Part 20 (2/2)
Louis didn't look at Jack. He appeared to be concentrating on the light fixture.
”What's going on?” Jack said again, without taking his eyes off Louis.
”The light went out,” I said, and when that didn't seem to be enough, ”This is Louis. He's fixing it.”
”Is he,” Jack said.
Louis stepped down from the ladder. ”Not no more. I'm done.”
”Want me to help you with the ladder?” I said.
”I can get it.” Then, for the first time since Jack came in, Louis looked directly at me. ”I'll see you.”
”Thanks for fixing the light,” I said.
When he was gone, Jack took a beer from the fridge. ”Why did you let him in here?”
”Because I wasn't sure you were coming home, and I didn't feel like sitting alone in the dark all night.”
Jack's eyes snapped but he didn't raise his voice. ”Next time, wait. I'll let you know if I'm not going to be home.”
”How?” There was a phone jack in the wall but we'd never done anything about it.
”I'll let you know beforehand.”
”You will?” I said, dubious.
”I said I would.”
He didn't. I don't think I'd really expected him to.
That Sat.u.r.day Jack asked me if I wanted to come out and have drinks with him and Lily and her friends. I said no. ”What the h.e.l.l else do you have to do?” he said, but I wouldn't go. Eventually he left without me.
A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. It was Louis, holding a plate covered in aluminum foil.
”Hey,” he said. ”I went to my mom's house today. She always makes too much food. You want some?”
”Sure.” Whatever was hidden under the foil smelled wonderfully spicy.
”You're too skinny,” Louis said. ”I told my mom there was this sweet girl who lived in the building who was too d.a.m.n skinny, she said I had to bring you some of her chicken and rice, fatten you up. Hey, where's your brother?”
I shrugged. ”With his girlfriend,” I said, and we stood there, awkwardly. I knew that I should invite him in, but I wasn't sure I wanted to. Besides, there was nowhere for him to sit.
”Well, then, why don't you come downstairs? Eat with me,” he said.
Why didn't I? ”I shouldn't. My brother will be home soon. He'll worry if I'm not here.”
Louis's dark eyes shone at me. ”Leave him a note.” But before I could answer, he waved a hand in the air. ”Yeah, well, if you change your mind, come on downstairs.” He turned to leave and then stopped. ”Hey, I got this old mattress down in the bas.e.m.e.nt. I thought maybe you might want it. I don't mean old,” he said, quickly. ”It was mine. I got a new one, like, a couple months ago. So it's not like it's been down there with rats living in it or anything. You want it?”
”Are you kidding?” I said. ”I'd love it.”
”Be good to get it out of the bas.e.m.e.nt, anyway,” Louis said. ”I'll bring it up for you tomorrow.”
”That'd be great.” I meant it.
He nodded. ”You think your brother'll mind?”
”Why should he?”
”He don't seem to like me too much.”
I shrugged. ”He doesn't like anybody.”
Louis shrugged. ”Some people are like that. They like to keep things to themselves.” He hesitated. ”Enjoy the food,” he said and left.
I let him go.
The next day, Jack came home with money and we went to the grocery store. On the way downstairs, I stopped at Louis's apartment to return his plate. While I knocked, Jack stood on the other side of the hallway, scowling.
Louis opened the door, his eyes flicking to Jack and then resting on me, calm and friendly. He didn't look in my brother's direction again.
”You like it?” he asked, taking the plate back from me.
”It was great.”
”She does good work, my moms,” Louis said, just as Jack said, ”Josie, let's go,” from behind me.
When we were outside, Jack said, ”I don't like that guy.”
”He's okay.”
Jack was walking quickly, looking straight ahead with narrowed eyes. ”I mean it, Jo.”
”Mean what?”
He stopped short and grabbed my arm. ”Stay away from him. Don't go looking for him, don't let him in, don't take his d.a.m.n food.”
”Okay,” I said and pulled away. ”Christ. Okay.”
His saying that all but guaranteed that I would spend my nights on the fire escape thinking about going downstairs to visit Louis. Sometimes it seemed idiotic-it wasn't Louis that I was interested in, not really-but other, lonelier times I promised myself I'd do it the next day. Then it was October, and our rent was due, and I couldn't have gone down, even if I'd wanted to. He'd want money, and we had none left to give him.
I reminded Jack about the rent one night before he went out. He nodded and said that he'd take care of it. I spent the day reading a copy of The Red and the Black that I'd bought on the street for a dollar; I was nearing the end of it when I heard the key in the lock. Jack was home.
<script>