After the Rain

by Philip Cox

  ‘Jesus, what happened then?’

  ‘Basically I went ballistic. I kicked the guy with the knife in the balls and he went down. I was going to kick him again, but a small crowd had gathered round and somebody said something about the police coming, so these two guys ran off. We went to the local hospital and got stitched up, and that was that.’

  ‘And your brother didn’t get hurt? You were defending him and you got cut.’

  Adam paused a moment. ‘I think he got a small cut on his arm.’ He ran his hand over his chest. ‘It looks worse than it really is. Changing the subject, the food’ll be about twenty minutes,’ he said. ‘Do you need to let anyone know you won’t be going home today?’

  ‘Yeah, I guess I could let my mom know,’ she said. ‘She does worry sometimes.’ She paused a moment. ‘How do you know I won’t be going home today?’

  ‘What do you think?’ he said, leaning down and slowly kissing her on the lips. They carried on kissing until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. ‘That’ll be the food,’ Adam said, pulling himself away. He took another fifty from his wallet and then walked to the door.

  ‘Hey, my turn,’ she called out.

  ‘Next time, baby,’ he said as he partly opened the door. Leaning round the door he took the bag of food and paid. ‘No change,’ he said again.

  Stacey called her home phone, and left a voicemail for her mother and Jeff; then she found a couple of glasses, and took them back into the bedroom with the now opened bottle of chilled wine. Adam joined her with the food, which they ate, lounging on the bedroom carpet.

  After they had finished the food and the second bottle of wine, they made love again. It seemed different this time: not the urgent thrusting of before but slowly and patiently. First Adam let Stacey lead the way, slowly riding him as she looked out of the bedroom window watching the sun finally go down and the buildings outside become bathed in a beautiful moonlight. She lost track of how many times she had come; when he was finally finished, he rolled over and they lay silently, the sweat on their bodies glistening in the moonlight.

  *****

  During their third time that night, Stacey was lying on her front and Adam was on her, nuzzling her neck and back. Over her moans she thought she could hear her phone ringing. She glanced at the bedside clock: it was 1:50 so surely she must have imagined it. Maybe not, as she felt Adam stop momentarily as it rang; but there was no way she was going to answer that now. When she next looked at the time it was 3:25. Adam was lying asleep, a single sheet curled around his waist and one leg. Taking care not to wake him, she tiptoed into the lounge where she had left her bag. She took out her phone and checked for missed calls. There was also a voicemail message. She expected it to be from her mother after she hadn’t bothered to check her own voicemails, but the euphoria of the last few hours disappeared when she saw who had called.

  Glancing round to make sure Adam was still asleep she listened to Billy Loomis’s message. Where the fuck are you, bitch? Why aren’t you picking up?

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  STACEY STARED AT the phone for a few seconds and held it to her chin, while she decided what to do. Talking to Billy Loomis was definitely not something she felt like doing now. She cursed him for spoiling what had been an amazing day, although she was not surprised he had called her. He doesn’t seem to get the message. But sometimes it was easier to go with the flow and please him, rather than face the inevitable consequences. What was the best thing to do? Adam would only be around for a few more days; maybe it would be best if she got dressed and left before he woke up. Her bike was outside anyway, and she could ride straight over to Billy’s.

  ‘What’s up?’ Adam’s voice startled her. She jumped, almost dropping the phone. How long had he been standing there?

  ‘Nothing,’ she said, putting the phone back into her bag. ‘It’s nothing.’

  ‘Sure,’ he said, still standing in the bedroom doorway. He was reaching up, and holding onto the top of the doorframe. He walked over to her and quickly reached into her bag, taking out the phone before she could stop him. ‘Sounds like nothing.’

  She tried to snatch the phone back but he held it out of her reach. He dialled voicemail and listened to Billy’s message.

  ‘It’s just...’ she started to say.

  Adam put his finger on her mouth. ‘I heard most of the message when you played it. I thought I heard the phone ring last night. Who is this prick?’

  She snatched the phone back. ‘He’s nobody.’

  ‘I thought you said you didn’t have a boyfriend?’

