Morning came slowly. The alarm chanted its grating song beside Ferris\u2019 ear, rousing him abruptly enough to elbow Demos in the cheek.<\/p>\n
\u201cOw, fuck.\u201d Demos groaned into his pillow before flopping an arm over his eyes. Though the sunlight was filtered by the curtains, it was still much too bright for the Ghost.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod,\u201d Demos said, his voice dry. \u201cGive me another hour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferris was already getting dressed, his belt clicking as he slid it through the loops. \u201cWe don\u2019t have an hour. Unless you want to skip the meeting with Ellen?\u201d<\/p>\n
Demos gave another dramatic groan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope you added \u2018sloth\u2019 to your confessions back at that church,\u201d Ferris said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re<\/i> a sloth.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Somehow, the pair managed to make it downstairs before noon. They had agreed to meet the chairwoman in one of the casino\u2019s many restaurants. Unfortunately, she had chosen the Italian one.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s dry,\u201d Demos said, picking apart a sfogliatella with weary fingers. \u201cAnd the filling is too sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferris rubbed his temples. \u201cWould you just shut up and drink your latte?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t a latte. It\u2019s like 80% foam. They don\u2019t even know the difference between a cappuccino and a\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s too early for this shit, Demos.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gina looked up from her bellini, looking considerably more refreshed than the two men. \u201cHe\u2019s right. And you would agree if you ordered something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t eat much in the mornings,\u201d Demos said, pushing a lock of hair from his eyes. This excursion, short as it was, seemed to have affected the two cousins. Ferris couldn\u2019t remember the last time Gina had agreed with Demos about anything, including breakfast. The pastry continued to be accosted at the hands of the Italian, falling into leaf-like flakes of dough and sweet ricotta.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoffee\u2019s fine.\u201d Ferris took a long drink, allowing the black, bitter liquid to slap him back into the waking-world. He exhaled. It was the perfect start to a perfect morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd anyway,\u201d Demos said, turning his spoon to allow a dollop of foam to slump back into his cup. \u201cI don\u2019t see you giving Gina any crap about how early it is. She\u2019s already drinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gina\u2019s dark-eyed glare drifted to her cousin. \u201cI don\u2019t half-ass brunch.\u201d<\/p>\n
The touching family exchange was interrupted by the arrival of three figures. Ellen Hill stood flanked by Don and a younger woman, their attire a fitting business casual.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnjoying the coffee?\u201d Ellen said, seating herself at the long table.<\/p>\n
Demos spoke first. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great, thank you,\u201d Ferris said before Demos could dig them into an even deeper hole. \u201cDid you have a chance to discuss our proposition?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought it up at the council meeting, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gina watched the woman from across the table, her features perfectly collected. \u201cAnd how was it received?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was some opposition, of course,\u201d Ellen said. \u201cBut, overall, we agreed that you are the lesser of two evils.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re flattered.\u201d Demos folded his hands on the table. \u201cIf it\u2019s convenient for you to come to Southport, we can have a demonstration ready for you by next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, getting right to the point today. I like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I wouldn\u2019t want to waste a busy woman\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellen gave a tart smile. \u201cAll right then, I\u2019ll have Don contact Ferris in a few days. And you had better impress me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t dream of doing otherwise,\u201d Gina said, her hand extended. Ellen responded with a firm handshake, then turned to offer Demos her palm. For only a second, the Italian paused, gathering every ounce of will to hide his surprise. Only a thin smile surfaced on his face as he shook her hand, making sure to match the strength in her grip.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll see about that,\u201d Ellen said, then glanced to Ferris. \u201cAre we still on for next month?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood. Now, if you\u2019ll excuse me, this busy woman has a round of golf to attend to.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two women stood, leaving Don alone with the Giorgettis. He waited for a nearby family to pass, ensuring their conversation would remain private.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like one of our guests ran off without paying,\u201d he said, his eyes low. \u201cShame.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferris briefly shut his eyes. He had been so close to forgetting about the previous night. \u201cWe\u2019ll deduct it from your quote.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFair enough,\u201d Don said, then nodded at the trio before standing to follow the chairwoman. Once the group was out of sight, Demos reached for Gina\u2019s bellini. Before she could protest, he had tilted his head back, downing the remainder of the cocktail in one swallow.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d he said, setting the glass down with a clink, \u201chow such a small woman manages to be so scary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferris managed his first smile of the day. \u201cI could say the same about you.\u201d<\/p>\n
They waited until they reached the parking lot before making their first phone call. Demos had lit a cigarette, pacing past the car as he spoke in hushed tones to his uncle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, yes and no,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re legit, they wouldn\u2019t agree to a tax. Well, we did, but\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
