One More Drop

At a small square table in a small bar sat a woman with shoulder-lentgh auburn hair and a blond-haired man. Both were quite drunk, but the woman seemed to be holding her own in the drinking contest they were having. Around them was a group of men and women who were betting on the contest. Most of the spectators had come into the betting and, upon seeing the thin woman, decided to bet with the man. There was another man, not much taller than five feet, who scurried around taking the different bets.

The woman was dressed as a man, wearing pants and a plain button-down shirt. She hadn’t bothered to tuck the shirt into the pants, but one could see that her pants were held up by a brown leather belt. Her hair disheveled, but partially tied back; although, most of it hung in her face.

“C’mon, mister,” the woman mumbled, “take another swig.”

“Gimme a minute, lady,” the man slurred. He took a deep breath and picked up another double shot of whiskey. He downed it quickly.

“Good form,” she mumbled as she, too, picked up a glass of the same size. She poured it down her throat

The man moaned and rubbed his eyes. He reached for another glass but passed out before his hand touched it. The few people who’d bet against him cheered. The others paid their money to the bookie and left. The bookie took hold of the woman’s arm and pulled her off to an empty table in the back of the room.

“Good take tanight, Cas,” he said, counting the stack of bills in his hands.

“Gimme my share, Shawn,” she demanded, reaching for the stack of bills.

Shawn whipped them away from her. “Keep yer hands ta yerself!” he snapped.

“I do all de work. Gimme my share,” she protested angrily, glaring at him.

Shawn grumbled something and dealt her out half the money. “Now, go ta the next pub on the list tamorrah night,” he instructed.

“C’mon, Shawn. At least gimme some time off. We been goin’ at it like this fer two weeks. Gimme a day ta sober up fer once,” she retorted, yanking the money out of his hand. “I’ll see ya in a week,” she said as she stood.

“Two days!” he stated gruffly.

“A week!” she shouted, staggering out of the bar.

“Three!” he bellowed.

“Bah!” she scoffed as she entered the dark streets. She stumbled along for a few minutes as she stuffed the money down her shirt into her make-shift corset. She nearly tripped over a crack in the ground but kept herself upright by the help of a nearby wall. She hiccoughed and staggered on her way. She finally reached her building and pulled the door open, nearly falling backward in the process. She stumbled through the doorway and up to the desk.

“Evenin’, Cassidy. Drunk agin, I see,” the man noted, chuckling.

“Aw, shuddup, Mike. Jist gimme my key,” she slurred, trying to see him clearly.

He handed her the key. “Ya need help up?” he asked, looking her up and down.

“Not from you,” she commented, turning and heading up the stairs. Mike sighed and returned to his work. She continued up to the third floor and into her small apartment.

As she entered her apartment, she decided not to light the lamps. She just shut the door and began removing her shirt and pants. She just dropped them to the floor and meandered into her room. She picked up her nightgown and fell onto the bed, passing out quickly.

The next morning, Cassidy woke at around eleven. She had a splitting headache. She moaned and fell out of bed. She blinked and tried to stand, nearly falling back down. She righted herself and went into the bathroom. She filled the tub with hot water and slipped in and just let herself soak. She eventually decided to wash.

After she was washed and clean, Cassidy dressed slowly. She decided to dress as more a lady than usual. She wore a clean skirt, but with a man’s belt ‘round her waist and a shirt that was half-buttoned, half-covering a plain white man’s undershirt. She tied all her hair back with a small satin ribbon, letting it hang loosely from the single tie. The ends curled slightly as they dried. She finished dressing and headed downstairs.

She tossed her key to Mike on her way out. “I’ll be back tanight, Mike,” she called as she walked toward the door.

“Ya gonna be drunk agin?” he asked as he caught the key.

“God, I hope not,” she said under her breath. Mike chuckled as she walked out into the bright sunlight. She squinted and shaded her eyes with her hands. She started walking down the street and looking for something to do. She hadn’t been out during the day in a long time, so she didn’t quite know what there was to do.

