New to New York

Hatter watched from the catwalk as the room filled every kind of low life there was. Gutter poor dealers rubbing elbows with Russian millionaires. They all had one thing in common though.

“Hatter, my boy!” His boss Rob came up behind him and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Ya ready to kick some ass?”

He moved his chin a millimeter down then back up, enough of a nod for Rob to continue. “I’m glad, I’m glad. I want ya to take him down, boy. Ya see that fellow the lass Addi is talking to? Well, he’s got big bucks on ya. And I owe him some favors.” He stopped talking while the two men watched Addi do her magic like a used car salesman. She could talk horse shit into Egyptian cotton. She knew just how to flirt with every kind of man in the building without leaving any attachments.

“Sometimes I think she’s part of the wee folk,” Rob said. “Look there,” he jabbed a finger
towards the back right corner, seeming to have forgotten Addi, where a dark haired man towered over several others. “That’s who you’ll be fighting. Burly lad ain’t he? Come boy, bout time to be getting down there.” Hatter followed the old Irishman as he waddled down the metal stairs.

At the bottom Hatter was instructed, like he always was, to remove his shirt and any weapons he had on his person. And like he always did he took off his beat up old white t-shirt and handed his gun he always kept close to Addi who would always magically appear next to him. Everything was like it was every time. He could almost go through this whole thing eyes closed, only focusing on Willow.

Almost.

“Hold that,” he said handing the cool metal handle to his ginger friend. “Any weak spots to tell me about?” he asked her.

“Naw, couldn’t get anything useful out of the planner, but his handler, who had two fish just die, told me that Peter has a bad right knee; has to wear a brace when he works out.” Addi smiled as close as she could too mischievously. She was, after all, payed for being able to make people believe what they normally wouldn’t.

Hatter nodded again. That was good information. Easier to take the giant down if he knew where to hit.

“Are you ready?” she asked low to his ear as he bent to check his shoes.
He just looked up at her, smiled the smallest amount and stood up. “Yes, Addi. I’m fine.”

“Ladies and gentlemen!” he announcer yelled to the crowd. “Welcome to the greatest of all fights on the greatest of all nights!!” This was said every night too. “Please welcome your fighters!!”

Hatter and the giant made their way to the marked off area.

&&&&&

“Will!” Jimmy yelled in a singsong sort of way. “Pancakes!”

Will rolled over looking for Jason, but found an empty pillow. She shot up and noted that yes, it was dark outside; yes, Jason was nowhere to be seen; and yes, yesterday/this morning had not in fact been a dream because her jeans and panties were still where she kicked them off plus a note stuck to her phone. It had a number and a little message. She smiled remembering, but it faded fast.

“Oh, yeah,” she said out loud to the empty room. He had work.

Jimmy’s voice on the other side of the door. “Hey Will? I have some pancakes for you…” Willow noted that Jimmy sounded really chipper.

“Thanks Jimmy.” She called back getting up and gathering her clothes. “I’ll be out in a second.”

“Kay, just come in the kitchen,” he called back before she heard his footsteps walking back down the hall. It didn’t occur to her that having pancakes at seven in the evening was a little bit different till she walked in and saw Jimmy dancing around the breakfast nook wearing a pink apron and holding a yellow spatula. Jake padded in a moment later, shirtless and all surfer-muscled. He waved a small wave towards Will. “Hey.”

She nodded in response before noticing that he too had stars on his shoulder, except the opposite shoulder and he had four instead of three; none filled in though. She didn’t think his were connected like Jason’s were but she couldn’t be sure.

“Okay guests of mine,” Jimmy said laying down not one but two big plates of pancakes. “I didn’t know which kind you guys preferred so I made a batch of blueberry and a batch of chocolate.” He smiled down at them expectantly. “Enjoy.”

Times like these made Will wonder if Jimmy was gay or not. “They look really good,” she said taking a blueberry one while Jake opted for the chocolate. “Mmm.”

“Hey baby.” Will jumped as a pouty blond came strolling in wearing the shirt Jimmy was wearing yesterday. “Smells really good.” She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest and stomach. Not gay.

“Thanks Liz. Want some before you go?”

Liz nodded and picked up a chocolate. “Call you later,” she said kissing his cheek and walking to the door. A moment later they heard it shut with a solid click.

“Wow,” Jake said. “Up high Jim Bob!” They slapped hands as Will sat there trying to hide her smile; it would go against girl code to give congrats to a one night stand.

“Is that your girlfriend?” she asked as he turned back to the mammoth stove.

“Liz? Naw. Liz doesn’t do relationships. Which is good because I don’t either,” he shrugged
his shoulders. “They’re too messy for me.” They sat silent for a moment or two.

“Do you know when Addi will be back?” Jake asked shyly.

Jimmy laughed and Will just ate her pancakes in slience trying to hide her smile again.

&&&&&

Hatter shot his right fist out again, felt the bones crunch as they made contact to face, and then felt the floor shake as his opponent hit the ground, by the cheers of the crowd, for good. He wouldn’t know till later if Peter was just KO’d or dead.

