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“Maybe next time you come you can brief me on the ins and outs of clubhouse inheritance, since it’s obvious you’re an expert.”
Fox acted annoyed, but I’d never seen his eyes twinkle as much as they did around Charlie, except maybe when he was hanging with Adele, those two were peas in a pod together.
“Oh Foxy, we both know that you don’t mean that. You’re just in a huff cause I won’t give you the goods.”
I couldn’t help feeling fascinated by Fox and Charlie’s interactions, my head wiping back and forth between them. The sexual tension practically crackled in the air when they were in a room together. I wasn’t sure why Fox didn’t just ask her out.
“All right, Ellison, you ready to go?”
“So ready, let’s paint the town red.”
“Where are you two headed? Judging by Charlie’s outfit, my guess would be Hunter’s Point, but since I know my sister-in-law, that can’t be right.”
Fox had to get one last dig in before we left, he apparently couldn’t help himself.
Charlie looked down on her outfit, a tight fitted top that clung to her curves, exposing her ample cleavage, a black mini-skirt, and four-inch heels that looked like they belonged in an S & M dungeon.
“Fox, are you trying to use humor to give me a compliment? Are we in second grade? Oh, that’s right, you didn’t graduate. I think I look fabulous and since I didn’t ask you what you thought, your need to point out my outfit speaks legions. You think I look fabulous, too.”
“No,” Fox spat, “Maybe you can have that parking spot. Everyone is going to think you’re a club whore. I just think you look like a clown.”
“Alright you two. Let’s go, Charlie.” I looked back at Fox and drew my brows at him. “Thanks again for holding down the fort tonight.”
Once outside Charlie hit me on the arm, “Why did you do that?”
“Ouch,” I rubbed my arm, “do what?”
“You let that fucker get the last word. I can just picture his smug ass sitting there with a grin thinking about how he got the best of me.” She pointed her finger to her chest, “No one gets the best of me, Ellison, especially not Fox Montgomery.”
“You two should just bang out your issues.”
“Come again?” Charlie asked, her hands on her hips.
“Oh come off it, you two have been dancing around each other for years now. You’re not fooling anyone.”
“I’m gonna totally ignore you and pretend you didn’t say such vile things to your best friend. Tonight is supposed to be about having fun and forgetting about stupid men.”
“I’ll drink to that, Charlie. Hey, by the way…”
No time like the present to break the news.
“Calvin’s back.”
Chapter 36
CALVIN
I wasn’t sure if I should have gone back home. I didn’t know if I’d be welcome there. My mom had been writing to me for ten years, but somehow left out the fact that she’d up and moved out of South Vale. If Ellison was right, and I had no reason to doubt her, she’d moved to Florida to live with her sister more than two years ago.
I called her last night from my dumpy Hotel room. I snagged after they let me leave the emergency room. The place was as shitty as DesMax, but cost more due to the hideous bedspread and in-room coffee maker.
“Calvin, honey. I didn’t want to upset you. But I needed to get out of there, too many bad memories were dragging me down.”
“So my entire childhood is a bad memory to you, Mom?”
“It’s not like that, Cal. Too many ghosts. I was afraid I’d start using again.”
“So just say that. I get it. Are you never coming back? What about the house, what about Christmas?”
“I left the house to you and Fox. You two can come down here for the holidays, throw some lights on a palm tree. How’s Ellie?”
“Fuck, Ma. She hates me. Give me a week, maybe I can tell you something different.”
“Was that gunfire? Where are you Calvin?”
“Probably. Motel out on route 8.”
“Jesus, in Desolation? What for?”
“Long story. Cavelli’s men broke my jaw?”
“Because of Monty? Let bygones be bygones, for crying out loud.”
“For protection in the big house. Ma, I gotta sleep. They got me on painkillers.”
“I love you, Calvin. Remember to taper. Go easy on Ellison and your brother. Come down here whenever you want.”
I slept like the dead as soon as I hung up with her.
When I woke up in the morning, the hotel looked even shitter than it had when I fell asleep. Water damage in the ceiling and cigarette burns on every surface. I made a pot of the shitwater coffee and drank it down—that was at least better than DesMax, but that ain’t saying too much.
The idea of going to see my mother in Florida didn’t sound so terrible. They lived in this gated community by Palm Beach and Mom said I could stay until I got my shit together.
