The Predators (7 page)

Fat Rita’s eyes narrowed. “If it weren’t for me you would never have even known that your father put money into this business.”

“I saved Eddie’s business before Harry grabbed it,” I said. “After all, would Harry even keep Eddie working for him if he had taken over? And if he did, he’d only pay him twenty-five dollars a week at the most. And Buddy told me that he was going to hire a black man to take over Eddie’s job and pay only fifteen a week.”

“They wouldn’t be able to run the business,” Eddie said.

“Then Harry would sell it. He’d be able to get at least five grand for all the machinery, bottles, garage, and truck,” I answered. “Harry is not a schmuck. He always has everything figured out. Don’t forget he was going to get the whole business for only a grand.”

They were silent.

“How much did the old owner pay you a week?” I asked.

“Twenty-five bucks, but I didn’t have to do all of the work. He did fifty percent of the work preparing the bottles and seltzer. I made the deliveries and pickups, and sold to new customers,” he answered. “Now I’m doing everything inside and out. And don’t forget, I put three thousand dollars of my own along with what your father put in. I also put a lot of money fixing things up. The old man had let a lot of things wear down.”

“Do you have receipts?” I asked.

“No, I just did it,” he answered.

“I understand you’ve put a lot of work into this, but I just don’t think ten dollars a week is enough. But let’s wait and let Kitty try to work it out for us. We’ll find a fair agreement.”

“Isn’t Rita entitled to something for the work that she’s doing?” Eddie asked.

“Rita is entitled to a salary, too. Maybe it would be better if we just worked out a payment plan and you give me interest on the two thousand that you owe me. Then I’ll be out of the business and you’ll own the whole company.”

Eddie turned to his sister, and then he looked at me. “The only problem is, some weeks I sell less than I expect. Then I might not be able to pay what I owe you for the week.”

I decided that we were going around in circles. “Let’s not worry about it right now. Just keep working and doing what you’re doing, and we’ll figure the right way for everybody. Once Kitty goes over the books we’ll know more.”

“You’re not trying to take this business away from him?” Fat Rita said, crying.

“Don’t be silly,” I said, trying to comfort her. “What the hell would I want with his business? I don’t know a damn thing about it. All I want is to get the money that’s due me and then we’ll all go our own ways.”

“And what about the thousand that Buddy arranged for us?” she asked.

“I’ve got nothing to do with that. That’s between you two and Buddy. But I know one thing—he won’t break your back. He knows how tough it is. He’ll work with you.” I smiled at them. “Just relax. Everything will work out if Eddie takes care of business and stays away from the horses.”

“I’m out of that,” Eddie said.

“Good,” I said. “Now, how about having a bottle of Eddie’s Coney Island Seltzer. I’ll treat,” I said, reaching in my pocket and handing Eddie some cash.

13

I was listening to
The Eddie Cantor Hour
on the radio when Kitty came in. She had her own key to my apartment now, so I didn’t even realize she was in the room until I heard her voice. “What are you doing in bed this early?” she asked.

“Trying to sleep,” I answered. “After I got back from seeing Eddie and Rita at the Coney Island Seltzer factory I was tired.” I shrugged and stopped for a moment. “I guess I’m worried,” I said. “I don’t know if I did the right thing or not.”

She looked at me. “What did you arrange with them?” she asked.

“I told him that I didn’t want any part of their business. All I want is the money my father invested and I’ll be satisfied,” I answered.

She laughed. “You’re not a very tough businessman. Your Uncle Harry would have taken the shirt off their back as well as the business.”

I looked at her. “I’m not my Uncle Harry. And maybe I’m not a businessman, but I wouldn’t feel good if I ruined them. I told them that you would meet with them later and work out a decent deal for all of us.”

“That’s work,” she said. “What do I get out of it?”

I laughed. “How about seven inches?”

“That’s no money,” she snapped.

I opened my fly and took out my cock. It was already hard. I waved it at her. “Isn’t this better than money?”

She laughed and fell down on the bed. She put her hand firmly around my cock. Slowly she began to massage it. “Too bad, we can’t fuck,” she said tauntingly.

“Why not?” I asked.

“I’ve got the curse,” she answered.

