Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 7

Chapter 7SuitorsAfter endu gloriole a reasonable amount of bitterness from the conclave everyplace using his position to make a move on the girl in the parking lot, Tommy was able to persuade them to sustain got tail end to plump. Simon, Drew, and Jeff performed some mechanical magic on the meat case with a hammer, some jumper cables, and a bunghole of Bondo, and by morning e precisething was racetrack as if greased by the gods. Tommy met the manager at the introductory gateway with a smile and a report that his first night had foreg i great. The best crew he had ever seen, he said.He rode to Chinatown with troy Lee. They found a parking pop a few occlusives from Tommys dwell and walked the rest of the way. The sun was up only an hour, notwithstanding al pose the merchants were r distributively and the paving materials crowded. Delivery trucks blocked the roadways as they dropped pip their loads of fresh fish, meat, and ve channelables. walkway through Chinatown wi th troy weight Lee at his side, Tommy felt as if he were carrying a secret weapon.Whats that stuff? Tommy asked, pointing to a stack of celery equal stuff on a produce flurry.Bok choy Chinese cabbage.And that?Ginseng root. They say its substantially for the wood.Tommy stop and pointed in the window of a herbalist. That forecasts like hunks of deer antler.It is, Troy said. Its utilize to make medicine.As they passed the fish market Tommy pointed to the huge spiny turtles arduous to escape their milk c gites. Do people eat those?Sure, people who endure afford them.This is like a foreign country.It is, Troy said. Chinatown is a very closed community. I cant believe you live here. Im Chinese and Ive never yet lived here.This is it, Tommy said, stopping at the door.So you want me to ask them or so the flowers, and what else?Well, close vampires.Give me a break.No, this guy I met, the Emperor, he said it could be vampires. Tommy led the way up the steps.Hes bullshitting you, Tommy.He was the bingle that told me or so the capriole at your store, and that turned break through to be true.Tommy opened the door and the cinque Wongs whole toneed up from their bunks. Bye-bye, they said.Bye-bye, Tommy said.Nice place, Troy said. Ill bet the rent is a killer. 50 bucks a week, Tommy said.Fifty bucks, the five Wongs said.Troy moti singled Tommy out of the room. Give me a minute here.Troy closed the door. Tommy waited in the hall, lis exing to the nasal, banjo sounds of the conversation mingled with Troy and the five Wongs. After a few minutes Troy emerged from the room and motioned for Tommy to follow him back trim to the street.What goes? Tommy asked when they reached the sidewalk.Troy turned to him he seemed as if he was trying to keep from laughing. These guys are but clear up the boat, man. It was kind of hard to understand them, they speak some regional dialect.So?So, theyre here illegally, smuggled over by pirates. They owe the pirates like cardin al grand for the trip, and if they get caught and sent back to China, they still owe the capital. Thats like twenty years wages in the provinces.So? Tommy asked. Whats that got to do with the flowers?Troy snicke red-faced. Im acquiring to that. You see, they want to be citizens. If they become citizens, they can get better jobs and pass on off the pirates faster. And they cant be sent back.And the flowers?The Wongs are leaving the flowers. Theyre courting you.WhatThey perceive somewhere that in San Francisco men marry men. They figure that if they can get you to marry them, at that placefore they can be citizens and stay here. Youve got secret admirers, dude.Tommy was indignant. They deal Im gay?They dont know. I really dont think they care. They asked me to ask you for your hand in marriage. Troy finally lost control and started laughing.What did you tell them?I told them Id ask.You fucker.Well, I didnt want to tell them no without asking you. They said that theyd take good c are of you.Go tell them I said no.You got something against Asians? to a fault good for us?No, its not that. I Ill tell them that youll think about it. Look, Ive got to get home and get some sleep. Ill see you at counterfeit tonight. Troy walked by.Youre cleaning garbage cans tonight, Troy. Im in charge, you know? You better not tell Simon and the guys.Whatever you say, Fearless Leader, Troy called over his shoulder.Tommy stood on the sidewalk trying to think of a better threat.A half block away Troy turned and yelled, Hey, TommyWhat?Youll make a lovely bride.Tommy, capital punishment in his eyes, broke into a run after Troy Lee.Sunset. brain hit Jody like a bucket of cold water.She thought, I degenerate waking up groggy and quantify lag for the coffee to brew. Waking up with your worries already in full stride good sucks.What was I sentiment? Giving myself only a half hour to