Ripped (26 page)

“Are you talking about Tiger?” I couldn’t work out why he’d be angry at me for patting a tiny, cute little tabby.

He grunted. “She hangs around the shop, catches rats, and brings them inside. It’s bad for business.”

Tiger stuck her head out to check if the coast was clear, and he kicked his foot at her, narrowly missing her head.

“Hey, leave her alone. If she wasn’t catching the rats they’d be running around in your shop.”

“You’re so fond of her, you can take her home. I’m sure you two would make a lovely couple.” His boots crunched the ground along the same path they’d taken previously, leaving Tiger shaken under the bin, her green eyes darting wildly, searching for danger.

I called her out and she tentatively came. I’d always considered myself a dog person, but this little girl was a fighter. She was alone and surviving on her wits, and something about that endeared her to me.

“I think we can find you a better home than this—what do you say? I can promise you won’t have to chase rats ever again, and there’ll be a nice warm bed for you.”

Her meow was answer enough. I picked her up and she snuggled into my arms, purring contentedly.

Darkness had consumed the violet sky while I’d been standing outside waiting for Jaz. It was freezing, but at least I had company now. Still, I worried that in the time I’d spent focused on Tiger, maybe Jaz had gone through the front and was already on her way home, or to Tiffany’s.

I was just about to phone her on the off chance she would answer when the light above the door flickered on and the lock clicked open. It was Jaz, closely followed by Tiffany.

With one look at me, Jaz’s eyes misted over before she set her jaw firmly and took three purposeful strides past.

“Please wait, Jaz,” I blurted. “I’ve been waiting for hours to talk to you. Please hear me out.”

She spun on her heels to face me. “I’ve heard all I want to hear, Bax. I’m tired, and I just want to go home.”

“Home with me?” I knew it was a long shot but it was worth a try.

She shook her head. A half-smile only briefly graced her lips as she noticed Tiger sleeping in my arms. “Home alone, Bax. I need some time to think everything through. I can’t be around you right now.” Tiffany stepped up beside Jaz and protectively put an arm around her shoulders. “I can stay with Tiff for a while.”

It was over. She may not have said the words, but from the look on her face and the tone of her voice I knew the decision had been made.

“It’s okay. I can move back to the apartment above the pizzeria. You can stay …” my voice cracked, “in our apartment.” Jaz had told me that Tiffany lived in a tiny one-bedroom that was barely big enough for her, let alone a house guest.

“Okay, thank you.” And with that she turned and left me standing there holding the only girl left in my life.

The Giancolis were thrilled to have me back and welcomed Tiger just as warmly. It turned out that Lucia was a cat person and had scooped Tiger from my arms as soon as she saw the little tabby.

“She’s beautiful, Baxter,” she cooed, giggling as Tiger purred and nuzzled into Lucia’s neck.

“She’s yours if you want her.” It was the perfect solution.

“Oh, Baxter, she’s for me. Thank you.” She pressed her lips softly to my cheek. “She’s perfect.”

Mama clapped her hands with delight. “This is cause for celebration. We have our Baxter back, and everything’s as it should be.”

Smiling, I backed away as politely as possible and went up the stairs, not quite sure if in their minds a cat was the equivalent to an engagement ring. There was no cause for celebration, only commiserations. My life had turned to shit and I was alone again, living above a pizzeria.

It felt surreal to be back in the old apartment, like the last few weeks with Jaz had been a dream and my life was still as empty as ever. I was still stripping and trying to kid myself that it was real dancing. I was still living in the same crummy apartment, and I still had a huge hole in my heart that only Jaz could fill. Her words had plagued me since they’d been spoken a week ago, and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that she was wrong, I knew she wasn’t. No one cared if I could do a
540 battement en rond
or multiple
double tours
, they just wanted me to take my clothes off. I could walk out on stage, stand there and strip naked, and get the same amount of cheers. Now that Jaz had said out loud what I’d always feared was true, it ate away at me.

A soft rapping on my door had me jumping from the couch and racing to answer it. Maybe Jaz had been missing me as much as I missed her. Maybe this was what I’d imagined every night as I lay awake in bed, and she had come back, saying all was forgiven and she couldn’t last another moment without me.

My heart dropped from my throat to the pit of my stomach after I yanked the door open.

“Oh hi, Lucia, come in.” I knew my tone screamed disappointment, but I couldn’t mask it. She had been good to me the last week, but she wasn’t the person I wanted to pay me a visit.

Why was I surprised it was her? She’d told me she’d drop by just as she had every night after service, and every night I’d gone through the same ridiculous excitement, hoping it would be Jaz, and then the gut-wrenching regret when it wasn’t.

“Are you ready to talk about what happened, Baxter?” she asked, making herself at home on the little couch.

Every time we had spoken we had made small talk, but I had purposely avoided talking about Jaz with her. It seemed strange to talk about the girl I loved with a heart-crushing passion to the girl who obviously had feelings for me.

“We broke up; there’s nothing to talk about.”
Especially with you.

“Is it because of what you do?” she pressed. “Your … other job.”

Now this grabbed my attention. I was pretty sure she wasn’t talking about the sales job at Melody Music, but I wanted her to say it. How would she know? “What other job?”

“Baxter.” She looked at me with certainty, like I knew exactly what she was referring to. “Your stripping job, of course.”

“How did …?”

“I have friends who have been to that club. They told me that the dish-boy was working there.” She shrugged. “We only have one dish-boy, Baxter.”

I slumped back into the worn cushions, my mouth agape. I didn’t know what I was more upset about—that she knew or that her and her friends referred to me as the dish-boy.

“I’ve tried to get past your work. I like you, I think you know that, but Mama and Papa would never accept you into the family as they have if they knew. They come from the old country where hard work in an honorable job means so much. Stripping is not honorable.”

“It’s just dancing.” That feeble excuse wasn’t cutting it anymore, even for me. “Jaz can’t accept it, and it appears neither can you.”

“No respectable girl would, Baxter. Girls want to sleep with strippers so they can gossip about it with their friends—they don’t want to marry them.” She stood abruptly and made her way to the door. “I’ve said what I wanted to say. I’ll give you time to think about it. You may have lost Jasmine, but I’m still here.”

The door was open, and she was about to leave. “Lucia, I need the money. It’s as simple as that.”

She nodded. “I can talk to Mama for you. Maybe we can give you more shifts downstairs. You already live here again; you can work full-time with us, too.” She beamed at me as if she’d solved all my problems. But the only problem I really cared about was how to get Jaz back.

“I’ll think about it. Thanks.” It was a generous offer, but I felt like a fly trapped in a spider’s web.

She leaned in toward me and I turned my cheek. It was customary for the entire family to kiss on both cheeks every time you saw them, but this kiss from Lucia was different. She held it longer, her lips soft and partially open. It was a kiss that spelt trouble.

“I’m so happy, Baxter. Leave that other terrible job. This is a family business, and you’re part of our family. Everything will work out—you’ll see.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. Somehow, I’d managed to dig myself into a big hole with Lucia where she was pulling me away from the only form of dancing I was any good at and into a life that revolved around her and her family.

I lay on my mattress on the floor. Maybe Lucia’s offer was the best option, the answer to reconciling with Jaz. If I could earn more in the restaurant, then I could afford to leave the club. At least it would show Jaz that I was willing to give up the only spotlight that shone on me. But was it too late?

There was only one way to find out. I needed to see her.