Beggin' DeVito's Story

"hey doll? Can I get a whiskey rocks please?"

"Sure just a sec!"

She replied without turning around, it was the weekend rush and she had been rushed off of her feet for most of her shift bar work was her favourite though, she liked to chat with the customers and rarely had a bad word to say about any of them, one of her duties working in the casino was to pick the punters up after a loss or after a bad day and she loved hearing their stories.

She scooped ice in the glass and poured the brown liquid on top of it before turning around and calling the order, a short dark haired man at the end of the bar claimed it, she handed it over with a smile,

"thanks doll"

-

The night had drawn in around them very quickly, almost too quick for Tommy's liking now Renee had been cleared by the doctor and fully discharged from the hospital she was due back in work the following day, he was anxious not knowing if they were totally out of the woods yet, what if they came back? what if they followed her to work?

He sat alone in the house the silence almost deafening he stared at the crumpled paper next to him once more tears hazing his vision, he violently stubbed his cigarette out and rubbed his temples, the headline repeating over and over in his mind,

"FRANCINE VALLI, 18, DEAD"

She was so young, so innocent it didn't seem fair, he could remember cradling her as a new born, remarking on how much she resembled her father, his best friend smitten with his new arrival, he tormented himself with images of Frankie being alone chain smoking and drinking himself in to a miserable oblivion, he launched the ashtray across the room smirking as it hit the wall, ash,butts and glass scattering on to the floor, with adrenaline pumping through his veins he grabbed his keys slamming the front door behind him, in a drunken stupor he walked in to the night.

she slumped on a chair at the far end of the bar, it wasn't an ideal hiding spot but it was out of the way, she undone the top button of her work blouse and fanned herself with a coaster, she hadn't been feeling right for a few days but shrugged it off, she needed work to keep her from going stir crazy, she had never been the type to stay indoors all the time even as a child she could remember her mother having a hard time keeping her in during rainstorms and it was going to take more than a cold to knock her stride she had survived being shot and having an organ removed sneezing a few times was a walk in the park.

A bloodied hand clamped itself on her shoulder, she spun quickly gasping loudly and shoving the hand away,

"sweetheart its me"

she looked him up and down scowling slightly, his eyes were glazed and his normally immaculate hair was out of place a few strands brushing his eyebrows, his clothes were torn and spattered with blood, his words slurring and a smile fixed across his lips that put Renee on edge,

"Tommy? what happened?"

"Nothing...it was uhh....nothing but if the cops ask I've been here all night" she stood to his level he placed his hands on her shoulders his eyes boring in to her "Okay sweetheart? I was here"

she couldn't find the words to say to him, was he asking her to be an alibi? what had he done that required her to be an alibi?

she shook her head trying to shake of the negative thoughts,

"Come with me"

she grabbed his hand and lead him through to the back rooms, a usually vacant one was used as a staff area, somewhere they could sit and take their breaks if they wanted to, she sat him on a chair and watched him sway slightly, she sighed and fixed him a coffee perching herself on the badly upholstered chair next to him, he was muttering to himself almost inaudibly, she leaned a little closer in an attempt to make out what he was saying,

"he had it coming its fine, its fine it really is fine"

she knew she had to sober her boyfriend up pretty quickly, she kept plying him with coffee until he was somewhat coherent, she cleaned him up and found him a clean shirt in the staff uniform cupboard,

"You gonna tell me whats going on now?"

he sighed and put his head in his hands pushing his hair from his face,

"Frankies daughter, Francine, she's dead"

she gasped

"Tommy what did you do!!"

"I didn't kill her, how am I gonna get outta vegas kill someone in Jersey and get back here sweetheart?"

he had a point, her head flopped forward,

"What then?"

"That guy who shot you? I got drunk I acted out and from what I can remember he's not in the greatest way"

"Tommy!! You fuck! What?" she began to pace frantically "If he goons getta hold of you you're dead! you shoulda just kept your head down! I am not taking another bullet for you!!"

fear was gripping at her insides as she pondered their fate

"Wouldn't expect you to, I was stupid I know that now, I was just so angry and confused! why the fuck didn't he call Renee? am I not good enough for a call anymore? what are we gonna do?"

the room fell silent as he looked up at her with expectant eyes, her eyes where on the floor, she was still now her arms folded across her chest she was chewing at her lip thoughtfully,

"we're gonna turn you in"

"to the cops? are you insane?"

"No Tommy the ice cream man!! its the only chance you've got of staying safe!"

"Fuck Renee!!" he yelled standing to his feet and squaring in front of her, her eyes locked on to his her features soft, she wasn't angry at him he knew that, she wanted to protect him, he pinned her body to his, gently placing his head on hers "lets do one thing first?"

it was almost a whisper but he had her full attention she inhaled deeply savoring his scent faded tobacco smoke a hint of whiskey but mostly cologne

"Whats that?"

"Marry me?"

Her heart came in to her throat and she held him a little tighter,

"Now?"

"Yeah, I need to know you'll still be here if the worst happens, if I end up inside again I need something to come out to, I know its not romantic but we'll find a chapel on the strip it'll be quick and dirty but it will be real"

she nodded slightly

"lets go"

-

He smiled back and knocked the contents of the glass back in a breeze, he sucked his teeth and put the glass back down on the bar, she stay looking at him pretending to wipe over the bar wondering where she had seen his face before, he glanced over his brown eyes softly boring in to her, she stood staring back the eye contact becoming intense, he winked and shot her another smile making her flinch a little bit, She stood absorbing his features, from his dark skin and long eye lashes to his slicked back jet black hair, her heart thudded as realisation crept up on her, stood in front of her was her husbands best friend and sons name sake, she had just served Frankie Valli.