Excerpt from Gemma
"I got you a job," he says. "A job?" I keep my voice casual, keep the eagerness out, just in case I heard him wrong, just in case it's his idea of a joke or something. "You got me a job?" I say, and I'm kind of nervous, but, to be honest, this is kind of exciting too. I wouldn't mind a job. Make a little money. The kids at school would be jealous. Don't know anybody my age that's got a job. Usually you got to be fifteen, sixteen. Which is kind of a dumb rule, because I'm a real hard worker. Shouldn't matter the age, they'd get their money's worth outta me. "Yeah . . ." he says. "I got you a job." He looks at me. "And you want to do well at this job right?" "Yeah," I say. "Yeah!" I smile big so he'll know I mean it. Don't know why he's being so nice all of a sudden. But a job would be cool. Real cool. "Don't want to mess up, right?" he says, and I shake my head so he'll know I'm sincere, he keeps talking. "Because if you mess up, I'm going to be real pissed. And you don't want to get me pissed, isn't that right?" |
"Uh . . . huh . . ." I nod my head. I don't know why, but my heart's pounding and my mouth is real dry. I mean, I'm glad to have a job, but I'm kind of scared too. Buddy's not much fun when I mess up. "What . . . what do I got to do?" I ask. But he doesn't answer me. Not really, just laughs, not a nice laugh, not a friendly one, and says, "Sugar, you just do what you do best." And he's still laughing about that one as he jerks the steering wheel hard, cross two lanes of traffic, and there we are, pulling into a Denny's parking lot. And I think, "Oh, Denny's, maybe I'm going to get to be a waitress." I'd like that. That would be nice. Maybe I'd get a uniform and everything! * * * Hazen is sitting in Denny's restaurant. Got himself a booth in the corner, back against the wall, good vantage point of the door. Hands sweaty, the dregs of his coffee gone cold, got that tie-dye thing going with the sugar, the cream. He swirls it slowly, both hands wrapped around the mug, like it's still hot, drinkable, sits there, like he has every right. Takes a sip, something to do. Waiting for Buddy, |
VERY IMPORTANT: This book is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 15.