  ‘I don’t. Not really. He’s just part of a crowd of guys I tend to hang out with sometimes.’

  ‘Hm. Seems a bit possessive for just someone you hang out with. Is he a fuck buddy or something?’

  She hesitated. ‘Well...’

  ‘It’s not a problem for me. Look Stace, we’ve had some great sex tonight, and I want to see you again; but we’re not getting engaged or anything. You can do what you want. I’ll only be here for another week or so, tops.’

  She paused a moment before she spoke. ‘He’s part of a crowd I hang out with. If he wants it, I’m around. You get what I mean?’

  ‘Sounds a lovely guy. I’d like to meet him.’

  ‘No you wouldn’t .He’s a friggin’ psycho.’

  ‘Based on his telephone manner, I wouldn’t disagree with that.’

  ‘If he meets you, he’s gonna guess where I was tonight. He’ll be really pissed.’

  Adam ran his finger over the scar again. ‘I can take care of myself.’

  ‘Sure you can. But when you’re gone, he’ll take it out on me.’

  ‘I’ll have a word with him. Let him know that I can easily fly back out here if there’s a - a need, shall we say.’

  She looked up at him, fingering his scar again.

  ‘You don’t seem convinced,’ he said softly.

  She said nothing, but just ran her hand over his chest.

  ‘Trust me,’ he whispered. He leaned down and kissed her slowly. She wound her arm round his neck and ran her hand through his hair. When he picked her up she put both arms round his neck so he could carry her back into the bedroom.

  *****

  They finished their fifth bout of the night just before nine the next morning. Adam rolled off her and got up. ‘Shower time,’ he said and went into the bathroom. He was still in the shower when she wandered into the bathroom to pee. As he heard the toilet flushing he looked out from the shower cubicle. Hanging out of the cubicle, he reached out for her and pulled her into the shower with him.

  ‘I’m afraid it’s just going to be a shower together,’ he laughed as he rubbed soap on her back. ‘Even I can’t manage it again so soon.’ Stacey laughed with him, but her mind was already elsewhere.

  For breakfast they drove to the local McDonalds, where Adam finally let Stacey pay. They drove back to the apartment building so she could pick up her bike.

  ‘A quickie before you go?’ he asked as she got out of the car.

  She was tempted, very tempted. ‘Not this time,’ she laughed. ‘I need to go home for some rest before I go to work this evening.

  He took off his sunglasses and looked up at her. ‘Next time then?’ he asked, squinting in the early morning sun.

  ‘Hope so,’ she replied, and walked over to where she had parked her bike the night before. She put on her crash helmet, started up the bike, and rode out of the complex.

  She rode a couple of blocks, and then pulled into a bus stop. Taking a deep breath, she got out her phone and dialled Billy’s number. Her heart was pounding fast as the phone rang, but to her relief it went to voicemail. ‘Billy, it’s me. I got your message. Sorry I wasn’t there. My cell was dead. I forgot to charge it up. I’m working tonight. Maybe I’ll see you there.’ Hanging up, she put the phone away, and rode back home.

  *****

  Once she was home she went upstairs and lay down on her bed. The house was quiet. Fortunately her
mother and Jeff were both out at work. She knew she needed to get some sleep: after last nights - how many times was it? – encounters with Adam, she reckoned she had only slept a couple of hours at the most. But it was worth it. How did he have the stamina to go on for so long so many times? Billy normally only lasted a couple of minutes at the most. However, her thoughts kept drifting back to Adam and back to Billy and the other guys, and how soon life would be getting back to normal. After only a few hours’ dozing, she awoke with a start. Her bedside clock said almost five and it was time to get up to go to work.

  *****

  At Shots, being a midweek night, it was not particularly busy. Two of the tables were occupied, as were three seats at the bar. Only one of the pool tables was in use. And this was seven o’clock. It was going to be a quiet night tonight. That was good in some respects, but it also meant that it would drag. Not what you wanted when you were as tired as she was.

  She was just clearing up a table when there was the sound of men’s laughter at the door. Looking up, she saw three familiar figures come in. Her heart sank as she saw Billy Loomis, ‘Cowboy’ Scott Maxwell – just as psychopathic, and Jared Stevens. At least only three of them: thank God that nerd Bobby Chin wasn’t with them.

