Dirty Work | Page 6

I drove to the Victoria's Secret store at
Highland Mall and spent $58 on a crepe de chine sarong-wrap chemise
in mango, size L. I took it home and hid it in the bedroom, and all
through supper I was goofy as a little kid, just thinking about it.
I gave it to Charlene after we went to bed. She started crying. She said,
"I'll get back on my diet tomorrow. It's so beautiful. I can't wear it the
way I look now." She put it in the back of her drawer. She didn't even
try it on.

She kissed me on the cheek and lay down with her back to me. I sat
there, my hands all knotted up into fists. After a while she went to
sleep.
I just sat there. I hadn't called Dennis. I was supposed to call him if I
wasn't going back on the job. If I didn't do it he would just get
somebody else. Somebody with all those callouses I don't have. Finally
I got up and put my clothes back on and went out driving.
I guess I was supposed to be thinking things over, but what I did was
drive to Lane Rochelle's apartment. It was a quarter to twelve. I wrote
the time down on a new log sheet and walked around and wrote down
all the cars and license numbers. Lane's window was dark. I got back in
the truck and tried to find a comfortable way to sit. I wondered what
she wore to bed. Maybe it was a crepe de chine sarong-wrap chemise in
mango, size S. Maybe it was nothing at all.
A car door slammed and woke me up. The digital clock on my dash
said one AM. I saw a guy walking away from a black Trans Am, two
slots down on the right. It was the guy I saw in Dennis's office that
afternoon. I slid a little lower in the seat.
I wondered what was he doing there? Did Dennis give him my job? He
went through the gate by the pool, headed for the far set of stairs.
The apartments are kind of L-shaped, with the long part parallel to the
street and the short part coming toward where I was. There was another
set of stairs on the end of the building closest to me. I got out of the
truck as quiet as I could and went up the stairs. I got to the corner just
as the guy knocked on Lane's door.
I could hear my heart. It sounded like it was in my neck. The guy
knocked again, louder this time. I heard the door open and catch on its
chain.
"Javier," Lane said. She sounded only a little surprised.
"I got your message," the guy, Javier, said.

"It's late. What time is it?"
"Not that late. You gonna let me in or what?"
"Not tonight. Come back tomorrow, okay?"
"Listen, I went to a lot of trouble to drive over here. How about a beer
or something, anyway?"
"Fuck off." I wondered where she learned to talk like that. "Come back
tomorrow night."
The door slammed and two or three locks turned. I didn't hear any
footsteps. Javier was still standing there. Then he said, "¡Chingase,
puta!" and walked away.
I moved away from the corner and pushed my back flat against the wall.
I was in the shadows, I didn't think he could see me. He took one last
look at Lane's apartment and then spit in the swimming pool and got in
his Trans Am and drove away.
*
I was covered in sweat when I got home. I had to sponge myself off
with a wet washcloth before I could get back into bed. Charlene was
still asleep, snoring away.
I wondered if I should call Dennis. What if he already knew Javier was
hanging around? What if it was his idea? I thought about the smooth
way he handled me that afternoon in his office and decided it wasn't
any of my business. If Dennis wanted to ask me a question I would
answer it. Otherwise I was on my own.
Being on my own is okay. I've been that way most of my life. It makes
some things a lot easier. Like taking Dennis's money.
*
I got to the library about ten o'clock and went right up to the circulation

desk. Lane was there and when she saw me she turned and walked
away. This older woman came over and asked if she could help me.
"I need to talk to Lane for a second."
"What is this in reference to?"
"It's in reference to I would like to apologize to her."
The old lady went to talk to Lane. They went