A couple volunteer dog walkers, Hailey and George, came in with a shepherd mutt and a dachshund and just unclipped them so they could join in the fray. I waved from the hip to them as they turned to leave the building. I had pride in the professional dog walkers of the city, so many of them volunteered here to make sure that each of the dogs got out at least once a day to walk in the park.
Ralph, the man manning the front counter today, looked at the paperwork I filled out, then moved out to corral Goldie and get his harness off to hand to me as he started leading the golden retriever to the exam room. “I'll get Goldie here checked out and put into population right away, Miss May.”
Ralph was only twenty-three, and he looked like a teenage kid to me. I was only a few years older, it always threw me when I saw someone his age and saw them as so young. Do we go through some sort of time dilation field as we get older?
I looked over to see Gertrude at the grooming station, brushing out a dog. The others must have been out back. On the weekends we had two paid employees and two volunteers, one a vet, weekdays we only had the two paid employees. But on any given day, ten or twenty of the thousands of dog walkers in the city would show up to walk the dogs.
We... are legion.
I waved at the golden retriever and called out to him, “Bye Goldie. Cal and I will check up on you tomorrow.”
I turned to see Kerry exchanging a look with Jess, who supplied, “Yeah, Fin talks to the dogs like they are...”
I interrupted, holding my chin high as I stipulated an irrefutable truth, “Hey, zip it, lady. Dogs are people too.”
As we entered the vestibule between sets of doors, my blonde friend nodded and said as she looked back into the building, “This is really amazing Finnegan. You really made it. You always said you'd do something good in life.”
I could feel my cheeks heating while I clipped Calvin in as Jess held the door for us. Then Ker prompted with eyes twinkling in mischief, “And Fin?”
I cocked my head in question as I smoothed my skirt. She leaned in like she was going to share a secret, and she whispered, “Shotgun.”
Doh!
She marched past smugly. “You snooze, you lose, mini might.”
Jess made a sizzling sound. Ok, they were funny, and it was amazing how well they meshed already. Well, meshed more than they did last night anyway.
What? It was funny.
A minute later, we were weaving through Manhattan traffic at unsafe speeds, with Calvin and me hanging on for dear life in the back seat. The redheaded maniac in the driver's seat saying, “Next stop, Times Square.”
Why did Kerry, look so calm when we were tearing up the road like a bat out of hell? Oh yeah, attack chopper pilot. This was probably only a minimum adrenaline rush for her.
Chapter 9 – Times Square
I'm pretty sure the blur to my right, was The Box recruiting station. How was it that of the dozen or so parking tickets strewn about on Jessie's dashboard, there wasn't a single speeding or reckless driving ticket in the lot? She still had all her points on her license.
I teased, “Hang on Calvin!” As we turned onto West 43rd to head toward the Helux.
“You want to drive, runt?”
“Driving? Is that what you're doing? I thought we were flying.”
Kerry snorted and pointed out, “This is a little similar to a strafing run, Freeman.”
“Who asked you, Fly Girl?”
Calvin was having a grand time, looking at each of us as we bantered. It was like we were all good friends who had been around each other our whole lives, and I enjoyed the comfort of the feeling. It was the same with Jane and me. I mean, we argued... all the time... but we 'got'... each other in a way I can't properly put into words.
The thought of Jane had me warming in all the right places, knowing her birthday was coming up soon. And her promise.
Jess ruined my line of thought by teasing as she glanced at me in the rearview mirror, “Oh no Ker, we've lost her to her Jane fantasies again.”
“Hey!”
“It's that glassy-eyed, goofy smile on your face that gives you away. Just when the hell are you two going to do the nasty and put us all out of our misery?”
Ker's eyes widened as she prompted, “Hold the phone. They haven't...”
Jess shook her head as I wanted to melt away through the back seat to escape as they talked about my sex life like I wasn't there. “Nah, Fin's a baby gay. She just realized she was fluid in her preferences when she met Jane a few months back. They want to 'be sure' and all that shit.”
