Chapter 3

Pulling the ticket out from under my wiper I groaned, taking out some of my frustrations on the damn winter tires that had cost us almost half our rent, kicking it a few times, albeit carefully. I opened the door and got behind the wheel, turning the ignition and blasting the heat. Slipping a CD into the stereo I cranked the volume and tapped my hands against the steering wheel in time to the music, then just tapped it in offbeat impatience. The yellow and pink ticket caught my attention and I held it before me, debating on whether or not I was going to even pretend to consider paying it. Flicking it straight in my hand I lit the corner of it with my Bic, then holding it in front of me I plucked a smoke from the dashboard and lit it in the flame. Holding the cigarette between my lips I rolled my window down and dropped the still burning ticket into the snow. Seeing the girls half a block ahead, about to turn down the wrong street I leaned on the horn of the ugly old jeep, resting back against the chair to gather my thoughts as they filed in, Tammy taking the seat at my side. Once the last door was slammed I turned to Mica, feeling my eyes flash as I glared at her.

“What didn’t you understand about keeping things low key?” I demanded. She pulled a tissue out of her purse, dabbing at her swollen lip delicately.

“Katie was the one who demanded the show…”

“Thank God! Her starting a fight with you only got you kicked out. You were drawing way too much attention, walking in there looking like some kind of jailbait whore!” I exclaimed. “I was supposed to run a quick con and then we were all supposed to jet. Where’d you take off to anyway?”

Mica didn’t answer, but I hadn’t really expected her to say much. The Fallen Angels wasn’t made of a bunch of chicks that fell into line, and Mica wasn’t an exception. Not that I wanted prissy little soldiers but having leadership with watered down authority got tiring. I looked forward setting the jeep into drive and headed down Atwater, practically jumping when the wad of bills fell in my lap. I jammed on the breaks and picked up the heavy fold. Pulling off the scrunchie I counted the bills slowly.

“Two K…how the hell did you pull this off Mica?” I said slowly. I ignored the cars behind us that were honking irritably and turned back to look at her.

“Amateur night at Club Sex.” She replied airily. “I was a big hit.”

“Ok, that I can believe…but isn’t it like ten dollars a dance? How…” I felt stupid even asking, I could almost guess the answer. Maybe some twisted part of me needed to hear it from her.

“Ya and about fifty for a BJ…and if you go all the way…well you can get a couple of bills.” She said matter of factly.

“You did ten guys in three hours?” I sighed with relief when she shook her head.

“Just five, the rest were BJ’s.” Now I felt a little sick. This petite little Japanese beauty had been with, in one way or another, twenty five guys tonight. Mica made Kitt look like a prude. My eyes went back to the money in my hand.

“Tell me you cleaned up a bit before meeting us.” I said slowly. Mica chuckled.

“Didn’t have time…I knew you’d be upset.” She quipped. I folded the money and dropped it into the cup holder, noticing finally the jam of cars I was causing and continued driving, trying to suppress the urge to rub my hand off on my seat. Twenty five guys…screw that, I was going home to wash my hands with Javex.

Four o’clock in the morning and I could finally take a moment to reflect. Here I was with twelve girls, (five of my gang having remained in New York with their generous providers) struggling to make the rent for a shabby five and a half and literally scrapping for everything. Living in New York had depleted every cent of our limited savings and the house we’d once rented in Westmount was now more then we could afford. The eight hundred and fifty dollar rent was almost too much but I couldn’t make the girls live anywhere smaller. Three to a room with no living room was bad enough. Fortunately as of yet none of them had begrudged the fact that we were all here, in these conditions because I’d been so hurt by Charlie that I’d spent most of our money on the beat up jeep, a real ugly van, and the rest on gas.

I was leading this group of girls, most of them too jaded to believe in love our loyalty and here I was fighting to hide that I was nursing a badly broken heart. Damn it I was too old for this.

Hearing a knock…or maybe it was a hammer, hard to tell…at the door I got up, tightened my threadbare robe and walked over to it, looking through the peep hole.

“I heard you! You’re here and the rent is late!” I could hear the old Chinese lady screaming in her thickly accented English. I sighed and opened the door.

“How are you this evening Mrs. Ling?” I asked politely. Be so much simpler just to kill her, but hell I wasn’t about to add murder to my many indiscretions.

“I would be better if you weren’t always late! The rent needs to be paid on time. I’ve been patient and now I have to find you in the middle of the night!” She scolded. I nodded, schooling my features to calm.

“Yes it is…and I can see that you’re tired, so I’ll give you your money and we can all get some sleep.” I suggested. Her lips pursed but she nodded, watching me as I went to pull the money from a drawer of the desk centered in the hall. I counted it out carefully and handed it to her. She sniffed and recounted it, twice.

“From now on I want the rent on the first!” She told me loudly. I nodded and watched her turn away in silence. Shutting the door firmly I growled and headed for the fridge, pulling out a cold bottle. Looking at it I realised there wasn’t even a decent swig left and dropped it back in the fridge. Finding myself eyeing Katie’s tabby as it brushed against my leg I decided to go out for a stray. Hell, this was Verdun, the population of stray felines could use some…weeding.