“Extra! Extra! Mayah’s house on fiah!” a boy yelled, holding a newspaper above his head.

Cassidy glanced over at him, shrugged, and walked over. She tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around to reveal his singular blue eye. “Gimme one a yer papers there,” she said, fishing some change out of her pocket.

The boy held the paper out to her. “Dere ya go, ma’am,” he said, staring at her green eyes.

She pulled out a few pennies and a dime. She handed him the dime and put the rest of the coins back into her pocket. “Thanks,” she said, taking the paper. She was about to turn away, but she decided not to. “Say, d’you know where a good place ta eat is? I’m usually not out this early in the day,” she said.

He looked at her and then glanced at the big clock a few buildings away. It was almost noon, not early at all. He set it aside and answered her. “Uh, yeah, dere’s a place named Tibby’s at Greeley Square, a couple blocks up. Dey gots some real nice stuff.” He paused, noticing her slightly bloodshot eyes. “Say, you’se awright?” he asked.

She brushed the loose hair out of her face. “Jist a hangovah, kid, nothin’ ta worry ‘bout. Thanks agin,” she said and headed off in the direction of Greeley Square. She found Tibby’s easily and walked inside. There were bunches of people inside, creating quite an awful ruckus. She touched her head in pain and sat down at an empty table. A waiter came by shortly.

“What kin I git ya, miss?” he asked, ready to write.

“Whatta ya got?” she replied, never having been to the restaurant before. The waiter nodded to the wall behind him. She looked over and noticed a menu. “Uh, a cup a coffee, black, and a roast beef sandwich.” He nodded and left the table. She turned to her paper and began scanning the headlines and stories.

“I see ya found it,” the boy said suddenly.

Cassidy looked up, startled. When she saw the boy, she relaxed. “Uh, yes, I did. Thank you,” she replied politely.

“Ya mind if I join ya? Da name’s Kid Blink,” he said quickly before she could look back at her paper.

Cassidy nodded and folded her paper. “Have a seat. I’m Cassidy McKenzie,” she replied, setting the folded paper on the table.

“Cassidy? Don’t think I evah hoid dat name befoah. It’s nice,” he commented as he sat down across from her.

“Thanks. What ‘bout yers? It’s no name I’ve evah heard,” she said back.

“It’s me nickname. It’s what me friends call me. What ‘bout you? Yer friends call ya Cassidy er somethin’ else? Somethin’ shortah,” he said.

“If I had any, ya mean.” He furrowed his brow and continued to listen. “Cas maybe, Cassie, Cassidy, whatevah really. If ya want, ya can call me any a those. I don’t have a preference,” she replied.

The waiter placed a mug of coffee in front of her and turned to Kid Blink. “What fer ya taday, Blink?” he asked.

“Da usual, Clyde,” he replied with a smile. The waiter nodded and left again.

Cassidy turned to Blink. “I take it ya come here a lot, Kid,” she noted, laughing and taking a sip of her coffee.

He continued to grin. “Most every day, lunch ‘n’ dinnah if I’se kin afford it,” he answered.

The noise became almost intolerable all of a sudden. Cassidy moaned quietly and tried to get the throbbing in her head to stop. “I’ll tell ya what,” she began. “If ya get those boys back there ta quiet down, I’ll buy ya lunch.” She touched her head in pain again.

Blink looked at her again, a little more closely this time. “Say, you’se okay? Ya don’t look too good,” he noted.

“I could certainly use some aspirin,” she answered, glancing back up at him.

“Well, I cain’t git ya none a dat, but I may be able ta git ya a little quiet,” he consoled, standing and walking over to the group of rowdy boys.

“Heya, Blink! How’s it rollin’?” a cowboy asked, seeing the boy walk up to his table.

“Listen, Jack, ya think you’se could all quiet down a bit?” he asked hopefully.

“What’s wrong, Blink? Ya got a hangovah’re somethin’?” Jack replied, laughing.