  They walked over to the bar, and Harry the barman served them. Taking their beers, they congregated over by a pillar. Billy noticed her and ambled over.

  ‘Did you get my message, Billy?’ she asked nervously. ‘Sorry about last night. Just forgot to charge the phone up.’

  Her stared at her and took a swig from his bottle. ‘Yeah, I got the message,’ he grunted. ‘All charged now, are we?’

  She nodded vigorously, wiping her palms on her skirt.

  ‘Well, maybe we’ll catch up later tonight,’ he leered, reaching out and squeezing her chin.

  She pulled away and carried on wiping the table while Billy returned to join Scott and Jared. She wiped down two more tables, picked up some empty glasses from the bar and took them out back to the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, she stopped. Leaning back against the sink, she took several deep breaths. She took out her phone, contemplating ringing Adam. She thought again; she didn’t know why, but maybe it would be better if she just sent him a text, asking him if he was coming tonight.

  She didn’t need to send a text as it was at that moment she heard his voice. She rushed out from the kitchen and saw him at the bar. Harry was serving him a bottle of Bud Ice. He smiled over at her when he saw her. She walked over to him, and he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

  ‘Thought I wasn’t coming?’ he whispered.

  ‘Not sure,’ she answered anxiously.

  ‘You try keeping me away.’ Taking a mouthful of beer, he looked around. Billy and the other two had noticed Adam come in and kiss Stacey. Billy looked up and stared at Adam, his face as black as thunder.

  ‘Er, why does your name badge say Corinne?’ Adam asked, looking down at her chest.

  She glanced down and realized what he meant. Flustered, she said, ‘It’s my name. My first name, that it. My middle name’s Stacey, and I prefer that. That’s what everyone calls me. It’s just that when I started work here, all the paperwork said Corinne, so they had the badge printed Corinne. Nobody’s bothered to change it.’

  Adam grinned and noticed as Billy, Scott and Jared walked over.

  ‘This a friend of yours, Stacey?’ Billy asked, not without a hint of threat in his voice.

  ‘Sort of...’ she began to say.

  ‘Yes, sort of,’ Adam cut in. ‘We share the same grocer, you might say.’

  ‘Share the same grocer,’ Billy repeated, attempting to mimic Adam’s accent.

  Adam’s eyes locked with Billy’s. ‘That’s right. And who might you be?’

  ‘Billy Loomis. Another friend of Stacey’s. We share things, too.’

  ‘And what about you two?’

  Scott and Jared introduced themselves. Adam quickly held out his arm to shake hands with them, and instinctively they did the same. Billy glared at them.

  ‘And how long you in town for?’ Billy asked.

  ‘Just here on holiday,’ Adam said breezily. Until the middle of next week.’

  ‘Until the middle of next week,’ Billy repeated slowly, looking at Stacey.

  ‘That’s right, but the beauty of it is, that my family own where I’m staying, and my job allows me to fly back and forth. So I can come back here at any time. And at short notice.’ He spoke the last sentence very slowly and deliberately.

  After a few seconds’ silence, it was Scott who spoke up first. ‘You play pool, Brit Guy?’

  ‘Sure, I have done,’ Adam replied, taking another mouthful of beer. ‘Shall we have a game?’

  They walked over to the pool table, leaving Stacey behind to carry on working. Scott and Jared led the way, Billy and Adam followed, not talking.

  ‘Nine ball pool?’ asked Billy, picking up a cue.

  ‘Okay by me.’ Adam picked up another cue, started chalking it, while Jared laid out the balls. Scott sat on the bench at the side, just watching.

  ‘Toss for first shot?’ Adam asked, holding up a quarter.

  ‘Heads.’ Billy grunted.

  Adam tossed the coin. ‘Heads it is. After you.’

  Billy took first shot. The cue ball hit the other balls and scattered them. Adam leaned over the table to line up his shot. The number one ball was eight to nine feet away.

  ‘Twenty to win?’ Billy asked, just as Adam moved the cue back.

  Adam looked up at him. ‘Make it more if you like. Makes the game more exciting.’