Demos listened, his eyes screwing shut.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. An exchange. They said they\u2019d consider a\u2014 yes, consider<\/i>. Sticks. I told them we could have a demo ready by next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was another pause as Demos waited for his uncle\u2019s reply. He took a long, slow drag from his cigarette, though the gesture failed to mask the defeat in his features. His lips parted, smoke drifting past his cheek as he gazed at the dark pavement. Finally, he answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a beep as the call ended. Demos hastily stuffed his phone into his pocket, refusing to make eye contact with his companions as he got into the passenger seat. The door shut with a slam. Ferris and Gina glanced at one another before joining him in the car.<\/p>\n
They had already made it to the highway before Ferris dared speak.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Demos flicked his spent cigarette out the window, keeping his attention on the passing trees.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018\u2026Is that the best you could do?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Realizing Demos had no intention of looking his way, Ferris forced his eyes back on the road. At his side, he could hear his friend slumping in the leather seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one could have done any better,\u201d Ferris said. \u201cYou know she wouldn\u2019t have gone down without a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t even my idea. It was Gina\u2019s.\u201d Demos\u2019 voice was weak, fogging the glass as he spoke. \u201cI blew it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVictor\u2019s always been tough on you. He\u2019s just trying to push you, you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Demos said, though he didn\u2019t sound convinced. \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cSit up, Demos,\u201d came Gina\u2019s voice from the backseat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a man, not a child.\u201d<\/p>\n
Demos straightened himself, if only to glance back at the woman berating him from the backseat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re young, you\u2019re small, and you\u2019re not even a full Italian. And yet you have a seat at the table. Tell me how you managed that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cStai zitto. I\u2019ll tell you. It\u2019s because of Zio \u2014 of Victor. He crushes you. He gives you painful, filthy work. And you \u2014 you always do it. You do it and you do it well. He doesn\u2019t leave a hair\u2019s breadth for anyone to question you. How do you think they would look at you if you were favored? If you had it easy? How would the other men see you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Demos had nothing to say, only staring at his cousin with tight-lidded eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo sit up,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd think about how fortunate you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
The car was silent. It only took a moment for Demos to turn back in his seat, his chest rising as he took in a slow breath. Though he spoke not a word, the stretch of his back said all it needed to.<\/p>\n
It was dark out by the time Ferris got home. He could hear his dog scuffling behind the door as he unlocked it and mentally prepared himself for the onslaught. Once inside, Ferris struggled to remove his shoes while Stanley bounced and pawed as much as his fat haunches would allow. There was a note tacked to the refrigerator, the cursive handwriting instantly recognizable.<\/p>\n
Bubele,<\/i><\/p>\n
I took Stanley for a couple walks, it\u2019s very obvious he misses me. I\u2019m not sure why you thought you should take him if you\u2019re going to be so busy! Sadie told me you had another date with her daughter. Why didn\u2019t you say anything? It\u2019s<\/i> <\/i><\/b>because you hate admitting when I\u2019m right! Well, I was right, and you owe me an apology. We\u2019re going to have a long talk about this. Also, I left some brisket in the refrigerator for you, just heat it up in the oven. But you don\u2019t deserve it!<\/i><\/p>\n
Love,<\/i><\/p>\n
Mom<\/i><\/p>\n
Ferris rubbed a hand over his eyes. \u201cGreat.\u201d<\/p>\n
His email wasn\u2019t any more comforting and Ferris found himself staring at the ten different messages that had wedged themselves in his inbox. Each one was from his supervisor.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Christ\u2019s sake,\u201d he said to himself as he pulled out his phone. \u201cHi Youssef. No, I got your emails. I was\u2014 now? It\u2019s Sunday night and I just\u2014 all right.\u201d<\/p>\n
His hand went to the desk, absently feeling over the wood until he found a pen. The writing utensil flipped from one testy finger to another as he listened to his supervisor\u2019s excuse.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I understand.\u201d Ferris finally noticed his own fidgeting and slapped the pen still beneath his palm. \u201cWhen do you need them by? Okay, I\u2019ll get right on it. See you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
He winced as he shut his phone. Even after burying a body in the dark woods of upstate New York, he still lacked a spine.<\/p>\n
By the time he slumped into bed, he was too terrified to look at the clock. Whatever ungodly hour it was, he was certain he wouldn\u2019t be getting enough sleep before work. He ignored the aches and knots in his shoulders, burying his face in a pillow in a desperate bid for sleep.<\/p>\n
Only a few minutes passed before his phone began to ring. His hand flopped over the nightstand until he found it and he stared at the screen with bleary eyes.<\/p>\n
Unknown Number<\/i><\/p>\n
With a semi-conscious mutter, he rejected the call. He had barely rolled back over before it started to ring again. Rage began to overpower exhaustion and it was only on the fourth call that he actually answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop fucking calling me!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFer, sweetheart, don\u2019t be like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeamus.\u201d Ferris pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to push back his headache. \u201cPerfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope I didn\u2019t wake you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferris\u2019 eyes drifted to the clock beside his bed. 4am.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot at all. Now what the fuck do you want? And where are you calling from?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA pay phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