“So what’s the big deal?” I asked. “You can still suck me off.”

“Oh yeah, but what’s in it for me?” she said.

“Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it,” I said.

“All I get is a mouthful of salty cum, if that’s all we do,” she said.

“What do you mean if that’s all we do—you said you had the curse.”

“You can fuck me in the ass,” she said.

“You gotta be kiddin’,” I said. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’ve heard it’s painful for a girl.”

“It won’t hurt,” she said confidently, starting to take off her dress. “Just run down to the drugstore on the corner and get a jar of Vaseline.”

“You’re sure?” I asked.

“Do you want to fuck or don’t you?” she asked sarcastically. “Yours is not the only cock in town.”

14

Kitty was the greatest. It was the first time I really understood how much she meant to me. I would do anything for her now. When I licked her ass, I knew it was the sweetest ass in town.

We stretched out naked in the bed. I was sweating bullets and I pulled a towel to dry me up. I smiled at her. “I love ass-fucking. It’s the first time I’ve ever done it. It’s really great.”

She looked at me. “Wash your prick,” she said. “It’s covered with Vaseline and it’s messy. When you finish, we’ll talk about what I get out of the seltzer business.”

“How come you never told me about ass-fucking before?” I asked.

“It’s not called ‘ass-fucking,’” she said angrily. “It’s sodomy. And that’s a bigger sin than fucking. I can’t even confess that to my priest.”

“If it’s that bad, why do you do it?”

“I’m crazy, I guess,” she answered. “I’m horny all the time and I can do anything I want with you because you’re Jewish and you don’t have to go to confession.”

“You mean you wouldn’t do it with another Catholic?” I asked.

“Don’t ask stupid questions,” she said in an annoyed voice. “Clean up and let’s talk about business.”

I went to the bathroom and stepped into the tub and turned on the shower. A moment later she was in the shower with me. Before we were finished, I heard the doorbell ring. I looked at her. “Do you think that your father is looking for you?” I asked.

“My father’s out of town,” she answered. “It has to be someone for you.”

I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist. I left her in the bathroom while I went to the door. “Who’s there?” I asked.

“Buddy, you asshole, open the door.” His voice sounded urgent through the door. “I’m in trouble, let me in.”

I opened the door. Buddy was standing there, still in his Sunday clothes from that morning. There were also two pretty black girls in their Sunday clothes standing beside him. I let them in and closed the door. “I have some Pepsis in the fridge,” I said. “Give me and Kitty a minute to get some clothes on.”

By the time we were dressed, Buddy and his girlfriends were at the kitchen table smoking and drinking up all of my Pepsis. Buddy had already met Kitty from the time she had stopped over at the counter when I was working.

He introduced the girls that were with him, Diana and Arietta. They were daughters of the reverend at his church. “I’ve got a big problem,” Buddy explained. “The reverend told me to take his girls home, and instead I took them over to my place. We smoked a little ganch and it got a little wild and we all screwed.”

I stared at him. “You screwed both of them?” I asked.

The girls giggled. “Why not?” he asked. “They both wanted it. Don’t forget, they’re sisters and they are used to sharing.”

“Oh, brother,” I said. “So why don’t you just take them home? There shouldn’t be any problem.”

“I can’t do that,” he said. “He’ll kill me. He told me to take them home at noon.” He looked at his watch. “It’s now eight o’clock. He’ll know I was out with them all day.”

“So what do you want me to do?” I asked.

“I thought maybe you could take them home.”

“You’re out of your fucking mind,” I said. “What will keep him from killing me?”

“You’re a white boy,” he said. “The reverend won’t kill a white boy. He’ll figure that you’re straight.”

“No way,” I said.

“Jesus,” he said. “I’m really in trouble now. Man, you got to do this one thing for me. I’m too young to die.”

Kitty began laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I snapped.

“Maybe I can help the girls out,” she said.

“How?” Buddy asked.

Kitty turned to the girls. “You both go to school?”

Arietta nodded. “We both go to George Washington High School. I’m graduating this year, and Diana will graduate next year.”

“Good,” Kitty said. “I can tell the reverend that I had told them they would have a very good chance to get into Hunter College, and that I asked them to come for a school enrollment seminar.”