I glared at the evil one with the cute blonde pixie cut who looked ever so amused at the revelation of my sexual frustration. She chuckled out, “I think it is admirable Finnegan.” Then the girls exchanged a look, and before I could think of a witty retort, she blurted as she pointed, “This is it, here on the left.”
I muttered, “Saved by the bell.”
Ker begged to differ, “Yes you were. You had nothing, and you know it, Tempe.”
As a peace offering, I gifted her very own personalized cuss word with a prim and proper smile, “Fuck you.”
She chuckled out, “At least I'm getting some,” as Jess slipped between a car waiting for a parking spot to open and another parked vehicle, slipping into the spot behind the exiting vehicle.
I sighed, I wasn't going to win. Cal and I slipped out behind her onto the walk, as Jess traded profanities with the man who was laying on his horn, upset that she had stolen his spot. Kerry looked amused, and I explained, “Stealing parking spots and pissing people off is sort of Jess' thing. We think they may be her superpowers.”
We looked up as said redhead joined us as the man drove on, now that cars were honking at him for blocking the lane. The Helux was a pretty nice place for an older remodeled building in Hell's Kitchen, nicer than I would have thought.
Ker bowed a bit and made an ushering motion to us as she shrugged on her flight jacket, “Ladies.”
Jessie just shoved her shoulder and kicked her butt playfully, “Get moving, Fly Girl.” They shared a chuckle, then Jess offered her elbow to me. I took her cue and shoved her shoulder and tried to kick her butt, but she was too fast for me. She moved off with Ker, chuckling. I looked down at Cal, “They're savages.” He agreed I can tell.
I wondered for a moment about Kerry's jacket, when I realized she was used to the Middle East and Texas temps. We wouldn't need jackets until the sun set. Then I got to wear the leather jacket I stole from Jane.
We went in what looked like a lobby door and paused. It was more a really wide hall than a lobby which went the length of the building, and there were mailboxes embedded in the wall that shared the bank of elevators by the stairs sign. Everything was quite modern, which was a contrast to the older brickwork exterior.
A middle-aged man in a relaxed, professional outfit was coming out of one of the doors that lined either side of the hall, which had apartment numbers on some, and 'laundry,' and 'maintenance' on a couple. His door was labeled A1 and 'Building Manager.'
He hesitated when he looked up then he put on a professional smile as he hurried up to us. His eyes looked first at Calvin, then obviously satisfied he had a working bib on, he did a quick, professional appraisal of the three of us, his eyes locking on Ker's jacket.
Offering a hand to her he asked, “Captain Stevens?”
She nodded and shook his hand, and he said, “I was coming out to wait for your arrival. I appreciate both your punctuality and your service.”
She inclined her head, and he went on, “Harold Mercer, building manager. We spoke earlier on the phone.”
I noted her posture was impeccable as she said respectfully, “Yes, sir.” Her entire demeanor had changed, and I realized it was the deference that military personnel gave to superior officers.
He waved that off and said, “I checked your studio after the prior tenants left, they did a good job cleaning up.”
She tur
ned to us, and I could almost see her in uniform, an imaginary cap tucked under her arm as she lowered her head to indicate us politely. “Miss Finnegan May, and Miss Jessie Freeman.”
He shook our hands, offering, “Ladies,” then asked as he held up a file he had in his other hand, “Want to go up to take a look and sign the papers? I gotta get them off to the Air Force ASAP tomorrow.”
She nodded, still almost standing at attention. “By all means, sir.” Then she prompted with a hand, and he led us to the elevator, then asked her, “Hope you don't mind. Took some shrapnel from an IED in Iraq, the stairs aggravate my back a bit.”
She shook her head, and her whole demeanor changed, “You served?”
He nodded and held his chin high. “First Infantry.”
She smirked, and her tone was more one of teasing than the stilted professionalism she had shown him before. “Ah, a ground pounder. I won't hold that against you.”