“Naw, it ain’t me. It’s ‘er,” Blink replied, nodding over his shoulder to Cassidy who sat with her head in her hand and her cup of coffee in the other. Jack nodded and spoke.

“Shoah, Blink, we’ll try ta keep it down a bit,” he answered as he stared at Cassidy’s lovely auburn hair. Blink turned to walk away, mumbling his thanks. “Hey, uh, Blink,” Jack called him back. He turned. “You’se two, uh…”

“Naw, Jack, she’s jist a friend, tol’ ‘er where she could find some good food,” he answered, heading back over to Cassidy. As he sat down, Jack quieted the others.

Cassidy looked up at him, a half-smile on her face, and then looked over her shoulder at the group of teenage boys, several of whom were watching her. They jerked their eyes away as she turned. She turned back to Blink, still with that odd kind of half-smile on her face. “I didn’t think ya could actually do it,” she commented, glad that the throbbing was subsiding.

Blink just smiled. “Well, ye know, dey’s kinda me friends ‘n’ all,” he divulged, not wanting to lie to her.

Cassidy chuckled. “Well, I keep ma word, yer lunch’s on me.” There was a large crash just outside the kitchen. “Er, rather, it’s on the floor,” she quipped.

Blink laughed. “Yeah, Clyde’s awways been kinda a klutz,” he said, still laughing. Cassidy laughed, too. She took another sip of her coffee. Blink turned back to her. “So, tell me ‘bout chu. Whatta ya do fer a livin’?” he wondered.

Cassidy sighed and put her cup down slowly, thinking of how to answer. “I work wit’ someone, takin’ bets,” she answered nervously. She wasn’t particularly fond of how her life was going.

“Yer a bookie?” he asked. “Where?”

“Various places. We travel from city ta city. This’s the first time I been back in New York in almost four years,” she said, staring at her coffee.

“Dat’s a long time ta be away. How come ya travel ‘round so much?” he inquired, finally getting his drink. He took a quick swig of it. Clyde came back with their food a moment later.

She sighed again, shrugging. “How ‘bout you. Besides bein’ a newsboy, whatta ya do?” she said, changing the subject smoothly.

“Dere ain’t much else I can do besides bein’ a newsie right now. I like it fine, dough, good friends ‘n’ all. We go ta shows a lot,” he answered.

“It must be nice ta live such a free life,” she breathed.

He smiled. “It’s nice I guess, but ya git ta travel all ‘round ‘n’ see different places ‘n’ all,” he said, almost envying her.

She held back a grimace and ate her lunch. He watched her for a moment but finally decided that she didn’t want to continue the conversation. They ate their lunch in silence. Cassidy went back to reading the newspaper that lay beside her plate. She looked up once and only once, watching out the window. Her face seemed to turn green, and her stomach turned. The man outside the window didn’t appear to see her. When Blink saw this happen, he asked about it.

“Ya awright, Cas?” he said, leaning toward her.

She looked over to him, slowly regaining her color. “I- I’m fine,” she assured him, taking another sip of her coffee, which was almost gone by now.

Blink didn’t believe her, but he let it pass. It was obvious that she wasn’t going to say anything more about her life. He forced a smile and went back to his plate, which only had a bite or two left on it. He ate them and then watched her finish her meal. After a moment, she waved the waiter over and paid the bill.

Cassidy stood and looked over at Blink, who stood as she did. “It was nice meetin’ ya, Kid,” she said and offered to shake his hand.

Blink shook her hand and looked at her pretty green eyes. “Yeah, real nice,” he replied. She forced a smile and left the restaurant. Blink thought for a moment and then hurried after her. “Cas!” he called, running up to her.

Cassidy stopped and turned around. “Yeah?” she asked, looking into his singular eye.

“Me ‘n’ da fellas’re goin’ ta a show agin tanight. Ya wanna come wit’ us?” he asked hopefully.