“That’s brilliant.” Buddy’s smile reached clear across his face. “I’ll get the cab fare for you.”

“How much is cab fare?” Kitty asked quietly.

“About ten dollars up and back,” he said.

She smiled. “That’s for cab fare. My service is worth fifty bucks.”

“You’re out of your mind,” Buddy said.

“It’s cheaper than getting yourself killed,” Kitty answered.

Buddy shook his head. “That’s a lot of money.”

“I know what you do,” Kitty said. “You make a lot of money.”

“Okay,” Buddy said. “I quit. You’ll get your money.”

Kitty held out her hand very politely. “Now.”

Buddy looked at me. “Your girlfriend’s really a ball breaker.” He took out a roll of bills from his pocket and peeled out the fifty and one tenner.

15

Buddy sat down at the kitchen table again after the girls had left. He looked down and sighed. I took one of his cigarettes from the Lucky Strikes package. I dragged the smoke into my lungs. They tasted better than the Twenty Grands I smoked. I looked over at Buddy again. He still had his head.

“You gotta be tired after all that fucking,” I said, and laughed.

“Nah, not really,” he said.

“If you’re worried about the girls, Kitty will work it all out. She’s very smart,” I said.

“For fifty bucks, she better be smart,” Buddy said, and leaned back in his chair. “I’m gonna have to get another job.”

“What do you mean? I thought everything was fine now,” I said.

“It is, but I have another problem. I’ve got to get something that will keep me out of the draft,” he said.

“What are you worried about? They’re not after you, are they?” I asked.

“I’m twenty years old and I’ve been one-A for over a year now,” he said. “They’re cleaning up in my neighborhood. The local draft board is pulling in us niggers like flies.”

“So what? There’s no war and I think it’s going to be a long way off, if ever.”

“Maybe,” he said. “Sooner or later, either way, it ain’t good for me. Twenty-one dollars a month won’t even keep me in cigarettes.” He stood up and looked down at me. “I’m going to quit the job over at Harry’s.”

“Wait a minute,” I said, shocked. “Do the guys know that you’re leaving the numbers route?”

“They okayed it already,” he said. “They’ve got me a job over at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. I’ll have a numbers route over there.”

“Harry will go off the wall. He won’t have anybody to stay with me till closing time.”

“Fuck him,” Buddy said. “Let him give you some more money. Kid, you can handle the whole thing yourself. You’ve got no problem, I showed you how to use the blade.”

I looked at him. I was eighteen and I had just got my notice to show up at the draft board. I was sure that I would be 1-A. I was healthy and I didn’t have a family to support. “Maybe I should start looking for a defense job myself,” I said.

“Maybe,” he said. “They goin’ to get all of us. And it ain’t going to be easy for niggers and kikes. None of the services like us.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m not going to worry about it now. I’m okay.” I opened up another Pepsi. “What the hell! Christmas is coming in a couple of weeks and everything will be peaceful and merry.”

I never realized I’d be so wrong, so fast. Later, after Kitty had come back and we were in bed together going at it pretty good, an announcer cut into the regular music on the radio and announced that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor that morning and the war was on.

I looked down at Kitty. Suddenly there were tears in her eyes. And I had lost my hard-on. We both knew our lives would never be the same.

16

Everything was screwed up by the time I got to work the next afternoon. It was a madhouse. For the first time I saw Uncle Harry himself working at the counter, because only one of the spicks showed up to work. The others had taken off. There was no way they were going to take any chances of being picked up by the draft board. Most of them were over draft age and had never showed up at the draft board to pick up their card.

Harry screamed at me. “You’re late! You knew I needed your help today!”

“I came down after school as usual, Uncle Harry,” I said, tying an apron around me.

“Where the hell is Buddy?” he yelled. “He’s usually here by this time.”

“I don’t know,” I answered. “Maybe he went to enlist.”

“Not that boy,” he said. “I heard a week ago that he was going to get a defense job.”

“Where’d you get that?” I asked, while selling a taxi driver a pack of cigarettes.

“I have connections,” he said smugly.

I looked at him. I knew his connection. His little black girlfriend. I turned to Fat Rita behind the register. “What’s with Eddie?” I asked. “How is he with the draft?”