He shook his hand out giving one last fleeting look to the man, and then turned his attention to Addi who already had gauze ready. She started unwrapping his bloody knuckles pouring warm water on them to get the dried blood off. By now the crowd had more or less left to either go home or collect their winnings. They were all for the fight but not for the cleanup; wasn’t that always the case though?

“Was Rob happy with that?” Hatter asked tonelessly. He just wanted his money.
Addi looked back at their chubby boss with his ruddy cheeks and bulbous nose, he had lighter red hair then she did, almost orange, and he’d gone bald on the top with only a little remaining on each side of his head making his looks seem similar to those of Bozo. “Yeah, he seems okay with your performance. Got any broken bones?”

He smiled an easy smile now that work was done. “Naw, nothing broken. Are you gonna tell me what you and Jake did last night?” He wriggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. Jason could probably guess what they did.

“Oh yeah,” she said looking up in to his face totally serious. “We played Scrabble.” Addi winked at him before focusing on his right hand again. She would never actually tell him that Jake had poured his heart out to her. That she had made the first move when she had asked to see all his different tattoos, then when she had helped him take his shirt off and how he had kissed her so soft and cautious letting her decide how far they were gonna take things. Something she hadn’t had for such a very long time that she had grabbed at the chance. He had actually stopped her and asked her about the change of heart; she then told him about Danny. How even though she’d had boyfriends since him they were more just people needed in desperate times to keep her out of her own head. She didn’t even like most of them, nor did she remember half their names.

She remembered how mad Jake had gotten at this news. He’d said really softly, “But I was always there. Always. And you just passed me by every time. I would have been there for you, Addi. Every fucking time you needed me I would have been there.”

She told him she knew that and that was exactly the reason why she’d left him alone. She didn’t want someone who would stick around. She had wanted one night stands and weeklong hookups. Anything more was too much.

Then he’d kissed her again and again she grabbed at the chance of being loved like that, this time though he hadn’t stopped and neither had she. They both had needed this.

“Just,” Jason said pulling her from the memory. “don’t break the guy’s heart, Maddison.” He only used her full name when he really wanted to get his point across. “He really has a thing for you, reasons unknown though.” he said getting back to their normal ways acting more like brother and sister than friends.

“Yeah, yeah, just shut up. You’re messing up your hand.”

“How the hell is talking messing up my hand?”

“Like this,” and she flicked his knuckle lightly making him wince. “Told you.”

“Like I said,” he retorted playfully glaring at her. “Reasons unknown.”

A second later Rob shuffled over to them leaning over Addi’s shoulder, his hot breathe heavy on the back of her neck. “Good work, Hatter me boy. You landed the Russian’s business, nasty buggers though; can’t ever trust ‘em.”

Sam came up than behind Rob wearing too much cologne. “Hi there Addi. You look really nice. Nice job tonight Hatter; three punches and that guy was already counting the little blue birds flying around his head.” Sam was always making lame jokes like that, nobody but him ever really thought they were funny which is why an awkward silence usually followed him wherever he went. “Anyway, I overheard the Italians talking and they really aren’t happy they lost.”

“Well duh, Sam. Why would they be? Is this your way of telling us you heard them planning something?” Addi asked annoyed. He was so dim sometimes you had to be really direct.

“Uh, yeah. Something ‘bout it being unfair or something like that.” He shrugged like he couldn’t care less.

“You would make the worst spy ever,” Addi said her patience at end. Guys like Sam really did a number on her nerves. They were the ones voted best football player and most likely to be successful even though they could barely do long division, God forbid you ask them to read a book and give their opinion. They grabbed your butt as you walked by thinking they were cute and irresistible. They were the ones sleeping off a hangover at a frat house at three in the afternoon. “Go away please. We have grown up stuff to do now,” Addi finally just said to him.

He looked at Rob expecting him to put her in her place, but he was quiet because he felt the same way. “Fine,” Sam stomped away like a spoiled child who just found out the word ‘no’.

“Addi,” Rob said but with his accent it sounded more like Addah. “I can’t just let ya talk to him like that.”

“Yeah, I know,” she said sighing, this wasn’t new. She was always being told to be nicer. “Anyway, how much do we get tonight? I got rent to pay you know.”

Rob chuckled the way he only would for Addi. “Ah, yes; the money.” He made a show of taking two different bundles of cash out of his jacket pockets and giving them very carefully. “Hatter,” he said giving over a stack. “Addi,” he said doing the same but with more fatherly affection than really needed.

Jason nodded his thanks tucking his money in his pocket, the weight of it making him actually feel like he accomplished something. His thoughts wondered to Willow and how when she closed her eyes her eyelashes touched the tops of her cheekbones. He was thinking about her for a full five minutes before he realized there was a whole conversation he was missing.

“That’s what I was thinking too. Exactly right,” Addi said wrapping up some explanation before Rob was called away. “Quick,” she said whispering. “Let’s get out of her before he comes back.” She grabbed one of Jason’s hands and pulled him up and over to the door. “And put some clothes on will ya?”