The man's eyes twinkled, and laugh lines showed next to his eyes and mouth, and he smirked and said, “Says the wingnut.” He slapped her shoulder in comradery as we entered the elevator, her impeccable posture relaxed now.
Then I squeaked out, “Thank you both for your service.” Ok, what was with their matching crooked grins? I was serious. I growled at them and said, “Calvin, attack.” He wagged his tail. “Fat lot of good you are.”
Jess pulled me back to her, and she hugged me from behind. “I still love you Fin, don't pay attention to them.”
I gave them a 'so there' look as I felt the tips of my ears heat. I'll never understand military people. Just what was so funny?
We went up to the twenty-third floor and into another wide hall. They used a lot of whites in the building which brightened the place and made it look modern and clean. And over to 23F. The manager unlocked the door, and we all stepped in. The space was actually a little smaller than I was anticipating, I think it was close to the minimum allowable size of a hundred fifty square feet. Even the small studios on the fourth floor in my building were two hundred and fifty.
I asked as we all looked around the empty L shaped room as we passed the bathroom by the door and the tiny kitchenette, “What is the square footage here?”
The man responded as if he was asked this very thing a dozen times a day, which by the size of the building, he did, “One hundred and seventy-five.”
Kerry grinned. “Love it. It's a little bigger than base housing. And I didn't have a view there.” She moved to the floor to ceiling windows along the outer wall, and we followed. Wow! She was right, it was a spectacular view toward Central Park, which we couldn't see from here, with the wall of tall buildings between here and there.
The Helux stood above a lot of the other buildings in Hell's Kitchen, so the view was uncompromised until it hit the taller condos and hotels by the park. My place was mixed in there somewhere to the northeast.
Mr. Mercer moved to the bar counter dividing the kitchenette from the rest of the studio as I glanced over at the two closets along the wall to the door. He said, “If you sign here and here, then we can do the walkthrough for the damage deposit. I've already received your half of the payment for first and last month's rent, and damage deposit. I hope the flyboys over at McGuire get off their bureaucratic asses to get the rest to the building management firm.”
Ker chuckled, “Don't worry, Army... the Air Force is here.” They shared a chuckle. Seriously, I didn't understand military people that's why I preferred talking with my dogs.
When they were done signing things, he took a printout on a clipboard and said, “Alright, shall we do the walkthrough?”
Kerry started to follow him, but Jessie placed a restraining hand on her arm and shook her head at her, then nudged her chin toward me, “Just hang back, Fly Girl. Fin has this.”
I grinned at them then said, “I only need to see the bathroom, Mr. Mercer, sir. I've seen all we need to here. I've noted twenty-seven things so far. Thank you for having all the cupboard doors open by the way.”
He hesitated and looked at me with a furrowed brow as Jess grinned like a Cheshire cat. “What do you mean twenty-seven? I went through and signed off before refunding the last tenant's damage deposit.”
I took a deep breath and cracked my knuckles one at a time as my smile bloomed. I was in my element now and began, “Item one. There are thirteen unfilled nail holes in the walls from whatever the previous tenant hung. There, there, there and there. Item two. The bent doorstop when we came in. I noted it when the doorknob tapped the wall when you opened the door...”
Jess was looking on with a cheesy sort of pride as Kerry arched an eyebrow at me. Yep, this is where my borderline OCD won the day.
Don't look at me like that. I said borderline. I'm not OCD... Ish.
Mr. Mercer was just shaking his head by the time he left us there, handing Kerry the keys to the studio. “I'll get you copies of the lease, and the list of things on the damage deposit form... and the extra page of items Miss May found. I'll just slip them under your door.”
They faux saluted each other and chuckled as the man moved to the door and said with a nod, “Ladies.” I gave a little wave as Cal wagged his tail, and Jessie just inclined her head at the man.
We turned to a grinning Kerry as she looked around the space that would be her new home. “Times Square?”
We nodded our heads enthusiastically. It had been some time since I did the whole tourist thing. And I leaned toward my old friend and said in a conspiratorial tone, “And Kerry?”
