Right as Rain

11

Entering his row house, Derek Strange listened to a message from Janine, asking him over for a thrown-together dinner with her and her son, Lionel. She had made 'a little too much' chicken, she said, and she didn't want 'all that food to go to waste.'

Strange phoned a woman named Shirley whom he dated from time to time, but Shirley was either not at home or not taking calls. Strange fed Greco and walked him around the block.

When Strange returned he checked his portfolio on the Net while listening to a reissue of Elmer Bernstein's soundtrack to Return of the Magnificent Seven. He took a shower and changed into a sport jacket over an open-collared shirt. He phoned another woman and was relieved to find her line busy, as this was not a woman he was anxious to see. His stomach grumbled, and he phoned Janine.

'Baker residence.'

'Derek here.'

'Hello.'

'Got any of that chicken left?'

'I been keeping it warm for you, Derek.'

'Can I bring Greco?' asked Strange.

Janine said, 'I've got a little something for him, too.'

They kissed for a long time, and then Quinn removed his shirt and Juana removed hers. She began to unfasten her black brassiere.

'Can I get that?' said Quinn.

'Sure.'

He had some trouble with the clasp. 'Bear with me.'

She ran her fingers down his veined bicep. 'I thought you meant may I get that.'

'No, I can do it. Here we go, I got it, right here.' He removed her bra. She let him look at her and touch her. He kissed her shoulder blade and one of her dark nipples, and he kissed the soft flesh of her breast and tasted the salt on her skin.

'That's nice,' she said.

'Christ,' said Quinn.

He got out of his jeans, and when he turned back to her he saw that she was naked now, too, and they embraced atop the blanket she had thrown on the couch. He kissed her mouth and rubbed himself between her thighs, and she moaned beneath him and laughed softly and with pleasure as his fingers found her swollen spot. Her skin was a very deep brown against his pale, lightly freckled body, and he intertwined his white fingers with her brown fingers and kissed her hand.

'You know what we're doing now?' whispered Quinn.

'Celebrating diversity?'

'I like it so far.'

'We're all the same,' said Juana, 'deep down inside.'

Strange owned a '91 Cadillac Brougham V-8, full power, black over black leather with the nice chromed-up grille, that he used when he wasn't working, only for short trips around town. He drove up Georgia Avenue, listening to World Is a Ghetto coming from the deck. Greco sat on his right on a red pillow Strange kept for him there, his nose pressed up against the passenger-side glass.

Janine and Lionel Baker lived up on 7th and Quintana in a modest red-shingled house in Brightwood. Strange parked out front, got Greco out by his leash and choke chain, and walked him to the front door.

Janine, Lionel, and Strange had dinner together in a small dining room where a print of The Last Supper hung on one wall. Janine had given Greco the bone from a chuck roast she had cooked the week before, and the boxer had taken it down to the basement to gnaw alone.

'Pass me those mashed potatoes, young man,' said Strange.

Lionel was tall like his mother, and would be handsome soon but had not yet fully grown into his large features. He held the bowl out for Strange to take.

'Thank you,' said Strange, who spooned a mound onto his plate and reached for the gravy bowl.

'Where you goin' tonight, Lionel?' asked his mother.

'Got a date with this girl.'

'What's her name?'

'Girl I know named Sienna.'

'How you gonna take a girl out on a date when you got no car?'

'Could I get yours?'

'Lionel.'

'We're goin' out with Jimmy and his girl. Jimmy's got his uncle's Lex, gold style with some fresh rims.'

'Where Jimmy's uncle get the money for a Lexus?' asked Janine, her eyes finding Strange's across the table.

'I don't know,' said Lionel, 'but that joint is tight.' He gave Strange a sideways glance and said, 'Course, it ain't tight like no Caddy, nothin' like that.'

'You don't like my ride?' said Strange.

'I like it.' And Lionel smiled and sang, 'Best of all, it's a Cad-i-llac'

Janine and Lionel laughed. Strange laughed a little, too.

'He's got a nice voice,' said Janine, 'doesn't he, Derek?'

'It's all right,' said Strange. 'Too bad no one sings anymore on the records, otherwise he might have a career.'

