With her record, the armed robbery and probable arrest warrant for parole violation, she wouldn’t get just a slap on the wrist for pickpocketing if this went down wrong. She would be facing more hard time.
She couldn’t figure out what had come over Jack all of a sudden. Even in the gloom of the room with her back to him, she could feel the change in him. She turned to face him, propping her head on an elbow so she could look down into his eyes. “Jack, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”
“It’s nothing, Tina. I’m just worried.”
“About me?” she guessed, taking a stab in the dark.
Jack sighed. “A little. Tina, you could go back inside. And it won’t be for a year this time. You could do some real hard time.”
“I know. But I know what I’m doing. To get free of my past, to have a chance to start again. It’s worth the risk.”
Jack stared at her for a moment, then seized her face, pulling her lips to his as he breathed deep. She was caught off guard by his sudden move, but recovered quickly and flowed into the kiss. After a moment, he broke the kiss and pulled her tightly to him, holding her snugly. She relaxed into his embrace and enjoyed the closeness, smiling as she drew lazy patterns on his chest with her finger.
He held her in the crook of this right arm, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. His right hand caressed her back, his left her arm. They lay quietly, the only sound their breathing. He could smell her, the almost undetectable scent of flowers from the shampoo, and never had that cheap shampoo smelled so sweet. Tomorrow, Tuesday, they would walk the halls of the exhibit hall to see firsthand where the cars would be displayed and give Tina a chance to watch the guards. The cars would arrive either Thursday evening or Friday morning, and the show would open to the public Friday afternoon. By Friday night, Tina could be on her way to her new life. He smiled, a bit sad at the thought. He was going to miss her.
They were still in the same position, comfortable in their closeness, as first Tina, then Jack, slipped quietly into sleep.
***
“Do you understand art?” Tina asked the next afternoon as they strolled through the large open hall where the cars would be displayed.
“Not a bit.”
“Me either. I mean, look at that,” she whispered as she gestured at a splash of color on canvas. “What is that supposed to be?” Tina squinted at the small plaque underneath. “It says Glory Spent, but to me it looks like what happens after eating a bad spaghetti dinner.”
He snorted, then coughed before breaking into a chuckle. “I think you know more about art than you let on. I didn’t know what I was looking at until now.”
She giggled. “Well, it does. And that!” she said as she gestured at a sculpture. “If that isn’t a cat fucking a violin, I don’t know what it is.”
He snickered and looked at the large sculpture that stood in the center of this group of temporary walls holding the paintings. It took him a moment, but then he saw it and laughed softly as he stepped up and looked at the plaque. “Guess what the name is.”
“What?”
“Viola … Feline … Love…”
“It is not!” Tina whispered harshly as she strode up and read the plaque herself. “It says Energy, dumbass!”
“Oh, sorry. I must have read it wrong.”
They were still giggling over the her scathing commentary when the guard passed by again. He smiled and nodded to them as he ambled. It was the second time they had seen him as they wandered among the many freestanding walls.
“What do you think?” Jack asked when the guard was out of sight.
“Assuming everything you need is on the key ring or in his wallet? No sweat. Can you arrange a distraction?”
“How much of one?”
“Not much. But I need something to shift his attention if you want both.”
“I think that can be arranged.
She couldn’t figure out what had come over Jack all of a sudden. Even in the gloom of the room with her back to him, she could feel the change in him. She turned to face him, propping her head on an elbow so she could look down into his eyes. “Jack, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”
“It’s nothing, Tina. I’m just worried.”
“About me?” she guessed, taking a stab in the dark.
Jack sighed. “A little. Tina, you could go back inside. And it won’t be for a year this time. You could do some real hard time.”
“I know. But I know what I’m doing. To get free of my past, to have a chance to start again. It’s worth the risk.”
Jack stared at her for a moment, then seized her face, pulling her lips to his as he breathed deep. She was caught off guard by his sudden move, but recovered quickly and flowed into the kiss. After a moment, he broke the kiss and pulled her tightly to him, holding her snugly. She relaxed into his embrace and enjoyed the closeness, smiling as she drew lazy patterns on his chest with her finger.
He held her in the crook of this right arm, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. His right hand caressed her back, his left her arm. They lay quietly, the only sound their breathing. He could smell her, the almost undetectable scent of flowers from the shampoo, and never had that cheap shampoo smelled so sweet. Tomorrow, Tuesday, they would walk the halls of the exhibit hall to see firsthand where the cars would be displayed and give Tina a chance to watch the guards. The cars would arrive either Thursday evening or Friday morning, and the show would open to the public Friday afternoon. By Friday night, Tina could be on her way to her new life. He smiled, a bit sad at the thought. He was going to miss her.
They were still in the same position, comfortable in their closeness, as first Tina, then Jack, slipped quietly into sleep.
***
“Do you understand art?” Tina asked the next afternoon as they strolled through the large open hall where the cars would be displayed.
“Not a bit.”
“Me either. I mean, look at that,” she whispered as she gestured at a splash of color on canvas. “What is that supposed to be?” Tina squinted at the small plaque underneath. “It says Glory Spent, but to me it looks like what happens after eating a bad spaghetti dinner.”
He snorted, then coughed before breaking into a chuckle. “I think you know more about art than you let on. I didn’t know what I was looking at until now.”
She giggled. “Well, it does. And that!” she said as she gestured at a sculpture. “If that isn’t a cat fucking a violin, I don’t know what it is.”
He snickered and looked at the large sculpture that stood in the center of this group of temporary walls holding the paintings. It took him a moment, but then he saw it and laughed softly as he stepped up and looked at the plaque. “Guess what the name is.”
“What?”
“Viola … Feline … Love…”
“It is not!” Tina whispered harshly as she strode up and read the plaque herself. “It says Energy, dumbass!”
“Oh, sorry. I must have read it wrong.”
They were still giggling over the her scathing commentary when the guard passed by again. He smiled and nodded to them as he ambled. It was the second time they had seen him as they wandered among the many freestanding walls.
“What do you think?” Jack asked when the guard was out of sight.
“Assuming everything you need is on the key ring or in his wallet? No sweat. Can you arrange a distraction?”
“How much of one?”
“Not much. But I need something to shift his attention if you want both.”
“I think that can be arranged.
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