get ready for a find out? I urinate nothing to wear. I cant usher up in a sweatshirt and jea ns and ask this guy to move in with me. I dont even know anything about him. What if hes a drunk, or a woman beater, or a psycho killer? Dont those guys always work nights in grocery stores? The neighbors always say that He worked nights and kept to himself. Who would be in possession of thought that he stir-fried the paperboy? He did say I was beautiful, though, and everybody has their faults. Who am I to judge? Im aShe didnt want to think about what she was.Jody had thrown on her jeans and was furiously trying to put on what little make-up she had with her.She thought, I can read small print in the dark, I can see heat coming off a hiding rat from a hundred yards, and I still cant put on mascara without poking myself in the eye.She stepped back from the mirror and tried to fight the self-criticism tried to look at herself objectively. I look like a late-night TV vindication for the fashion-impaired, she thought. This wont work.She broke away from the mirror, whence took one last look and primped her hair, therefore started out the door, then took one last look, then started out the door, then pa social occasiond for a last lookNo she said aloud. She ran out the door, tidy sum the steps, and to the slew stop on the corner, where she bounced from foot to foot as if waiting for the bathroom at a beer-drinking contest.Tommy had spent the day trying to keep down the five Wongs. He watched the room until he was sure they had all left, then he sneaked in and grabbed some clean clothes, showered, dressed, and sneaked out. He took a bus to Levis Plaza, where he napped on a park bench spot pigeons and seagulls scavenged around him. Late afternoon brought a cold wind off the bay that chilled him awake.He walked up Sansome toward North Beach, trying to rub the demarcation out of the back of his head left by the bench slats. As he passed a group of teenagers who were posturing and panhandling at the curb, one chunky boy shouted, Sir, can you spare a quarter for some eyeliner?Tommy dig in the pocket of his jeans and handed the kid all of his change. No one had ever called him sir onward.Oh, thank you, sir the kid gushed in a high distaff voice. He held the fistful of change up to the others as if he had vindicatory been handed the cure for cancer.Tommy smiled and walked on. He figured that panhandlers had cost him about ten dollars a day since he had come to the City ten dollars that he really couldnt afford. He didnt seem to be able to look away and walk on like everyone else. Maybe it was something you developed after a while. Maybe the constant assault of despair callused your compassion. A plea for money for food always make his stomach growl, and a quarter was a small price to pay to quiet it. The plea for eyeliner appealed to the writer jump of him, the part that believed that creative thought was worth something.Yesterday he had perceive a tourist tell a homeless man to get a job.Pushing a shopping cart up and down these hills is a fucking job, the homeless guy had said. Tommy gave him a buck.It was still sportsmanlike when Tommy reached Enricos on Broadway. He paused momentarily and looked over the few customers who were eating on the patio by the street. Jody wasnt there. He stop at the hosts station and speechless a table outside for a half hour later.Is there a bookstore around here? he asked.The host, a thin, whiskery man in his forties, with perfect anchorman-gray hair, raised an eyebrow, and with that small gesture made Tommy feel like scum. City Lights is one block up on the corner of Columbus, the host said.Oh, thats right, Tommy said, batting himself on the forehead as if hed just remembered. Ill be back.We are giddy with anticipation, the host said. He spun curtly on one heel and walked away.Tommy turned and started up Broadway until he was accosted by a barker outside a strip joint, a man in a red tailcoat with a top hat.Tits, slits, and clits. Come on in, sir. The show starts in five minutes.No, thanks. I have a dinner date in a few minutes.Bring the little chick back with you. This show can turn a maybe into a sure thing, son. Well have her sitting in a puddle before you leave.Tommy squirmed. Maybe, he said. He hurried a foresightful until the barker two doors up, this one a buxom woman wearing leather and a ring in her nose, halt him.The most beautiful girls in town, sir. all in all nude. All hot. Come on in.No, thanks. I have a dinner date in a few minutes.Bring her Maybe, Tommy said, move on.He was stopped three more times before he reached the end of the block, and each time he declined politely. He noticed that he was the only one who stopped. The other pedestrians just walked on, ignoring the barkers.Back home, he thought, its impolite to ignore person who is speaking to you, especially if they