An ugly picture began to paint itself in Ferris\u2019 head. Seamus using a pay phone meant two things, the first being he had somehow lost his cell phone. The second was the unsurprising fact that the Brit was out and about on a Sunday night in some godforsaken part of town. Ferris paused before speaking, absolutely certain he wouldn\u2019t like the answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd where is this pay phone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe police station on 36th<\/sup><\/span> and 9th<\/sup><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGod damnit.\u201d Ferris groaned. \u201cPlease don\u2019t say you need bail.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, they let me out. But I lost my wallet in the fight. Hard to catch a train without a pass, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris didn\u2019t press further, unsure if he wanted to know what \u2018the fight\u2019 was, or whether Seamus had started it or not. He made one more glance at the clock, noticing the digital numbers had grown even more blurry.<\/p>\n \u201cSeamus, I want you to know something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ferret?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you listening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Because I hate you. I hate you more right now than I have ever hated a living person.\u201d<\/p>\n He could hear Seamus laugh through the thin speaker of his phone. \u201cSo, see you in a bit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Give me thirty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCheers!\u201d<\/p>\n Exactly half an hour had passed when Ferris arrived on the appointed street corner, dressed in a pair of old jeans and a half-zipped hoodie that was one size too large.<\/p>\n \u201cYou couldn\u2019t wear something nicer for our date?\u201d Seamus asked, his split lip spreading into a grin.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no one on a 4am subway ride I\u2019m trying to impress,\u201d Ferris said. \u201cAnd you\u2019re one to talk, you look like a bear tried to eat you. And succeeded.\u201d<\/p>\n Seamus was, in fact, standing in considerably worse shape than his friend. His eyelid had swollen to the approximate size and color of a plum and streaks of blood had smeared across his shirt. Red had also stained his fat lip, though it apparently didn\u2019t hurt enough to keep Seamus from smoking.<\/p>\n \u201cI kicked that bear\u2019s arse.\u201d Seamus crushed out his cigarette stub with the toe of his shoe. \u201cHe had it coming.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris sighed. \u201cWell, come on. Let\u2019s get your dumb ass home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, about that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe girlfriend, er, ex-girlfriend, kicked me out. You\u2019ve got a sofa, yeah?\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris let out the longest groan of his life. He\u2019d known this would happen and cursed himself for not expecting it sooner. Seamus, as always, had impeccable timing. Without a word, Ferris turned and began to walk toward the subway entrance.<\/p>\n \u201cOi, wait up!\u201d Seamus scrambled to follow, nearly tripping over his own feet. \u201cIs that a yes? Fer, come on.\u201d<\/p>\n It was ten minutes before a train showed up and, fortunately, there were very few souls in the car to witness the sorry pair. Ferris slumped in his seat, wishing the fluorescent lights weren\u2019t quite so strong. He was fairly certain his eyes were flushed with red.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really need to sit so close?\u201d Ferris said, bumping Seamus\u2019 knee with his own. \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s for your own good. Got to protect my mate from late-night thieves.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris glanced sideways at an old man snoring against the window, several seats down from a woman on her way home from a night shift.<\/p>\n \u201cRight. I feel much safer now.\u201d<\/p>\n Seamus grinned. The slight movement stirred his wound, sending a trail of red down his chin and onto his collar. Ferris frowned, then fished in his pocket for a tissue.<\/p>\n \u201cCome here,\u201d he said, wiping the blood from his friend\u2019s lip. \u201cCan\u2019t have you looking like a jackass on the train.\u201d<\/p>\n Once his work was done, Ferris examined his companion with a squint.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, wait, that\u2019s just your regular face.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t answer me, you know. It\u2019s all right if I crash with you for a bit?\u201d<\/p>\n Ferris balled the bloody tissue inside another. \u201cFine. But this is short-term, you got it? I\u2019m not looking for a roommate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut we\u2019d be brilliant together.\u201d Seamus wrapped a tight arm around his friend\u2019s shoulder. \u201cYou and me, like a sitcom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMore like a horror movie. What happened to you, anyway? I thought you\u2019d stopped fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n For just a moment, Seamus\u2019 smile flattered. \u201cAh, well. Caught the lady cheating \u2014 yelled at the bloke. He hit me, I hit him, you know how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n Tunnel lights flashed past the windows as the train slipped further uptown. The passenger mumbled something in his sleep, curling closer to the ledge. Ferris\u2019 scowl faded and, for a second, he forgot to be angry.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cS\u2019all right. I was too good for her anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re too good for everyone, Seamus.\u201d<\/p>\n Seamus\u2019 toothy grin returned and he ruffled the top of his friend\u2019s head. \u201cEven you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Morning came slowly. The alarm chanted its grating song beside Ferris\u2019 ear, rousing him abruptly enough to elbow Demos in the cheek. \u201cOw, fuck.\u201d Demos groaned into his pillow before flopping an arm over his eyes. Though the sunlight was filtered by the curtains, it was still much too bright for the Ghost. \u201cGod,\u201d Demos […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fishbones-book-02"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oWx8-59","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":581,"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319\/revisions\/581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fishbonescomic.com\/novel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}