Days Of St Croix

by Felicity Pepper

Eighteen

  PaigeGrrl: I'll be in the lobby @ 1.30...meet me there w/ the $$

  Jas smiled. One-thirty was a little later than he had hoped, but at least it gave him a bit of extra time in case the bank transfer took longer than expected. He had a couple hours to get everything arranged, then he was free and clear of this awful mess. Sure, it was going to cost him, but he was looking forward to getting it out of the way. It was only money, after all. Mills was all he really cared about. He felt more sure of it every minute that passed.

  He tossed his phone back into his bag and dried off from the shower, pulling on a pair of blue linen slacks and an immaculate white cotton shirt. He brushed his hair back a few times with his fingers until it stayed in place, then slipped on a pair of tan Gucci loafers. He walked over to the mirror and stood in front of it.

  "Looking good, Mr Genovese." A voice came from behind. Jas looked over his shoulder in the mirror and saw Brand standing by the door. He was dressed in track pants and an old, baggy t-shirt. In one hand was a large yellow bucket, in the other a wood-handled mop.

  "I wish I could say the same thing, Mr Brandeis. What's with the janitor costume?"

  "Oh man, don't even ask. It's a fucking disaster."

  "Do tell." Jas turned around and walked back to the bench.

  "I'd rather not. Let's just say Carlton Vanbrugh's daddy has friends in high places." Brand shrugged and put the bucket down in the corner by the door. "Anyway, where are you off to dressed up like that? The library?"

  "Meeting someone." Jas reached for his jacket. Brand raised an eyebrow, waiting for more. Jas looked at him for a moment, then sat down on the bench and crossed his legs.

  "I guess I might as well tell you, since it's pretty much over now anyway."

  "What is?" Brand leaned the mop against the wall and walked over, sitting on the bench opposite Jas.

  "It's nothing. It's just embarrassing, that's all." Jas picked at a piece of fluff on his pants.

  "Can't be more embarrassing than messing up a date with Tibby Richmond because Carlton Vanbrugh's nose is easily broken."

  "True enough." Said Jas, smiling. "I have to pay this girl back for some X we lost."

  "Why am I not surprised by that?" Brand laughed.

  "I know, but it should have been easy. Instead it all got fucked up. You remember when we met at Amaranth before school started?"

  "Yeah."

  "Well, I picked that restaurant because I wanted to use it as a drop-off."

  "You met someone there?"

  "Yeah. No. I mean, I was supposed to, at first, but then they couldn't make it. So they told me to leave the pills in the bathroom. They were going to collect it later."

  "So what happened?" Brand asked. Jas shook his head gently and leaned back against the tile.

  "When they went to pick it up, the stuff was gone."

  "That's not good."

  "I know! The shit hit the fan. Now I'm on the hook for fifteen grand."

  "Do they think you ripped them off?"

  "I don't know, dude. I don't think so. As long as they get the money, I think they'll be satisfied. I'm just wondering who did take it, you know? And where the hell is it now? If they hadn't waited until the next day to pick it up day, it probably would have been fine." Jas sighed. Neither of them said anything for a moment.

  "Jas, we met at the restaurant on Saturday." Brand said at last.

  "Right." Jas replied.

  "And you left the pills there?"

  "Uh huh."

  "And they told you they came by the next day and it was gone?"

  "What's your point, Brand?"

  "Well, Amaranth is closed on Sunday, that's all." Jas looked up. He stared at Brand.

  "Say that again."

  "The restaurant is closed on Sundays, Jas. It's just down the street from my parents' apartment; they go there all the time. The owner is a friend of theirs. Every Sunday, he closes up and goes out to Long Island to visit his mother. I guess she's old or something. Your guy wouldn't have been able to collect the pills on Sunday."

  Jas didn't respond for a moment. He looked at Brand with a blank expression.

  "You okay, Jas?" Brand asked. Jas muttered something under his breath. Brand thought it sounded a lot like "fucking bitch", but he couldn't be sure, and then Jas stood up, slipped his jacket on, smiled at Brand, then disappeared out of the locker room without another word.