Cassidy thought for a moment, glancing around quickly. “Sure,” she decided, nodding.

Blink smiled. “Great! I’ll come by yer place at, uh, seven. Where ya live by da way?” he said.

“Um, I’ll meet ya here, by the statue,” she corrected and headed away from him.

“Cas?” he called after her.

“I gotta go; see ya later,” she yelled back, jogging up the street. She turned a corner and ran into someone. She took a step back and looked up at him. “Shawn!” she gasped. “What’re you doin’ out?”

“Who was zat, Cas?” he wanted to know, taking a firm hold on her arm.

“Just a boy I met on the street. Lemme go, Shawn,” she replied, trying to break free of his grip.

“Jist a boy ya met on the street?” he confirmed.

“Yes,” she breathed, still struggling.

“C’mon. Let’s go ta work,” he said and began pulling her down the street.

“No, Shawn. I’m not goin’ ta work wit’ ya fer a week. Now, lemme go,” she said, finally breaking free of his grip.

Shawn grabbed hold of her again. “Ya don’t get the night off, girl. If ya get a night off, I lose money. I need that money,” he growled.

“Git yerself another girl. I quit,” she spit back, yanking her arm free and backing away from him.

Shawn backhanded her into a wall. She yelped in pain and fell to the ground. Shawn picked her up easily. “Nobody quits on me,” he warned.

Cassidy kicked him in the groin and ran as fast as she could away from him as he doubled over in pain. She ran back through the square, looking behind her several times to make sure that Shawn wasn’t following her. She ran past Blink quickly. His brow furrowed, and he looked to see what she was running from. He spotted a man with a gruff appearance hurrying down the street. He tried to think of a way to distract the man. He finally came up with one as the man came closer.

While Blink was carrying out his brilliant plan, Cassidy ran back to her apartment. She was very lucky that Shawn didn’t know where she lived. She decided to work on something she’d been working on on and off for the past eight years. She took out her sewing basket and began stitching the midnight blue linen fabric. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to wear it that night, but she worked on it anyway.

After a few hours, Cassidy put her sewing away and went into her bedroom. She undressed and freshened up in the bathroom. When she was clean, she went back into her bedroom and dressed, this time in a dark green dress. It wasn’t low cut, but the collar didn’t reach her neck either. The sleeves went down to her wrists, but she pushed them up her arms an inch or two. She went to her jewelry box and took out her favorite rhinestone necklace. She hooked it around her neck and then slipped her simple silver band onto her ring finger. She spent several minutes looking for something to hold back her hair. It was too unruly to leave it down. She finally found a small clip and pulled half of her hair back into it. Several wisps fell loose, but she tucked them behind her ears.

She slid her shoes on, tieing them tightly, and headed for the door, grabbing her shawl on the way. She draped her shawl over her shoulders, letting it fall to her elbows, as she walked down the stairs of the building. As she reached the lobby, Mike whistled.

“Wow! Cas, ya looks great!” he exclaimed, looking her up and down. Cassidy grimaced and threw the key at his face. He almost missed catching it. She said nothing else and just left the building, heading for the square quickly.

As Cassidy approached the square, she noticed Blink leaning against the statue. She breathed deeply and continued toward him confidently. He smiled when he saw her walking toward him. She seemed lovelier now than she had earlier that afternoon. As she stepped onto the sidewalk around the statue, Blink removed his hat, revealing his freshly washed and brushed blond hair.

“Evenin’, Cas,” he said, not able to take his eyes off of her.

“Hullo,” she whispered, blushing a little as she felt his eyes on her.

“Ya looks great,” he breathed. She blushed further and turned her eyes to the ground. “Shall we’se go?” he asked, offering his arm. Cassidy stared at his arm, taking an unconscious step back. Blink noticed and pulled his arm back. He motioned for her to follow him and spoke, “C’mon.”

She nodded slowly. “Right,” she mumbled, following after him.

