Aside from owning a restaurant with her fiancé, Jamie is a prolific painter and has built up quite a following, selling her prints online.
“Good,” she sighs happily. “Really good. I’m launching a new collection of prints at the end of the month.”
“Oh! That reminds me,” I reply with a coy wink. “I need a new James Ferdinand original for my place.”
Jamie’s face brightens, her mouth falling open into a wide smile. “Yeah?”
I return her excitement and smile. “Duh, Iamyour biggest fan after all.”
She giggles. “Ozzy might fight you on that one.”
I grin into my glass. “We’ll see about that.”
46
HUXLEY
The bus is late. I just came out of woodworking class, and I’m standing under the streetlight, scuffing the wet pavement with my boots, jumping in place and looking up to the night sky trying to expel some impatient energy.
I really need a fucking car.
“Hux?”
The voice is vaguely familiar and prickles in my ears.
Looking to my right, I find a blond man in his early thirties staring back at me.
Shit.
“Finn?”
Even though it sounds like casual disbelief, I’m actually experiencing existential dread, triggered by a ghost from my past.
Patrick Finnegan.
An infamous family name back in my old neighborhood, and one of three guys—including his older brother, Sean—who was involved in the liquor store robbery with me, six years ago.
It was his idea in the first place. And being the idiot that Iam, I went along with it and almost ruined my whole life in the process.
Finn barks out a laugh and claps me on the shoulder. I try to hide my wince.
“Thought that was you.” He takes a drag of his cigarette and waves it in my direction. “Always with that blue fucking hair.”
I silently curse the late bus and return his comment with a dry laugh.
“Yeah, kind of my thing, I guess.” I pause and decide not to beat around the bush. “When did you get out?”
Smoke billows from his lips before he answers. “Just a few months ago.” He flashes me a crooked smile and looks around as if just realizing I’m standing at the bus stop. “You strapped for cash, brother? I can hook you up for old times’ sake.” He winks. “I’ve got a great connection.”
I can only imagine what the hell that means. Knowing him, he’s probably back to selling drugs. I try not to act disgusted, hoping he’ll just leave me alone if I placate his small talk. Although I still let a small dig slip under the guise of camaraderie.
I grin. “Should have known you’d never go straight.”
“Yeah.” Finn laughs. “Trick is to not get caught this time.”
I see the bus finally pull up from the corner of my eye. Relieved, I quickly say my farewells.
“Anyway, I’ve got to go. Good to see you.”
