Trace screamed at me through the back window of the squad car. He went nuts, screaming, banging his head against the glass and cage, trying to kick the door. Eventually one of the officers had to chain his feet to the floorboards.
They took everyone’s statements. Luckily we’d been closed for more than an hour and there were no customers present. I think Casey would have fired me if there had been. After each statement, each boy went inside to get back to work, and I felt like such a freaking fool.
“I have to move,” I whispered to myself after they took my statement. I turned back to the cop, remembering something. “Can he make bail tonight?”
“Probably,” he answered, writing in his notebook.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
I walked inside but pulled out my phone, ready to text Katie, but Salinger approached me before I could.
“You can’t stay at your house tonight. It’s not safe.”
I ran my hands down my face. “I know. I was about to text Katie.”
“Don’t bother. You can stay at my place again.”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling exhausted.
Because of Trace, we had to work twice as hard that night to get everything done before Casey came in. I apologized to the crew, but they shook it off. I knew it was annoying, but they were kind enough not to complain, though they had every right to. All the boys I worked with were really generous with me. At the end of our shift, I approached Casey and let him know what happened. He seemed sort of peeved, not at me, he assured me, though I wasn’t sure. There wasn’t much drama at the store, but I seemed to be the common denominator whenever there was. He said as long as all the work got done and it didn’t cause a scandal, he didn’t care. I thanked him and left his office.
Salinger was waiting for me in the back when I was done.
“Follow me to my house?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
I STAYED AT SALINGER’S the next few days. I went home after my shift on Friday, though, since the roofers were supposed to show up that morning at eight. I was there to greet them and watched in amazement as they shed the sheets of old tin roofing. I saw pallet stacks of the new silver metal roofing and felt a little pressure to go to Richmond.
I swallowed my pride and asked Salinger to get our tickets.
“I already got them,” he’d told me through a sneaky smile. He let his head fall back a little when he laughed, exposing the lines of his throat. I watched his Adam’s apple move with each snigger.
I shook my head at him but laughed as well. “Thank you,” I’d told him.
“No problem, Little.”
I talked to the roof contractor and let him know I’d be back Sunday afternoon just in time to see my sisters. Salinger and I left that afternoon for the airport and caught a flight, slept on the plane, the first sleep we’d gotten in more than twenty-four hours, and arrived in Richmond at nine that evening.
The U.S. Open Invitational was at the Jefferson Hotel. We couldn’t afford to stay there, so we picked a budget room in a hotel nearby.
When we arrived, though, we went straight to the Jefferson to check in. We stood in yet another registration line in the Grand Ballroom. It was stunning. I literally felt like I was immersed in a different time and place.
“Déjà vu, huh?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I looked around me at all the people around us. “This is a much bigger tournament.”
“Yeah, but this event is separated by ratings. We’ll only be competing against other players in our class. There’s only sixty-four and it has the fifty-thousand-dollar cash prize. It’s fewer rounds.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. Think Peter Aurek will be here?”
Salinger laughed. “Oh, he’ll be here for sure, and probably talking the maddest crap about you.”
I giggled. “Good.”
Salinger elbowed me. “Look who it is.” He threw his chin up.
I turned to where he was looking and saw Tao Zhang.
“Tao.”
He furrowed his brows and stared at him.
“I heard he wasn’t going to be at this one.”
“Weird,” I commented. I clicked my tongue and shook my head. “Damn, what’s second prize?” I asked.
He laughed. “It’s twelve thousand,” he knocked his head back and looked down his lashes at me, “but why would you even worry about that, playa?”
I smiled and rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”
He laughed.
We looked at Tao again and noticed he was talking to someone but was blocking our view. He shifted to his left as he laughed at whatever his conversation partner had said and we finally got a good look at who exactly he was talking to.
“Bernard,” I whispered, shocked.
“What is that old fool doing here?” Salinger asked no one.
We were both quiet for a moment. I was unable to process what he was doing there, wondering why he’d break his disappearance streak for this one-off tournament.
We advanced in line.
“He’s been talking to Tao a long time,” Salinger observed.
“Yeah, it’s making me a little jealous.”
Salinger barked a laugh. “Me too.”
We bumped fists.
Just off the ballroom was a large double staircase ascending to the hotel lobby. Every boy in that room, including Bernard, turned to see the pretty girl coming down them. I narrowed my eyes. She looks familiar. Oh my God, it’s Lyric.
“Lyric,” Salinger whispered, making me burn with jealousy, which felt so weird. It was a knee-jerk reaction. I didn’t want to be a girl who grew jealous.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she meandered through the crowd saying hello to everyone she knew, and she knew a lot of people, flirting, and being charming. I watched her approach Tao. She disregarded Bernard, probably because she didn’t know who he was, but it really pissed me off. Bernard was different, and I knew he probably couldn’t care less, but it was rude, especially because Bernard had helped me so much. It made my eyes sting. I sat there and watched her dominate a conversation with Tao, slowly turning her back to Bernard and edging him out.
He looked lost. I could tell he was uncomfortable, and it made me feel sick to my stomach.
“Hold my bag,” I told Salinger and handed it over without a second thought.
Within ten seconds, I was on Bernard.
“Bernard,” I said as I approached him.
“Young lady, it is very good to see you.” He looked around. He stuck his hands behind his back and looked at the crowd around us. “It’s very different from when I used to compete. It’s very loud.”
“It is, but it’ll calm down in a few, once the majority of everyone here registers and retires to the Player’s Rooms.”
“Ahh,” he said. He glanced at Tao, who looked trapped himself, if I was honest. I was sure he was loath to pass up the opportunity to speak with Bernard. I could tell by his facial expression he knew exactly who he was.
Lyric glanced behind her at us. Her gaze followed my entire body. She was taking me in, sizing me up. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Tao.
“Would you like to join Salinger and me?” I asked him.
“Yes, of course,” he said, leaning forward, and throwing a hand in front of him. “Lead the way.”
I brought him over to Salinger, who greeted him warmly.
“Awfully loud in here,” he repeated.
I looked up at Salinger, wondering what we should do.
“We should go to the lobby bar, Bernard,” Salinger offered.
“Yes. Let’s do that. I don’t like it here.”
I nodded at Salinger when he handed me his registration papers.
“Let’s catch that elevator,” Salinger said.
He turned to me. “You’ll be okay?”
“Yeah, just fine. Go.”
He nodded at me and took poor Bernard away.
I waited another half hour before reaching the registration table. They tried to give me trouble with registering Salinger and I thought for a brief moment I’d have to call him back down but an official waved the registrar on and I got all the necessary entry lanyards and round information for both of us.
I started to make my way toward the elevators, but the line was atrocious. Fed up, I turned and made my way toward the enormous but elegant stairs.
“Lily!” I heard behind me and I turned to see who it was.
“Hello, Tao,” I greeted.
“I heard you were here.”
“Really? Who told you?”
“Bernard Calvin, of course. He’s an old friend of mine.”