60. Try That Again
Try That Again
Vandal
“Are you sure this outfit will work for our first date?” Lola pulls at the hem of her skirt.
I try not to stare at her stunning legs and focus on the road. Traffic isn’t exactly light. “You look amazing! Something cute and comfortable works.”
“You have me so curious as to where you could possibly be taking…Why are you stopping in front of the library? It closed at five.”
“It closes to the public at five. But for us tonight, it’s open.”
“You’re taking me to the library for our date? The actual library. This is so cool!!!!”
I walk around to her side and open the door.
Lola hops out and straight into my arms. “This is the best first date ever. Thank you so much. I can’t even imagine how much you had to donate to get us in here.”
My mom donated tens of millions of dollars every year while she was alive.
The library was one of her pet projects, as my father used to call them.
He didn’t mind the money for them, because they made the family look good.
Mom did it because it was the right thing to do.
I should probably start making donations in her memory. “It was nothing.” Literally.
“I don’t know what to do first. I’ve always wanted to run down the aisles taking funny pictures.”
Could anyone get cuter than that? “Let’s start with that.”
“Okay.” She grins. “Race you to the other end.” Lola takes off with a flirty wink.
Racing it is.
***
“This is absolutely the best first date imaginable.” Lola keeps spinning around in her chair rather than eating anything off the charcuterie board in front of her. “I’m never going to forget this.”
Neither am I, but for a very different reason. Libraries aren’t my thing, but your smile is. “Do you want a large library in your house?” Why did I ask that on the first date?
“I don’t know. I’ve never had a house. A library feels like a special place, so I think if the house had a library, it would have to be extra special.”
“What would make it extra special for you?”
“Hmm. I don’t know. Maybe that rolling ladder like they have in the movies. And old leather-bound books.”
We could do that.
Lola finally settles down and reaches for a piece of cheese. “Van, I’m trying not to worry, but I know the dealer didn’t go away. Feeling like I’m in the dark about all of this scares me…No, it terrifies me that something might happen to you and I’d never know.”
“You’d know. My brothers would reach out to you.”
“They’d reach out. Like an I’m-sorry call. What’s with that? I thought you said we were in this together. An I’m-sorry call isn’t in it together. That’s an insult. That’s a crushing blow out of nowhere. Why don’t you just ask them to walk up and sucker punch me as well?”
“Lola.”
“All or nothing. We said we were all or nothing, and now you’re telling me it’s going to be almost nothing.”
“I’m not trying to keep you in the dark. It’s just that nothing’s happening at the moment. I’m waiting for the dealer. Next Friday, I’m going to throw another party, and he’s going to bring the party favors.”
She looks around like we aren’t all alone in the middle of a closed library. “So they’re going to bring drugs to your party next week?”
“That’s the plan.” I don’t really need to mention the children.
“So what, you’ll be doing drugs next week? At least you won’t be dancing with other women.”
“Um, about that.”
“Women too?”
I don’t think mentioning the fact that they were children would help. “It’s not like that. You know this is just me playing a part to get in with the dealer.”
“Taking drugs isn’t a game, Van. You could get addicted.”
Like I don’t know that. I’ve seen firsthand what drugs can do to a body. “I’m not actually taking them. It’s just pretend. I learned how to palm pills and pretend to take them. It’s good. I’m not going to become an addict.”
“And the women? Are you going to have to make out with them or even have sex with them to keep your cover?” Lola crosses her arms over her chest and glares at me. “Because we’re not making out after you’ve been making out with one of them.”
She’s already thinking of making out with me!
Focus before she slaps you and walks out for things that aren’t going to happen. “I’m not going to make out with them, Lola. I’ll figure something out like I did last time.”
“Wait? You didn’t make out with them?”
“No, all we did was dance.” And dance. And dance some more. “I can promise you whatever happens, I will not make out with those women…ever.”
“How exactly are you going to do that?”
I shrug.
“That’s not exactly a plan. You need to have an idea ready to prevent the required make-out session. Because if their lips touch yours, mine won’t.”
“Plans rarely go the way you want them to.” How many times did Fly pound that into my brain? Always have a backup for your backup and a way out if you need it.
“That doesn’t mean you don’t make them and just hope things go the way you want them to. I have an idea. Why don’t you bring me as your new girlfriend? That way I can act all territorial and jealous.”
“Because the whole idea was for me to sample the merchandise.”
Her mouth drops open. “You’re not talking about drugs.”
“No.”
“Um…yeah.” She stands up and starts walking away, turns back, opens her mouth, and then spins around and dashes off.
This is definitely not the way I thought this evening would go. “Lola.” I chase after her, finally catching her in the corner of the reference section.
“Prostitutes. You’re going to be making out with prostitutes.”
“I’m not making out with anyone. And they aren’t prostitutes. They’re kids being trafficked. They don’t get a choice.”
She starts shaking her head. “This isn’t okay. It’s not okay.”
It isn’t, but neither is her response…Fly said I’d need to get her story. She comes from Willow Street. My body goes tight.
What happened to Lola? She acts so strong. So sure of herself.
I want to demand answers. To insist on knowing the names of whoever it was that hurt her, so that I can ensure that they never take another easy breath before they leave this world.
But I can’t just demand that she tell me. I need to give her the space to trust me. “You’re right. It’s not okay. That’s why I’m doing this. That’s why I have to do everything in my power to stop them.”
Lola blinks a few times, clearing her eyes, and meets my gaze. “You have to save them.”
“We will.” Or I’ll die trying. But talking about this isn’t healthy for you right now. I need to change the conversation back to something light and easy. “You know what? I don’t think we got a picture in the reference section.”
Lola brushes a tear away. “No, we didn’t.”
“We wouldn’t want to waste this opportunity, now would we?” I take out my phone and plaster a cheesy grin on my face.
She tries hard to do the same, but her tear-streaked face and sad eyes kill the effect.
Time to be the class clown until I get a smile out of her. “Have you ever danced in the reference section of the library?”
“I don’t believe I have.”
With a silly flourish, I bow, offering my hand to her.