Will flipped the lock and scooted back as he stepped in and looked down at her. “Low, you’ve been in here for an hour and a half… you’re worrying me.” Jason sat down on the plush rug next to her, closing the door. “You don’t have to be here. You can leave whenever you want; you don’t have to ever see me again.” His face was a careful mask, no sadness or any other emotion, but his hands trembled the smallest bit.

He hoped to God that she’d stay. Now that he’d found her, he didn’t want to let her go.

She turned her brown eyes up to him, they were shiny from tears and her face had two dark rivers running down to her chin. “Jason.”

“Willow.”

“Why-” she stopped to clear her throat, it was thick from the early tears. She tried again, “Why do you keep trying to get rid of me?”

He grinned, finally letting emotion show through the mask, and scooped her into his lap. “I mean, you’re really starting to give me mixed signals Hatter,” she said into his chest, her breath warm through his t-shirt giving him goose bumps.

He didn’t say anything; just kissed the top of her head. “You’re really truly something amazing, Low.”