They walked in silence to Irving Hall. Cassidy was visibly nervous; she kept wringing the ends of her shawl through her hands. Blink placed a hand on her shoulder before they entered the building.

“It’s awright, Cas. Nobody’s gonna hoit cha heah. Da boys is a bit weird sometimes, but, once ya git ta know ‘em, dey’s great,” he assured her.

She looked over at him, a small smile on her pink lips. “Thanks, Kid,” she replied gladly.

Blink laughed. “Ya know, I think we’se gonna be great friends,” he commented, grinning.

Cassidy smiled inwardly, almost glad that he didn’t want her as “his girl.” She looked at him, a happy look in her eyes. “Yer tellin’ me that ya don’t want me as yer girlfriend?” she inquired.

“Naw, I got me eyes on da mayah’s daughtah,” he answered. He instantly realized his mistake. “I mean, uh, don’t git me wrong. You’se goigious ‘n’ all, but, I mean, uh…”

Cassidy laughed and put a hand on his arm. “Kid, it’s awright; I understand. Frankly, I could really use a friend. It seems like yer the only one who ever wanted ta be my friend and didn’t have some other reason behind it,” she noted, smiling a beautiful smile.

Blink laughed, too. “Ya wanna know why I jist want ya as me friend?” he asked, turning serious again and stroking her hair.

Cassidy looked at him, a little confused. “But I thought ya wanted the Van Wyck girl,” she replied.

“Well, yeah, but dat ain’t da real reason.” He hesitated. “Ya remind me a me sistah Emily. Ya gots da same look in yer eyes. Ya even wear yer hair da same way. Coise, ya both looks different, but yer close enough fer me,” he explained.

Cassidy smiled sweetly. “I wish I could’ve known ‘er,” she said softly, comforting him. “If ya want, I’ll be yer sister. I don’t mean ta replace Emily, but everyone needs a family, even if it is by a sudden coincidence,” she explained.

Blink smiled and hugged her. “Thanks,” he whispered, brushing her hair out of her face.

Cassidy smiled. “What’s yer real name?” she wondered.

“Lucas,” he answered, taking her hand. She smiled. “C’mon; let’s go inside.” They both smiled and walked inside.

Blink showed her down to a table in the front where several of his friends sat. He walked up to his friends and cleared his throat. The others looked over at him. Several of the single boys gawked at her.

“Fellas, dis’s Cassidy McKenzie. Cas, dese’re me friends. Dat’s Race ‘n’ Gambit, Mush ‘n’ Sharon, Jack ‘n’ Sarah, Spot Conlon, Dutchy, Sundai, Daisy, Specs, ‘n’ David,” he said, gesturing to each of them. Several of them stood.

“Evenin’,” she greeted, offering to shake the closest person’s hand.

“Evenin’,” Dutchy greeted, shaking her hand.

Cassidy went on the shake everyone else’s hands, seeing them all for the first time and trying to remember their names. When she saw Spot Conlon, she froze. They both just stared at each other for a moment. “Cassidy McKenzie,” she introduced, offering her hand.

Spot took it, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it. “Spot Conlon,” he said, lowering her hand slowly.

Blink narrowed his eyes and stepped up to them. “Uh, Cas, should we ‘ave a seat?” he asked, taking hold of her wrist and pulling her away from Spot.

Cassidy chuckled and went with Blink. He pulled out a chair for her across from Spot. She sat and waited for Blink to sit. When he did, she leaned over to him and spoke quietly. “That was rude, Kid,” she whispered.

He looked over at her and spoke quietly. “Stay ‘way from Spot, Cas,” he said.

“Why?” she asked, glancing over at him. “He’s very handsome and chivalrous, very polite.” She turned back to Blink.

“Cas, trust me on dis one. He dates girls fer ‘bout a week den gits rid of ‘em. Jist take me advice, Cas,” he said.

“Kid, listen,” she began. “I’m a big girl. I’ve been takin’ care a myself since before you were walkin’. Lemme live my life, huh.” She patted his arm and turned to the stage.