&&&&&

Across town Will, Jake and Jimmy were gathered around his dining room table. “Anybody know where I can get a job?” she asked over salsa and chips. It seemed like Jimmy never stopped eating, not that you could tell from his frame and that fact that he looked just over a hundred and thirty pounds soaking wet.

“Quins,” Jake said leaning back in his chair the way teachers always told you not to do. “That place we went to a few nights ago. We can go there tonight to get you an application, if you want.”

“Okay,” she said excited to have something to do. “Let’s go right now. Jimmy, do you have any clothes I could borrow? I think this is a little too dressy.”

“Addi does,” Jake said before Jimmy had the chance to answer. “They’re in the dresser in the room with the red blanket. I think she has some jeans and some t-shirts and some other essentials…” his voice faded when he realized Will and Jimmy were staring at him open mouthed. “Just trying to helpful,” he said as his cheeks got a little pinker under his suntan.

&&&&&

“Hey, I’ll get us some shots while you go find a table,” Jimmy said pushing his way through the three person deep crowd.

“Pick up an application!” Willow yelled, but she wasn’t sure he heard her. “C’mon Jake.” She maneuvered by a group of college guys already half drunk, one yelled out to her but it was too loud to hear exactly what he said.

She finally found a table near the front next to the big picture frame window that declared the name of the bar in big yellow letters outlined in orange written in a way that reminded her of the Cheers logo, something her father would sit and watch full marathons of.

She’d been so caught up in the logo she didn’t notice Anabelle standing behind her till Jake was getting up to give her a hug. “Hey Ana! Long time no see,” Jake once again being the ultimate nice-guy-no-care-in-the-world. Ana oh the other hand still had a problem with Will.

“Hey Jake, is the rest of the gang here?” she asked Jake, ignoring Will’s presence once again.

“Just Jimmy and Will. Addi and Jay had work, but they should be here after a while,” he stole a quick glance at Will. “You can sit with Will and me if you’d like.”

Anabelle turned her head to sneer at the other girl. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll just go find Jimmy.” She turned and headed to the bar with the table of frat brothers watching her and making catcalls.

A minute later they both came back, Jimmy carrying two shots and a piece of thick paper. He slapped in down in front of Will, “Quin said she’d start you off tomorrow if you returned this tonight. She really needs some fresh meat around the place.”

Will nodded and looked at the first question: Why do you want to work in a bar? Seriously? She smiled and moved on to the next one: Any experience? And no, parties do not count. Will wrote down that she’d taken some classes in bartending and found that it was really fun and quite enjoyable. She thought that answered the first one too so she drew an arrow up to the top.

“It’s okay to tell a little lies. That’s how I got most if my jobs.”Jimmy informed her smiling. Jake snorted and argued that if she lied then she’d be expected to live up to those lies. Jimmy answered with a reasonable counter and soon they were off debating as Will finished, leaving Anabelle with them as she went to meet her hopefully new boss.

&&&&&

“Will? Follow me.” Quin yelled over the band that’d just shown up. Will followed her in to a tiny room in the back with different stickers covering the walls; everything from the Wal-Mart smiley to different skate and snowboard brands to band logos.

“So you’ve never worked in a real bar before?”She asked launching into business mode that was at odds with her brow, nose and lip piercings.

Will shook her head. “No, but there’s first time for everything right? I just moved into the city and some friends said this would be a great place to work.” God this woman was scary, thought Willow.

“What friends?” she asked. She was leaning towards Will and her light brown eyes looked more than curious.

“Uh, Jimmy for one. He’s the small Asian kid with -”

“Yeah,” she interrupted. “Blue hair. I know Jimmy. Who else?”

“Jason, you might know him as Hatter? He said he knew you.”

“Hatter! Ah, yes, Hatter. So you’re the one he called about?” she looked tons lighter and younger having lost angry old woman thing.

“I guess,” Will said feeling relieved. She made a mental note to really thank him later. “Does that make a difference?”

“Hatter said you were reliable and responsible and all the other shit bosses look for. He’s one of the few who tells things how they really are.” Will had a flashback to that first night when he had truthfully told her what he was thinking. “Anyway, you’re already hired,” Quin said pushing the thick paper into the overflowing trash basket on the floor. It missed and fell beside the rest. “Can you come in tomorrow at twelve? I’ll train you and then decide then whether or not to have on the busy shift.”

“Yeah, sure,” Will said standing when her new boss did. She was so excited she thought about doing her happy dance, but then thought it best not to let Quin in on how big of a dork she really was. “Twelve on the dot.” She smiled. She loved having a job.

When she walked out of Quin’s office and immediately saw Jason and Addi walking through the door. Before she told her feet to, she was already across the room throwing her arms around Jason’s neck and squeezing closer to him. She loved the smell of him; mint from his gum and the natural musk he carried along with the Old Spice aftershave.

But, he didn’t wrap his arms around like she thought he would. He winced and pulled her arms from him, still holding her hand though as she looked up into his face. “Oh my god.”