“Yes?”
“Shotgun.”
“You little runt!”
Jess was just chuckling. “We're so close, and even I can't get a parking space much closer, let's walk.”
I blurted, “Shotgun is transferable to next ride, Ker, don't even try.”
She gave me a snarky look then provided in mock innocence, “I didn't say anything, now did I half pint?”
I told Cal, “She was thinking about it.” Then I prompted our amused redheaded Amazon. “You really need a four-door like Jane.
She gasped and placed a hand on her chest like she was wounded. “I'm not gonna granny up to stop you two from bickering over seats.”
I couldn't help but smile. I wonder if she realized she was already including Kerry in on our group. Her conquests usually only stuck around a day or two before she kicked them to the curb.
Cal and I walked past to the door. She was calling after me, “What?” Then to my childhood friend, “Why is she smiling so smugly?”
Ker offered non-helpfully in question, “She's Fin?”
This seemed to mollify my current best friend, and they caught up on either side of me and looped their arms in mine. I was a Finnegan sandwich. I felt my cheeks heat as we headed to the elevators, Calvin leading the way with his swishy tail radar pinging.
We stopped at the McCaffrey Playground for Calvin to do his thing on one of the few trees there on the pavement playground. Kerry was looking at the play equipment oddly, she looked almost sad for a moment, then she brightened and asked, “Remind you of anything Tempe?”
I nodded and smiled as we continued on our way, “It's a lot like the playground we hid out in back at Liberty.”
She chuckled and said, “Yeah, you used to...”
Great fluffy toe feathers! I blurted out, “Shut up, woman.”
She soldiered on, ignoring my protest, to my mortification, “You used to sort the bark under the little fort into piles by size... and color.”
I grumped along as we walked and she clarified to an over amused looking Jess, “I think that was the first time I realized Finnegan wasn't like other girls.”
I pointed out, to get the spotlight off me, “I wasn't the one who was boy crazy in junior high. You were always pointing out all the cute boys to me.”
She chuckled and clarified, “Not to you Temperance, for you. There's a difference. I'm a Gold Star, sweetie.”
That piqued Je
ssie's interest. “Oh reeeealy?” She wiggled her eyebrows lasciviously at Ker.
I asked, “Gold Star?”
To my embarrassment, my old friend explained, “It means I've never been with a man.”
Jess whistled. “Few and far between at the clubs I hang at. So now I'm not alone.”
Oh. That's what it meant? I felt kind of inadequate at the moment and pointed out, “There's Jane.”
To my surprise, Jessie didn't agree. Instead, she gave me an evil grin, “Sorry Finny, but your girl is no Gold Star Lesbian.”
Whaaaaa?
She explained, “It takes some people a while to figure out their sexuality. From what Five-O says, she dabbled on both sides of the fence in high school before she knew she preferred the fairer sex.”
That... I did not know. So I wasn't alone in my initial confusion about my sexuality. She burst my bubble, “You, our dear Miss May, are more pansexual than anything else.”
I prompted, “I love Jane.”
She nodded, and Kerry explained, “The surly wench here is right Tempe, just from what I've seen today, you are an equal opportunity flirt. You just like... people... regardless of sex. Your hot detective just happens to be the one who revs your motor more than Lance Djuan ever did.”
Oh lord. Lance... he was the hot new transfer student in our first year of high school. The tall black boy had a swagger that had all the girls swooning with his clean-shaven head. Huh, the few days Kerry was in class before she moved away, she was the only girl who didn't seem impressed by the boy. Odd I hadn't noticed back then. Sort of how Lance never noticed me.
I looked at her and teased at my realization, “You were so gay.”
She nodded and said with a smirk, “So was Susan Gonzales.”
My eyes widened. The cute latino cheerleader from junior high? She wound up on the dance squad when we went to high school... extremely popular. Kerry's wiggling brows told me that she was more than certain about her statement. Had they...? “Damn girl, you're a player!”
Case of the Gold Retriever Page 10