“Und now, ladies und gentlemen, the tables at the front of ze room vill be cleared for ze dance floor. Would zose of you who’re sitting on ze wooden floor eizer please stand und let our employees move ze tables or move zem yourself. Sank you,” the red-headed woman on stage announced in a fake Swedish accent.

The others at the table stood and began to move the table back a few feet. Cassidy moved her chair back with the table. Most of them sat back down as the woman on stage began a subjective song. Cassidy watched quietly.

After a few minutes, the woman left the stage, and the small orchestra began playing slow tunes to dance to easily. Race, Mush, and Jack went off with their girls to the dance floor and began dancing to the soft music. Dutchy gentlemanly asked Daisy to dance and went off to the floor. Specs and David talked while Sundai just stared at David. Cassidy could tell that the girl had a crush on him. She laughed inwardly. Before she could say anything, a girl walked up to them and asked Blink if he wanted to dance. He didn’t appear to hesitate in his decision. He just stood and walked with her to the dance floor, sweeping her into his arms quickly.

Cassidy laughed as Spot suddenly appeared at her side. “Oh! Hullo,” she greeted, looking over at him after she saw a blur of color from the corner of her eye.

“Heya,” Spot said, leaning on the table.

A minute later, a waiter approached them. “What kin I git fer alla ya?” he asked.

“Ladies foist,” Spot said.

“Sundai, why don’t you start off, and we can go around the table,” Cassidy suggested, turning to the small girl.

Sundai nodded and turned to the waiter. “Sarsaparilla,” she said. The waiter wrote it down and looked to the others.

“Uh, I’ll have a sarsaparilla, too. Race’ll want some beer. Gambit, Mush, Sharon, and Sarah’ll want some sarsaparilla, too. Jack’ll want a Screwdrivah,” David said.

“Yeah, ‘n’ Specs ‘n’ Daisy’ll want sarsaparilla. Blink’ll want one, too. Me? I’ll jist have some watah,” Dutchy said.

“Whiskey Sour,” Cassidy said, looking up at the waiter.

Spot stared at her for a moment before ordering his own drink. “Uh, sarsaparilla wit’ a splash a scotch,” he said, still staring at Cassidy.

The waiter nodded and said the order back to them. “Uh, nine sarsaparillas, one watah, one Screwdrivah, one beer, one Whiskey Sour, ‘n’ one sarsaparilla wit’ scotch,” he said.

“Yup, that’s right,” Cassidy said immediately after he finished. The others stared at her. The waiter just walked away.

“How’d ja figure dat so quick?!” Dutchy asked, shocked.

“Uh… I spent a lot a time listenin’ ta orders,” she explained.

“Ya drinks hawd liqah?” Spot asked, knowing she wasn’t telling the whole story.

“Yeah, it has more of a bite than anythin’ else,” she said, speaking the truth. “I find sarsaparilla kinda bland.”

“I nevah met no goyl dat liked hawd liqah befoah,” he commented.

Cassidy chuckled. The waiter came back with a tray full of drinks. He set them on the table and just left, leaving the tray. Cassidy took hers and took a short swig. She looked over at Spot.

“Spot, ya wanna dance?” she asked, setting her glass back on the table.

Spot looked over at her, hiding a smile. “Shoa,” he said, standing and offering her a hand up. She placed her hand in his and stood.

Cassidy paused and turned back, placing her hand over her drink. “Don’t let anyone touch my drink, David,” she said, looking at whom she figured was the responsible one. David nodded, and she went off to dance with Spot.

“Ya a good dancah?” Spot asked as he placed his hand in the small of her back, pulling her close to him.

“Dunno. I haven’t danced in a very long time. I just hope yer good at leadin’,” she said back, placing one hand behind his shoulder and the other in his hand.

“We’ll jist hafta see den,” he whispered, holding her tightly.

