Black Card by Chris L. Terry

Author:Chris L. Terry
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781948226271
Publisher: Catapult
Published: 2019-05-22T16:00:00+00:00

TEN

The coffeehouse was on a corner in Carytown, a quaint and quirky shopping district with buckling brick sidewalks. There’s a record store, used book store, and second-run movie theater sprinkled in between boutiques with vowel-heavy names like Lulabella, that are meant for fancy southern white ladies to say. It’s the neighborhood that you show out-of-towners so they don’t think the whole city is a dump.

In true Richmond style, Carytown is a one-way street. It runs east from Windsor Farms, a rich neighborhood with fake gas lamps instead of streetlights, where you’d better have a plunger or an apron if you’re not white. Then it ends just south of the Fan, in the hood by the precinct and bus depot. Also in true Richmond style, this change from old money to no money happens in just over a mile.

My job sat smack in the middle. It was a dusty coffee shop with funky woodwork throughout, dim lighting, and coffee grounds embedded in the linoleum floor. You could get a big cup of strong coffee or some fancy double-mocha-half-caf-skim creation there. It was just right.

Aside from free espresso, I wanted a dramatic scene to play out with Mona when I walked in. Maybe she’d abandon the line and bust out from behind the counter to hug me. Maybe she’d realize something was wrong and tease out the news that I’d been oppressed by the pigs. I’d even settle for a knowing look, held just long enough as she stirred a mocha. Or a quick hello on some “We’re so close that I don’t even have to act polite” type stuff. Anything to prove that we’d only hit pause after the night before.

Instead, I found Russell dead on his feet at the register, a comet trail of dried drool on his cheek, pop punk whining quietly on the house stereo.

I waited by the milk bar while Russell rang out one of the blondes from the hair salon down the block, wondering where Mona was and if Mason had already blown up my spot about the drunk tank.

The hairdresser opened her can of diet soda then sang out a goodbye. Russell gave her a dazed smile then beckoned me over. “Hey, uhh.”

His stubble was beginning to soften.

“Thought you were off today,” I said.

Part of my plan was seeing if he wanted to meet up for breakfast, so I could tell someone about last night, then maybe move toward a nap before our show.

“I got called in,” he said, with a sense of purpose. “Mona’s in the hospital.”

“What?” I said. “What happened?”

Did she get sick from the sushi?

He sighed. “I guess, she was in bed and a burglar attacked her.” He caught my eye. “Like, tried to rape her. But didn’t. But they like got in a fight and he stabbed her.”

“Come on, dude,” I said. “That’s not funny.”

I was almost impressed that he’d think of a joke that messed up, and started looking through the open doorway to the kitchen, expecting Mona to walk out and wave.

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