call you sir. I guess Im dismission to have to learn City manners.She had fifteen minutes before she was supposed to attend Tommy at Enricos. Allowing f or another bus ride and a short walk, she had about seven minutes to find an outfit. She walked into the Gap on the corner of caravan Ness and Vallejo with a stack of hundred-dollar bills in her hand and announced, I inquire help. NowTen salespeople, all young, all dressed in generic wine cotton casual, looked up from their conversations, spotted the money in her hand, and simultaneously stopped breathing their brains shutting down bodily functions and rerouting the postulate energy to write in code the projected commissions contained in Jodys cash. One by one they resumed breathing and marched toward her, a look of dazed hunger in their eyes a admit of zombies from the perky, youthful version of The Night of the Living Dead.I wear a size four and Ive got a date in fifteen minutes, Jody said. pose me.They descended on her like an evil khaki wave.Tommy sat at a patio table with only a low brick planter box between him and the sidewalk. To avoid the titty bar barkers, he ha d crossed the street eight times in the half block from City Lights bookstore to Enricos and he was a little jangled from dodging traffic. He ordered a cappuccino from a waiter who fawned over him like a mother hen, then stared in amazement when the waiter returned with a cup the size of a large soup bowl and a plate of brown sheer cubes.These are raw sugar cubes, honey. So much better for you than that discolor poison.Tommy picked up the soup spoon and reached for a sugar cube.No, no, no, the waiter scolded. We use our cafe noir spoon for our cappuccino. He pointed to a tiny spoon that be in the saucer.Demitasse, Tommy repeated, feeling reckless. In Indiana the use of the word demitasse was tantamount to leaping out of the closet in scandalous flames. San Francisco was a great city A great place to be a writer And gay guys seemed like pretty nice people, once you got erstwhile(prenominal) their seeming obsession with Barbra Streisand music. Tommy smiled at the waiter. Thanks, I may need a little help with the forks.Is she special? the waiter asked.I think shes going to break my heart.How exciting the waiter gushed. Then well make you look marvelous. expert remember, use from the outside first on the forks. The big spoon is for kink pasta. Is this your first date?Tommy nodded.Then order the raviolis bite-size no muss, no fuss. Youll look good eating them. And order for her, the rosemary chicken with roasted toll peppers and wild mushrooms in cream sauce a beautiful dish. Tastes horrid, but on a first date she wont eat it anyway. You dont have time to run home and change, do you?The waiter looked at Tommys flannel shirt as if it were a foul, dead animal.No, this is all I have clean.Oh well, it does have a certain Mr. Green Jeans charm, I guess.Tommy caught a flash of red hair out of the corner of his eye and looked up to see Jody walking into the cafe. The waiter followed his gaze.Is that her?Yes, Tommy said, waving to catch her attention. She spotted him, smiled, and approached the table.Jody was dressed in a khaki skirt, a light-blue chambray blouse, light-blue leggings, and tan suede flats. She wore a woven leather belt, a green tartan scarf laced around her shoulders, silver earrings, bracelet, and necklace, and carried a suede backpack in place of her airline flight bag.The waiter, keeping his gaze fixed on Jody, dented and whispered in Tommys ear, The flannel is fine, honey. I havent seen anyone that over-accessorized since Batman. He stood and pulled the chair out for Jody. Hi, weve been waiting for you.Jody sat.My name is Frederick, the waiter said with a slight bow. Ill be serving you this evening. He pinched the fabric of Jodys scarf. Lovely tartan, dear. Sets off your eyes. Ill be back with some menus.Hi, Jody said to Tommy. Have you been waiting long?A little while, I wasnt sure of the time. I brought you something. He reached under the table and pulled a book out of a City Lights bag. Its an almanac. You sa id you needed one.Thats very sweet.Tommy looked down and mimed an Aw, shucks, it was nothing.So, do you live around here? Jody asked.Im soma of looking for a place.Really? Have you been in town long?Less than a week. I came here to write. The grocery store is just a just aJob, Jody finished for him.Right, just a job. What do you do?I used to be a claims clerk at Transamerica. Im looking for something else, now.Frederick appeared at the table and opened two menus in front of them. If you dont mind me saying, he said, you two are just darling together. Theres a Raggedy-Ann-and-Andy energy going between you two that is simply electric.Frederick walked away.Jody eyed Tommy over the menu. Have we just been insulted?I hear the rosemary chicken meet is wonderful, Tommy said.