The two of them danced to the music exquisitely. Spot led, and Cassidy followed perfectly, barely knowing any of the steps. One by one, the couples left the dance floor and just watched Spot and Cassidy. The orchestra even got enthralled by their flawless dancing. They just continued playing the same tune until the conductor stopped them, which wasn’t for quite some time. Spot spun her around, lifted her up a few times, and then even dipped her when the conductor decided that the set was over. Everyone clapped, except Blink. Cassidy and Spot both laughed, blushing, and headed back to their table. Blink pulled Cassidy aside and spoke to her quickly, trying to keep his voice low.

“Cas, what’d I tell ya?” he demanded.

“Kid, I can do fine on my own,” she said, trying to assure him that she could. She started to go back to the table. Blink took hold of her arm and pulled her close to him.

“Cas, I’m warnin’ ya. Conlon ain’t good fer ya. He’s dangerous,” he warned again, trying desperately to make her understand.

Cassidy brushed her fingers down his cheek. “Kid, listen ta me. I know how ta handle men. Don’t worry ‘bout me. I’ll handle any problem I get inta,” she assured him.

“Cassidy McKenzie,” a gruff voice announced.

Cassidy froze, her face turning the same color it had earlier that day at lunch. Blink was the only one who noticed. He looked over at the man who had spoken. Cassidy turned more slowly. “Shawn, what’re ya doin’ here?” she asked, slightly nervous but trying not to show it.

“D’you spend yer nights in his bed now, er jist yer days?” Shawn accused.

Cassidy said nothing; she just stared at him. Spot’s jaw dropped, and he stared at her. The others were too shocked to speak, too, even Blink. Finally, Cassidy found her voice. “I’m not, Shawn,” she retorted, wanting to spit on him.

Shawn stepped up to her and grabbed her arm firmly. “Yer workin’ tanight, Cassidy,” he stated.

Cassidy wrenched her arm free. “No, Shawn,” she said angrily. “I quit. I’m not workin’ wit’ you anymore.” She stood her ground even though her hands were shaking. She folded her arms over her chest to try to hide it.

“Yer workin’ tanight, ‘n’ this’s as good a place as any,” he growled, taking hold of her arm again. He yanked her toward him and held her close, tightly. “Yer workin’ if I hafta beat it inta ya,” he whispered into her ear.

Cassidy shoved him away from her as hard as she could. He only staggered back a step or two. “Stay away from me!” she ordered.

Shawn didn’t hesitate. He slapped her, knocking her to the floor. At that, the others suddenly returned from their trance and began to protest, threatening Shawn. Cassidy climbed back to her feet.

“Stoppit!” she yelled. They silenced. “Shawn’s my problem, ‘n’ I’ll handle it.” They said nothing, but they stepped away from both of them. Cassidy stared at Shawn furiously. “Shawn, if ya ever come near me again, so help me, I’ll kill you,” she said in a quiet voice.

Normally, Shawn wouldn’t have thought twice about her threat, but, this time, there was something in her voice that made him hesitate. “Ya don’t got da guts, Cas,” he sneered, a definite edge to his voice. He turned and started to leave.

A few seconds later, Cassidy tapped him on the shoulder. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Test this,” she said as she swung the tray into his head. It hit with a jolt, shattering the tray. Shawn stumbled, holding his head while the blood trickled down his arm. Cassidy stomped on his foot and elbowed him in the stomach. He doubled over. She kicked him down to the floor.

Blink took a light grip on her arm. She spun around ready to hit him, but realized who he was before she did. “Take it easy, Cas,” he said quickly. Once she was calmed down a little, he spoke again. “Let’s git outta heah.”

Cassidy nodded and went back to the table. She downed the rest of her drink in one gulp. She tossed several coins on the table, far more than her drink was worth, and headed for the door, grabbing her shawl on the way. The others decided that it was also a good idea to leave, so they tossed a few coins on the table and followed her out. Spot jogged up to her side, but Blink shot him an angry look, and Spot dropped back a few steps.

“Cas, who was dat fella?” Blink wanted to know.

