The One I Love

“It’s his fault,” she yells.

At this point, her date has realized was not going to the bathroom but making a ridiculous scene instead. He comes over and is trying to convince her to leave. She’s still getting louder and more reckless with her body as she flails her whole body around to get out of the owner’s grasp.

“Get her out of here, or I’m calling the police.” The owner tells her date and adds, “I know you didn’t think she’d act like this Bernard, but please for me, get her out of my place.”

Once they are removed and the restaurant calms down Addy pins me with a heavy stare. “You’re going to have to explain that to me,” she states with a no-nonsense voice that I picture her using on her more rambunctious students. “And don’t lie. If you lie I’ll walk out.”

“If I tell you the truth you’ll walk out too,” I say sadly.

“You’ll just have to take that risk.”

I sigh knowing I’m about to lose the deal for us and watch as Thomas shakes his head no. But in my heart, I know I have to be truthful with her or she’ll never believe anything I say again.

“I need you to know Addy. I don’t do coke, I don’t do any hard drugs. I occasionally smoke weed and I drink. I’ve done coke in the past and I didn’t like it.”

“Okay,” she says hesitantly.

“The night we came to see you play, I had plans to meet her at the bar she works at. That night I was supposed to take her some coke. I have a friend, he sells and I got it to impress her. I was trying to get in her pants,” she winces and I hope I’m not taking the honesty thing too far. “I didn’t give it to her because there were some men in the bar my father fired and they started a fight that got me escorted from the bar.”

“That’s why your face was bruised.” It’s a statement, not a question. I nod my head and she surprises me when she continues, “Okay so now she thinks you owe her the free drugs you were going to give her if she slept with you?” Ada asks.

“When you say it like that it sounds so dirty.”

“Well, it is dirty Charlie. Thank you for telling me the truth. I don’t like anything about it, but I’m glad you didn’t lie.”

She takes a sip of her drink and the food comes to the table. I can’t believe it was that easy to tell her about my dalliances with drugs and women. Somehow this would come back to bite me in the ass later. When I look at Thomas, he’s just shaking his head.

We eat in near silence. The food is good and I think all of us are just processing what just happened. When we’re all done with our forks down I signal for the check.

“Shall we get the hell out of here?” I ask and lead the way. I’m glad the owner was able to get Savannah to calm down and I hope the damage that has been done isn’t irreparable.

The car drives us to a bar downtown called Kitzy. It’s an upscale place but not gold chalice upscale. We go in and get a table with tall stools. I sit next to Ada and Thomas sits across from her.

Once again, when we sit, Thomas is back to all business.

“So, I guess our main question is are you ready to make the commitment? We are ready to rent out a recording studio. I know a guy and all I need is for you to say the word for this to get started,” Thomas says. “You’ll be expected to come in and record with Charlie during a time we agree upon. That’s not something that takes up a little time. It takes up a lot. This album is going to be the next big thing and we want it to be right. So that means a lot of hard work from both of you and I need a commitment.”

“I understand that,” Ada says. “If I decide to do it, I’ll make the commitment. You don’t have to worry about that I never slack when I agree to do something. I’ll just have to keep a good sleep schedule so I can function at work.”

“That might not be an option. We may have to record into the night.” Thomas stares at her intently letting her know it is now or never time.

Addy fixes him with her own bone-chilling look and he holds his hands up in defeat. “Everything is negotiable Ada. I’m just trying to do my job and make sure we are moving right along and on track with everything.”

This conversation goes on for a while and I just listen. Once the three of us have more drinks coming we’re less serious. Addy cuts herself off and the two of us continue drinking.

“I’m going to the ladies,” Ada says and gets up from our table. I notice a guy on the other side of the room watching her go and I think he looks familiar, but I can’t place him. I look away and when I look again, he’s gone.

It irks me. Where do I know that guy from? Why was he looking at Ada like that? It hits me he looks like the guy that punched me in the bar, but I’m not sure. This guy is dressed completely different and I only got a glance at him. I could be paranoid after they said they were coming for me. My gut starts to churn and I think about following her to the bathroom. That’s ridiculous though, she can go to the bathroom by herself.

Thomas and I go back to our drinks and I let it go. Well, I almost let it go. I just can?

?t shake the uneasy feeling that something is wrong.

“Hey, that girl you were with. Someone just grabbed her from the hallway and yanked her outside.” Our waitress is standing over the table. She barely gets the words out and I’m rushing to the bathroom to save her with Thomas at my heels. I should have trusted my instincts.

It had to be Corky’s men or the men from the bar. I can’t believe my problems have somehow come down on her.

Chapter Fifteen