'I'm gonna be a big-time lawyer, anyway,' said Lionel, reaching toward the platter of fried chicken and snagging a thigh.

'Not if you don't get your grades up,' said Janine.

'You over at Coolidge, right?' said Strange.

'Uh-huh. Got another year to go.'

'So what movie you going to see tonight?' asked Janine.

'That new Chow Yun-Fat joint, up at the AMC in City Place.'

'Say you chewin' the fat?' said Strange.

'That's funny,' said Lionel.

Strange looked at the Tupac T-shirt Lionel was wearing, the one with the image of Shakur smoking a blunt. 'None of my business, but if I had a date with a young lady, I wouldn't be wearin' a shirt with a picture of another man on the front of it.'

'Oh, I'll be changing into somethin' else, Mr Derek. Bet it.' Lionel looked at the watch on his gangly wrist. 'Matter of fact, I gotta bounce. Jimmy'll be here any minute to pick me up.'

Lionel dropped the thigh bone and took his plate and glass and carried them off to the kitchen.

'See what I put up with?' said Janine.

'He's a good boy.'

'I do love him.'

'I know you do.'

Janine patted Strange's hand. 'Thank you for coming over tonight, Derek.'

'My pleasure,' said Strange.

Ten minutes later a horn sounded from outside, and they heard Lionel's heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Strange got up from the table. He walked into the foyer and met Lionel as he was heading for the front door.

'Later, Mr Derek.'

'Hold up a second, Lionel.'

Lionel looked himself over. He wore pressed jeans and a Hilfiger shirt with Timberland boots. 'What, you don't like my hookup?'

'You look fine.'

'Got me some brand-new Timbs.'

'Sears makes a better boot for half the price.'

'Ain't got that little tree on 'em, though.'

'Listen up, Lionel.' Strange took a breath. He wasn't all that good at this, but he knew he had to try. 'Don't be drivin' around smoking herb in a fancy ride, hear?'

'Herb?' Lionel said it in a mocking way, and Strange felt his face grow hot.

'All I'm telling you is, the police see a car with young black men inside it, 'specially a gold Lexus with fancy wheels, looks like a drug car, they don't think they need a reason to pull you over. They find blunt or cheeva or whatever you're calling it these days inside the car, you got a mark on your record you can't shake. You might as well go ahead, and forget about law school then. You understand what I'm saying?'

'I hear you, Mr Derek.'

'All right.' Strange reached into his back pocket and pulled a twenty from the billfold. 'Here you go. You don't want to be taking out a nice girl without a little extra money in your pocket. Take her over to that TGI Friday's they got up there after the show, buy her a sundae, something like that.'

'Thank you.' Lionel took the money and winked. 'Maybe after that sundae, she might even give me some of that trim.'

Strange frowned, put his face close to the boy's, and lowered his voice. 'I don't want to hear you talking like that, Lionel. You have a nice young woman, you treat her with respect. The same way you'd want a man to treat your mother, you understand me?'

'Yessir.'

Strange still had his wallet out, and he pulled a condom he kept for emergencies from underneath his business cards. He handed the condom to Lionel.

'In the event something does happen, though…'

'Thank you, Mr Derek,' said Lionel, smiling stupidly as he pocketed the rubber. The horn sounded again from out on the street. 'I'm ghost.'

'Have a nice time.'

Lionel left, and Strange locked the door behind him. Strange walked back to the living room wondering just how bad he'd fucked that up.

Janine was waiting for him there. She had put Songs in the Key of Life on the stereo and brought out a cold bottle of Heineken and two glasses and set them on the table before the couch. Janine was sitting on the couch with her stockinged feet up on the table. Strange joined her.

'You and Lionel have a little man-to-man?'

'Uh, yeah.'

'There's so much I can't give him alone.'

'I'm just a man, no smarter than any other.'

'But you are a man. He needs a strong male figure to guide him now and again.'

Strange smiled and flexed his bicep. 'You think I'm strong?'

'Go ahead, Derek.'

'I don't feel too strong tonight, I can tell you that.'

'That Sherman Coles pickup do you in?'

'Good thing I had that young man with me.'