“He was ma partner,” she answered.

“Pawtnah? Fer what? Was ‘e sellin’ ya?”

“No-“

“Pawtnah in what?!”

“He’s a bookie, Kid. I’d bet men that I could out-drink ‘em. They’d look at me ‘n’ never believe it, creatin’ quite a good bettin’ pool. Shawn’d take bets, almost all against me. Then I’d win. Shawn’d collect the money, ‘n’ we’d move on ta the next bar if no one else wanted ta bet.”

Spot listened to their conversation, now realizing why she drank hard liquor. He remained quiet and followed them back to the square.

“Kid, this’s where I go alone,” she said, stepping away from him.

“Cas, I ain’t lettin’ ya go home by yerself, not wit’ dat man aftah ya,” he said firmly.

“Nobody knows where I live, Kid. No one will,” she said back even more firmly. She was not going to give in.

“Cassidy,” Blink protested.

“No, Kid. I go alone er not at all, and I’m certainly not returning to your home,” she declared.

Blink sighed. “At least let me walk ya ta da end a da block,” he tried.

“No.”

“Aw, c’mon. Ya could-“

“No!”

Blink sighed again. “Fine,” he complied. “I’ll see ya at Tibby’s fer lunch tamorrah?”

Cassidy nodded. “Yeah, noonish,” she answered, fixing her shawl and heading toward her apartment.

“See ya tamorrah!” Blink yelled after her, watching until she turned the corner and then going back to the lodging house.

Cassidy walked on alone, glancing into the alleys carefully. Spot had decided that he wasn’t’ going to let her go all the way home alone, so he followed her. She didn’t notice until she got to the corner of her block when she looked behind her, hearing a few stones bounce across the street. When she saw Spot, she stopped and waited for him. Since he was found out, Spot jogged up to her.

“Heya,” he greeted sheepishly.

“Hullo,” she said, surveying him. “There somethin’ I can do fer ya?”

He shrugged. “I jist didn’t wanna see ya git hoit, ye know,” he muttered.

She smiled slightly and stepped toward him. “That’s real nice, but I still don’t want anyone ta know where I live,” she replied, trying to get him to understand.

“How come ya don’t want no one knowin’ where ya live?” he wondered.

“Some people might wanna hurt me, tell Shawn where I’m stayin’, things like that,” she elaborated.

“I won’t,” he whispered, stepping right up to her. She said nothing. “I promise.” He raised his hand and brushed the loose bits of hair back behind her ear.

“It’s not safe,” she said, trying desperately to think rationally.

“Anyone dat raises a hand ta someone’s beautiful ‘s’you don’t desoive ta know where ya awe,” he breathed, moving closer still, one hand on her waist.

“Shawn could be followin’,” she said, her hands on him as well.

“He ain’t,” he replied, now closer than ever.

Cassidy couldn’t think of anything to say to that. Spot took it upon himself to answer for her, drawing her closer and kissing her tenderly. The two of them stood there in their embrace for several minutes. Finally, Cassidy pulled away and took a step back, searching his eyes.

“Sawry,” he apologized genuinely, “sometimes I gits ahead a meself.”

Cassidy said nothing. She held out her hand to him and spoke after a moment. “Come; I’ll show ya where I live,” she decided.

Spot smiled and took her hand, but, before they left the corner, he pulled her back to him and kissed her again. She giggled, enjoying it. He released her after a minute and just stared into her eyes, drawing his fingers down her cheek. He smiled again and turned to just hold her hand. She led him back to her apartment slowly, enjoying the walk in the lamplight. Spot moved and put an arm around her waist, holding her close to him.

Spot was happy that he had found a girl that he figured he could stay with for a long time. There was something about her that made him want her more than anything. He liked the feeling. Cassidy, on the other hand, was glad that she’d found someone she instantly trusted enough to show where she lived. She wasn’t sure why she trusted him; it was something in his eyes. All in all, they were both happy.

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© 1997 Birdie Kelley

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