run for mayor.”
“He’d win.”
The audience dissipated as people took their seats and spread out around the bar. A third of the crowd left immediately. Lee Carter stood by the door and grinned at them as they exited.
“Good night. Thanks for coming. Come again. Thank you, great to see you all.”
It wouldn’t kill you to buy a drink and eat some wings.
Twenty-nine
“So what happened? Why did you guys break up?” asked Luci, slowly draining the last sip of her beer.
“I don’t think I would characterize it as a breakup. It was probably over before it even started. As always, I had to travel for work. When I was gone, she had more shoes under her bed than a Holiday Inn.”
Luci struggled unsuccessfully not to laugh and quickly brought a napkin to her mouth to keep the beer from escaping. Mark smiled widely.
“It’s funny now. At the time, not so much.”
“I still can’t believe you dated a stripper.”
“Luci, please —exotic dancer . And she claimed to be retired. Anyway, now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself by sharing my awful judgment, what’s your story? How come you’re still single?”
Luci finished wiping her mouth and looked at the lipstick-stained napkin.
“I’ve had some dates over the years and maybe one or two guys I would call boyfriends, but no one who ever had any real potential.”
“How come?”
“Who knows, Mark? And I don’t lose any sleep over it. Maybe it’s the same as with you — the job gets in the way. I don’t want to date another cop because I don’t want my whole life to be about the job. And civilians can’t seem to ever get past it. Being a cop is a big part of me, but not all of me. Get it?”
“More than you can imagine.”
Luci’s expression turned sour and she rolled her eyes.
“Luuuci! You have some ’splaining to do!” said an approaching voice.
Mark turned to see a man in his mid-thirties with a beer glass in one hand and dragging a chair behind him with the other. On top of his wavy brown hair sat a pair of dark-framed, oversized sunglasses. Two days of scruff covered his handsome face, and his untucked blue oxford cloth shirt was mostly unbuttoned, revealing a white tank top underneath. He put his glass on the table, spun the chair around with one hand, and sat down uninvited. Then he leaned back and clasped his hands behind his thick head of hair.
“Lee tells me there’s been more graffiti,” he said matter-of-factly.
“What do you want, Charlie? Can’t you see we were having a discussion?” she said with a nod in Mark’s direction.
“I’m just asking a question, Luci. Most of us know you’ll eventually figure it out and save the day. Others say putting you in that position was a mistake because of your background. But rest assured, the people who matter know that’s not true and you have our support.”
“My background? What that’s supposed to mean?
“Your ethnicity, whatever. Those people don’t matter anyway. Just forget it. I still have some influence down there, so let me know if I can help. There’s some benefit to being an outsider to the community you police. You know, not being so familiar. But I’m sure you’re doing a great job. Besides, it ain’t exactly Queens down there, right?”
Mark watched as Luci’s breath quickened and her chest started to rise and fall visibly. This guy was pushing her buttons, but she shrugged it off as quickly as it came on and forced a smile.
“And I thank you for that. It’s nice to know you’ve got my back,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm so slight Mark knew it must have been for his benefit.
The man turned his attention to Mark, who was scanning the crowd.
“Who’s your friend?”
“Mark this is Charlie Worth. Charlie, Mark Landry.”
Mark slowly turned his head and the two men locked eyes. Charlie offered his hand.
“Good to meet you, Mark. You on the job?
“On the job? You mean am I a cop? No. No. Civilian. I’ll leave the dangerous
“He’d win.”
The audience dissipated as people took their seats and spread out around the bar. A third of the crowd left immediately. Lee Carter stood by the door and grinned at them as they exited.
“Good night. Thanks for coming. Come again. Thank you, great to see you all.”
It wouldn’t kill you to buy a drink and eat some wings.
Twenty-nine
“So what happened? Why did you guys break up?” asked Luci, slowly draining the last sip of her beer.
“I don’t think I would characterize it as a breakup. It was probably over before it even started. As always, I had to travel for work. When I was gone, she had more shoes under her bed than a Holiday Inn.”
Luci struggled unsuccessfully not to laugh and quickly brought a napkin to her mouth to keep the beer from escaping. Mark smiled widely.
“It’s funny now. At the time, not so much.”
“I still can’t believe you dated a stripper.”
“Luci, please —exotic dancer . And she claimed to be retired. Anyway, now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself by sharing my awful judgment, what’s your story? How come you’re still single?”
Luci finished wiping her mouth and looked at the lipstick-stained napkin.
“I’ve had some dates over the years and maybe one or two guys I would call boyfriends, but no one who ever had any real potential.”
“How come?”
“Who knows, Mark? And I don’t lose any sleep over it. Maybe it’s the same as with you — the job gets in the way. I don’t want to date another cop because I don’t want my whole life to be about the job. And civilians can’t seem to ever get past it. Being a cop is a big part of me, but not all of me. Get it?”
“More than you can imagine.”
Luci’s expression turned sour and she rolled her eyes.
“Luuuci! You have some ’splaining to do!” said an approaching voice.
Mark turned to see a man in his mid-thirties with a beer glass in one hand and dragging a chair behind him with the other. On top of his wavy brown hair sat a pair of dark-framed, oversized sunglasses. Two days of scruff covered his handsome face, and his untucked blue oxford cloth shirt was mostly unbuttoned, revealing a white tank top underneath. He put his glass on the table, spun the chair around with one hand, and sat down uninvited. Then he leaned back and clasped his hands behind his thick head of hair.
“Lee tells me there’s been more graffiti,” he said matter-of-factly.
“What do you want, Charlie? Can’t you see we were having a discussion?” she said with a nod in Mark’s direction.
“I’m just asking a question, Luci. Most of us know you’ll eventually figure it out and save the day. Others say putting you in that position was a mistake because of your background. But rest assured, the people who matter know that’s not true and you have our support.”
“My background? What that’s supposed to mean?
“Your ethnicity, whatever. Those people don’t matter anyway. Just forget it. I still have some influence down there, so let me know if I can help. There’s some benefit to being an outsider to the community you police. You know, not being so familiar. But I’m sure you’re doing a great job. Besides, it ain’t exactly Queens down there, right?”
Mark watched as Luci’s breath quickened and her chest started to rise and fall visibly. This guy was pushing her buttons, but she shrugged it off as quickly as it came on and forced a smile.
“And I thank you for that. It’s nice to know you’ve got my back,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm so slight Mark knew it must have been for his benefit.
The man turned his attention to Mark, who was scanning the crowd.
“Who’s your friend?”
“Mark this is Charlie Worth. Charlie, Mark Landry.”
Mark slowly turned his head and the two men locked eyes. Charlie offered his hand.
“Good to meet you, Mark. You on the job?
“On the job? You mean am I a cop? No. No. Civilian. I’ll leave the dangerous
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