Janine put a pillow behind Strange's head. 'Tell me about your day.' They talked about work. He told her the Coles story, and she told him how she'd taken care of some loose ends at the office. When they were done talking, and the beer bottle had been emptied, they went upstairs to Janine's room.

She had turned the sheets down, and he knew she had done it for him. Her clock radio, always set on HUR, had been turned on, and was softly emitting some Quiet Storm. The room was strong with the smell of her perfume, and as he undressed her, taking his time, the room grew strong with her female smell, too.

He got out of his outer clothes and stripped himself of his underwear. They were naked and they kissed standing. He got his hand on her behind and caressed her firm, ample flesh.

'Damn, Janine.'

'What?'

'You got some back on you, girl.'

'You don't like it?'

'You know I do.'

He pushed her large breasts together and kissed them, then kissed her mouth.

'Come on,' she said, short of breath.

'You in some kind of hurry?' Strange chuckled and sucked a little on her cool lips.

'Sit your ass down,' said Janine.

'Here?' asked Strange, pointing to the edge of the bed.

'You said you were tired,' said Janine. 'Let me do the work tonight.'

'Who's this right here?' said Quinn.

'Lauryn Hill,' said Juana. 'You like it?'

'Yeah, it's pretty nice. But you have any music with a guy singer?'

'I got the Black Album. You know, Prince. Does that count?'

'Oh, shit,' laughed Quinn.

'What's so funny?'

'I already had this conversation once today.'

Quinn adjusted himself. He felt his erection returning, and he moved his hips against hers. He gave her a couple of short strokes to let her know he was still alive.

'You tryin' to stay in or get out?'

'Just testing the water,' said Quinn.

'The water's warm.'

'Deep, too.'

'Cut it out.' Juana smiled. 'Some guys I know, they'd be tripping over themselves right about now, trying to get out the front door.'

'I'd be trippin' over somethin', I tried to leave right now.'

'Stop bragging.'

'Anyway, I want to stay right here.'

'You tellin' me you're not the type to hit it and split?'

'I've done it; I'm not gonna lie about that. But I don't want to do that with you.'

They were still on the couch. Quinn pulled an afghan up over them. The fire had weakened, and a chill had come in to the room. He looked at his white skin atop her brown.

'Think we can make this work?' asked Quinn.

'Do you want it to?'

'Yes.'

Strange was under the covers, lying beside Janine, when Greco walked into the room. He dropped the chuck bone at the foot of the bed, then moved it between his paws as he got himself down on the carpet.

'He's tellin' me it's time to go home.'

'I wish you didn't have to,' said Janine. 'It's nice and warm under this blanket.'

'It wouldn't be proper to have Lionel come home and know that I was here.'

'He already knows, Derek.'

'It wouldn't be right, just the same.'

Janine got up on one elbow and ran her fingers through the short hairs on Strange's chest.

'That lawyer I do business with from time to time,' said Strange. 'That Fifth Streeter with the cheap suit?'

'Markowitz?' said Janine.

'Him. He owes us money, doesn't he?'

'He's got an unpaid balance, I recall.'

'Give him a call tomorrow, see if he can't get us the transcripts of the review board hearings on the Quinn case.'

'You want to wipe out his debt?'

'See how much it is and settle it the way you see fit.'

'What's your feeling on this Quinn?'

Strange had been thinking of Terry Quinn all night. Quinn was violent, fearless, sensitive, and disturbed… all of those things at once. A cocktail of troubles, a guy who could come in handy in situations like they'd had today, but not the kind of guy who needed to be wearing a uniform, representing the law.

'I don't know enough about him yet,' said Strange. 'Next thing I'm going to do, I'm going to read those transcripts. Then I'm gonna go out and try and talk to the other players.'

'You think Quinn was wrong?'

'I think he's a white man who saw a black man holding a gun on another white man in the street. He reacted the way he's been programmed to react in this society, going back to birth.'

'You saying he's that way?'

'He's like most white people. Don't you know, most of 'em will tell you they don't have a racist bone in their bodies.'

'They're pure of mind and heart.'

'Quinn doesn't think he's that way,' said Strange. 'But he is.'