Page 619 of Manhattan Bossholes

“He’s always up for a good time, and so am I,” Jerry said as he followed closely behind me, as if his wiry frame could intimidate me. “I remember you now. We met after Ty’s gig. You were sorta uptight that night.” He laughed.

The main room was messier than usual, with a few empty pizza boxes on the counter along with a mound of wrappers and unopened mail and a variety of bottles and cups on the coffee table. Most of them were beer bottles, which explained why the apartment smelled like a frat party.

“So, what’s going on?” I asked, perching on a bar stool next to the kitchen counter.

Jerry suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“We’re just chilling,” Tyler said. “S’all good. I took care of Boris today, so don’t worry about that.”

He was slurring and having a hard time remaining upright. I frowned at him, but he locked onto Jerry.

“Yeah, hey, can I get you a drink, man?” Jerry offered. “You look like a vodka guy, and we just happen to have some⁠—”

“We?” I demanded. “Ty, are you guys roommates now?”

“No, no,” he stammered, looking guilty. “We’ve just been hanging out more lately. I should, uh, I should clean up since you’re here.”

Tyler tripped over to the counter and started collecting the trash, but nervously, like I was there to conduct a home health assessment. I focused on what he was doing and saw him sweep a small plastic baggie with a trace of powder left in it and a cut-off straw beneath a candy wrapper and then throw it in the trash. My heart sank.

There was no question, Tyler was using again.

“Hey, lemme help,” Jerry said.

He picked up a single dirty napkin from the counter and threw it in the trash, then bent over to rifle through the can.

“Oh, my bad, I wrote a phone number on that napkin, gotta grab it,” he said, going deeper into the garbage can. I watched him palm the plastic baggie and slip it in his pocket.

Everything swam into focus. Yeah, Tyler was using again, and Jerry was his connection. It was the absolute last thing I needed to have to deal with on an already shitty day.

“What’d you just put in your pocket?” I asked Jerry, working hard to keep my voice even.

“Huh?” His eyes darted between me and Tyler. “I told you, a napkin, buddy. Phone number. A pretty lady I met last night.” He smiled and revealed a missing lower tooth.

“Can I see it?”

“Why?” Jerry backed a few steps away from me.

I stood up and walked closer to him, forcing him into the corner.

“Empty your pockets,” I said.

I glanced down and saw that the corner of the baggie was sticking out of his pocket. I snagged it and held it up in front of his face. I looked over at Tyler to find him staring at the floor.

“What is this?”

“Trash, I dunno,” Jerry squeaked out. “I have no idea how it got in there!”

“You’re a piece of shit, you know that?” I growled at him. “Get the fuck out of here. And if I see you anywhere near Tyler again, you’re going to regret it.”

“What are you talking about?” Jerry whined. He looked over at Tyler with desperate eyes. “Ty, c’mon.”

Tyler shrugged and stepped out of the room without looking at either of us.

“Out!” I screamed in Jerry’s face.

“For fuck’s sake, okay,” he whined, hunching away from me. “You’re not Tyler’s babysitter, you know? He can do what he wants.”

“I might not be his babysitter, but I am his friend. Unlike you.”