  Billy’s expression turned more serious. ‘Thirty, then.’

  Adam shrugged. ‘Thirty’s cool.’ He struck the cue ball which shot across the table, missing the number one by a fraction of an inch. Adam swore under his breath. There was a snigger from the corner where Scott and Jared were sitting.

  ‘Too bad,’ said Billy sarcastically. He leaned down, took his shot, pocketing the number one. Leaning over again, he shot the cue ball at the number two. At his next shot, he hit the number three, but it missed the pocket.

  ‘Too bad,’ Adam repeated. He took his shot, but missed as well.

  Stacey was over the other side taking some food to a table. She glanced nervously over to the pool table. ‘Don’t make it into a pissing contest,’ she whispered.

  The number nine ball bounded into the middle pocket. A stifled cheer came from the corner of the room, and Billy straightened up with a satisfied smirk on his face. Adam rested his cue back down on the table. ‘Well done. Congratulations. Obviously a better player than me.’

  ‘Feel like another?’ Billy asked. ‘Maybe best of three?’ he added, glancing briefly at Scott and Jared.

  Adam considered this briefly. ‘Yes, why not?’

  ‘Make it fifty if you like,’ Billy said confidently.

  ‘Fifty? Yeah, sure. Shall we toss again?’

  ‘No need,’ said Billy, as he leaned over to put the coloured balls in place. You shoot first this time.’

  Adam chalked up his cue again and walked over to the cue ball.

  ‘No problem,’ said Adam, as he reached into his back pocket and took his wallet out. Like Stacey the day before, Billy could not help but notice the cards and huge wad of notes in Adam’s wallet. Adam fingered through the bank notes and pulled out a ten and two twenties. Handing them to Billy, he added, ‘Fifty’s no problem.’

  In the corner, Scott and Jared watched as Adam paid out to Billy and put his wallet back in his back pocket.

  ‘You see that?’ Jared mumbled to Scott.

  Scott quietly whistled. ‘You bet I did. I see Billy noticed as well.’

  ‘He must have hundreds in there. And there were some cards, couldn’t make out how many.’

  Scott registered the fleeting look Billy made at him. ‘Yeah, must be hundreds. Interesting.’

  Chapter Forty

  BEN LEANED AGAINST the side of the car for support. Some light rain started to
fall and he ran his hand through his now damp hair. ‘What do you mean, you’re Stacey?’ he shouted back.

  She let out an unintelligible sob and ran off through the parking lot. Ben hesitated a moment and ran after her. The rain was getting heavier and there was a rumble of thunder in the distance. ‘Wait, hold on!’ he called out.

  She took a fleeting look over a shoulder as he called out. Somehow she missed her footing and tripped over, holding her arms out to stop her fall. In falling, she dropped her bag and some of its contents, her purse, some keys and a packet of tissues fell onto the wet tarmac. She picked herself up so she was now crouching, and started to pick up these dropped items.

  Ben reached her and crouched down to help her retrieve her effects. It’s okay, it’s okay,’ he said as he put his arm around her shoulder.

  ‘No,’ she wept, ‘it’s not okay. It’s too late, it’s all too late.’

  Between them they had collected the purse, keys and tissues, although the tissues were sodden so Ben threw them aside. The rain was coming down hard by now, and they were both already drenched. She stayed squatting on the ground; Ben joined her holding her with both arms round her. Her body was convulsing with her sobbing.

  ‘What do you mean it’s too late?’ he asked. ‘What’s too late?’

  ‘It’s the rain,’ she blubbed. ‘The rain’s come. It’s all too late now.’

  Ben looked up at the night sky. The cloud cover was very heavy, and the rain was getting even harder. He thought that the expression like stair rods was very apt. There was more thunder, and in the distance the horizon was illuminated intermittently by sheet lightning.

  ‘Yes, the rain’s come, but we can get dry. Come on.’ He managed to pull her up and lead her to the car. He put her in the passenger seat then ran round the front of the Fusion to get in the driver’s side. Once in the car they sat there, without moving, dripping wet. The rain hammered on the car roof and they could barely see out of the front windscreen.