Out of the Easy(47)

“I have the best mechanic in the Quarter, and I can get him here pronto.”

“Then why are you standing there? Go!” said Mr. Lockwell.

I reached into my purse and grabbed the envelope. “This will save time. I’ll have you sign the recommendation now.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

I shook my head. I took the sheet out of the envelope and unfolded it against the driver’s-side window. “Sign here.”

Lockwell stood and stared.

“I’ll have your car fixed, and this will be done.” I pointed to the signature line.

“What’s this all about?” asked his friend.

Mr. Lockwell’s voice dropped. “Did you fool with my car, just to get this letter?”

“Of course not!”

He grabbed my wrist. “You better have a mechanic. If you’re hustlin’ me, kid, I swear I’ll find you and you’ll be sorry.”

“Josie, you okay?” called Cokie.

“I’m fine,” I called back.

Lockwell moved closer. “Did you hear me? You’ll be sorry.”

I nodded.

Mr. Lockwell took a pen from his shirt pocket. “God, I can’t even read this. It’s too dark back here.” He looked at me. He looked at the car. He scribbled his signature. “There. Now, hurry.”

“Come on, Cokie.” I took off down the driveway with the letter and jumped in the cab. I held up the piece of paper. “Cokie, don’t tell Willie about this.”

“Josie, what are you up to? This is crazy. You don’t even know what’s wrong with his car. Maybe it can’t be fixed. Maybe Jesse don’t have the parts. It’s after midnight. Maybe he’s asleep. Maybe he’s not even home. Then what you gonna do? That man is waitin’, and he don’t want to be messed with.”

I stared at the signed letter. I didn’t want to be messed with either.

? ? ?

Lights were on at Jesse’s. I ran up and pounded on the door. The hinges creaked. A woman peeked out.

“What do you want?”

“Good evening, ma’am. I’m a friend of Jesse’s. Is he home?”

“Go away, it’s too late to be out. Nothing good ever happens after midnight,” she hissed.

“Who is it, Granny?” The door swung open. Jesse stood shirtless in his jeans, holding a bottle of milk. The bottle was sweating. So was his torso.

“Hey, Jo.” Jesse looked at my clothing and raised an eyebrow.

“Jesse, I need a favor.”

? ? ?

It took less than ten minutes for Jesse to start the engine.

“You got a card, kid?” Mr. Lockwell said from the window, between pulls on his cigar.

“A card?” Jesse asked.

Lockwell threw a green bill at me from the car. It hit my knees and landed on the driveway. “You’re lucky he was able to fix it. Get yourself a dress. I want to see some high heels, Josephine.” He drove away.

Jesse stared at his boots.

“It’s not what it sounds like,” I said, kicking the money away from my feet.

Jesse looked up. I saw his eyes float over my shoulder toward the house. A rich man in back of a brothel threw money at me and told me to get a pair of high heels—I knew exactly what it sounded like. I didn’t want Jesse to think of me that way.

“Looks like he’s pretty well-to-do.”

“He’s my friend’s uncle.” That sounded bad too. Jesse knew Willie’s girls were called nieces. “Jesse, can I tell you something?”

He nodded.

“I asked Mr. Lockwell to give me a recommendation for college. He didn’t want to, but I convinced him.” Oh, that sounded even worse. “Wait, it’s not like that, either. I know he comes here to Willie’s, and he gave me the recommendation so I wouldn’t tell my friend’s aunt, his wife.” I reached in my purse and pulled out the envelope.

Jesse’s face brightened. “So you’ve put the pressure on the nasty goat, huh? Well, in that case, you’ve earned it.” Jesse grabbed the money and flicked it to me.

I laughed. Lockwell was a nasty goat. “You take the money. You fixed the car.”

He grabbed his toolbox, and we started the walk home, back down the driveway.

Jesse talked about cars and dirt racing. After a few blocks, his voice became nothing but a warble of sounds in my ear. So much had happened. Charlie, Patrick, Lockwell, and Willie—I saw her staring out the window as Jesse and I left her driveway. Had she seen me talking to Lockwell? Had she seen him sign the recommendation? When was she going to break open the game and admit she knew I had Mr. Hearne’s watch? Jesse stopped walking, and I realized we were at the bookshop.

“You haven’t heard a thing I’ve said.”

“Yes, I—no, I haven’t. I’m sorry, Jesse. I’m just so tired.”

“Okay, tired girl, let me tell you a secret.”

I didn’t need any more secrets. I had enough of my own. I looked up at Jesse.

“Uh-huh. There you are, all tired, standin’ in your boyfriend’s clothes, but here’s the secret.” Jesse moved in close. “You like me.”

“What?” I moved my face from his, trying to restrain what felt like a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. My body seemed to react involuntarily around Jesse. It made me nervous.