Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 106953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“Didn’t want to cause trouble,” I mumble. I didn’t realize that my motives would be so easy to see through. Beefer never seemed to be that insightful of a guy. I need to remember this for the future.
“Family’s not trouble. Well, except for my old lady. She can be a pain in the ass, but she’s my pain in the ass,” he chuckles. “Woo-eee. That was some kind of fight.” He reaches for his phone. “I gotta burn some energy off in Mary’s pussy tonight.” He thumbs down the screen and presses a number. As it rings, he says, “Should I have her bring a girl over?”
“Nah. I’m good. I’m going to go home and wash up.” I smell of gunpowder and blood, but, mostly, the only thing I need right now to feel good is to see Bitsy.
Beefer’s disappointed. “See, if you bring your little girl to Marjory’s, we can help take care of her. That way, you can let loose. I’d even give you the family discount on one of the girls in the stable if you don’t want to spend the cash on your own.”
“Thanks.” It all makes sense, but there’s something inside of me that rebels at sharing Bitsy with the world. Even having Mary over to help care for Bitsy while she was sick felt like a strange and uncomfortable invasion.
Beefer pulls into the lot behind Marjory’s. I start to get out, but Beefer grabs me. His face is serious. “You think you can do this on your own and you’re going to fuck up. Better to ask for help now. No one’s going to think less of you. You’re a valuable asset. The boss is going to want to reward that. The reward extends to your family. There’s no reason to hide her from us. It makes me think you don’t trust us.”
He doesn’t mean to threaten me, I don’t think, but I hear one anyway. I rub the back of my hand against my mouth, not enjoying the feeling of being cornered.
“I’ll bring her over in the morning.”
He breaks out in a smile. “Good call. We’ll see you tomorrow then.”
14
Bitsy
The letters over the door are M-A-C-Y. I sound that out. “Maky.”
“Macy’s,” Leka corrects.
The circular door spits out another person. I eye it with suspicion. What’s wrong with the flat doors? This round one looks like it’ll squash you if you aren’t fast enough.
“Are you getting new shoes?” I ask, looking to see if there’s another way inside.
“Not today. We’re buying you a new outfit.”
“Bummer. What’s wrong with what I got on?”
I’ve a Hello Kitty T-shirt on and black jeans. “This is my favorite shirt.” I pull it away from my chest so he can get a good look at Ms. Kitty. She’s cute.
“Yup. Ms. Kitty’s the bomb, but you probably need a dress.”
He picks me up and steps into the moving door before I can stop him. I open my mouth to complain but then realize the door moves by itself. It’s like a ride! I wriggle in his arms to let me go.
He sets me down but not until we’re clear of the door. I dart around his leg, but my feet leave the ground before I can make it back into the circle doors.
“Oh no, you don’t.” Leka carries me, football like, into the store. “We have a meeting after this.”
I perk up. “What’s a meeting?”
This sounds important. Maybe I do need something new. “I think I should have new shoes for the meeting.”
His side shakes a bit. He’s laughing! I clap excitedly. Leka never laughs. He’s always very serious.
“You and your shoes.”
New shoes are my favorite. I like white the best, but Leka doesn’t own white shoes. He has two pairs of black boots. They’re big, heavy things with zippers and laces. Mine have velcro. I like mine the best.
He sets me down and snags the attention of a tall lady wearing shoes with really thin spikes. I look up, but it seems like her legs never end.
“Hey, can you tell me where the kids’ department is?”
“Of course. What is it that you’re looking for today?” The lady’s got a nice voice. I can tell she’s smiling without even seeing her face. I crane my neck to see her face. She’s got lovely dark hair that falls in waves around her face. Her lips are red, like the boots Dora’s monkey wears. She can’t seem to take her eyes off of Leka’s face.
I sigh and step in between the two. I’ve seen that look before. She likes Leka, but this sort of attention makes Leka feel awkward. He gets stiff and irritable. I don’t want her ruining our day because she stares at Leka’s face too long.
“We’re gonna get a dress,” I tell her.
She peers down at me. “Aren’t you…” She presses her lips together, some of that bright smile dimming as she examines my face. “Aren’t you interesting?” she says finally. “Is this your…”