The Cupid Touch

The Cupid Touch Chapter 26 - The Smallest of Betrayals

What a goddamn mess, I thought.

"Yes, we do," Joe said, drawing me towards the hatch in the bar and not meeting Rita's anxious gaze.

"I think... it would be better if we did it alone," Alfredo said, looking at me with a look that was as cold as anything I could remember. Was this what they were really like, these friends of Joe-Moe's?

And then I began to have a suspicion that I knew what was going on here.

"We're all going to talk, openly," Joe said, firmly, and gestured for me to go ahead of him behind the bar. I didn't know where I was going after that, but Joe leaned forward to push open the door to the kitchen and I shuffled through. This was about the most awkward situation I could remember being in. It even beat that time my Mom dropped into conversation with the boy I had a crush on in the third grade that I had she recognised him from the picture on my computer. Which was something I'd thought would never happen. I didn't know if I wanted to kiss Joe-Moe full on the mouth or punch him right then.

The kitchen was hot and busy, with one waiter and a chef in the midst of a slanging-match in Italian. I wondered if we were going to try and talk here, but Joe led me past the steam and the amazing smells to a small door. There was a table just outside covered by a porch, which must have been where the staff took their breaks to eat or read. At the moment it was empty except for a grubby ash-tray in the middle.

I took a chair and sat, feeling like it was me who had to defend myself here. Alfredo sat with a sigh, and Joe waited for Rita to come outside, her body language reluctant, and then held out a hand to the third chair. She pulled it out quickly, making it clatter on the brick paving, and sat without looking at him again.

It was a good thing Joe sat beside me and squeezed my leg firmly before he started. I was feeling a little bit like I might puke from a mixture of adrenalin, fear and awkwardness.

"What were you doing this evening, Rita?" Joe asked, straight off. I could hear the anger in his voice, the sense of betrayal, and I saw from the way she flinched that she could, too.

"Now look," Alfredo interrupted, holding out a hand. "Before you start attacking my daughter, you need to know a few things. We had a visit from a couple of cops earlier today. They told us that this young woman is known to them." He pointed at me with a jab, a chain bracelet on his wrist clanking as he did it. "Which I am guessing you must know too."

Joe was almost comically shocked for a moment, and then shook his head, slowly. "She isn't known to the police, Alfredo."

"They told us everything," Rita said suddenly, in a rush. "They told us about and how you've been trying to help her. I know it's easy for people to prey on someone like you, Joseph, because you're so warm-hearted, but you have to look out for yourself. You can't get dragged into this. You're on a sports' scholarship. If they get even a sniff of drugs..."

"Wait, what?"

I felt even more sick as Joe looked over at me with wide eyes, but then he cracked a smile, which turned into real, unexpected laughter.

"They told you she had a drug habit? And you believed them?"

Rita looked both hurt and confused. "They were cops, Joe."

"Rita, those guys would run a mile if they saw a cop. Did you really think they looked legit?"

"Joseph-"

"Helena's only habit is telling people to take a hike a bit too quickly," he interrupted her. "And I'm ok with that. Even if she does it to me someday, which I really hope she won't. I mean, I won't be ok with it. I'll be pissed off and hurt. But I'll understand."

I could see the battle in Rita. She was looking from one to the other of us, not really wanting to believe him.

"I'm sorry they lied to you," I said, quietly. "But I don't have any connection to any kind of drugs that aren't in coffee and occasionally glasses of wine. Really."

"Whereas those guys," Joe said, with feeling, "those guys you sold out to without asking, are mired in that world and have dragged by brother into it. They didn't want to arrest Helena, they wanted to hurt her. If you'd led them to her, she might be at the bottom of the Charles by now."

Alfredo stood, suddenly.

"Do not talk to her like that," Rita's father said, "when she has tried to help you. Even if you are right-"

"All right, all right. I shouldn't attack either of you, I'm sorry," Joe said, making an effort to calm down. "I'm just - I guess I'm angry at the possible consequences, and I'm angry that you didn't talk to me about it first. I know it came from a place of caring about me, but why didn't you talk to me?"

Rita's eyes started to ooze large tears.

"Because I thought I'd lost you," she said, and then she stood and walked unsteadily to the door. She disappeared into the restaurant, and Joe's face was torn.

"Should I go after her?" he asked Alfredo.

"No," her father said, waving a hand and scowling. "Not now. Not while you're here with Helena." He glanced at me, and then sighed. "I hate to ask - like this, but - you're sure?"

"I'm sure," Joe said. "They're stooges of Axel's ex-boyfriend. He... he got into a mess because he was naive, and now they want money from him. They didn't like me telling them no, and stepping in to protect him. It's my screw-up, and Helena's the one suffering for it."

Alfredo looked steadily at him, and then sighed.

"So you're in trouble? You need help? My brother..."

Joe shook his head, rapidly.

"Thank you. But I need to deal with this myself. I can't involve you, or Rita. They'd know where to find you both, and I'm not ok with that."

Alfredo sighed again.

"OK. You know you can ask me if - you know that we are here for you."

Joe nodded, and squeezed my hand absently. I saw Alfredo's eyes follow the gesture, and the sadness in his expression.

"Will Rita - she'll be ok?" Joe asked.

"Of course she will," Alfredo said.

Joe nodded, and then started to get up. We left together, hand in hand. As I reached the door to the restaurant, I glanced back at Alfredo, who was sitting dejectedly at the table.

"I'm sorry," I said.

He looked up at me, startled. "What do you have to be sorry about? It is none of it your fault. I hope that - I hope you remain safe."

I nodded, and followed Joe.

There was no sign of Rita in the kitchen or the restaurant, but Joe still waited until we were out on the sidewalk to hold me tightly to him and kiss me.

"I'm ok," I said, with a small smile, once he released me.

"I know, but - fuck. If they'd got you... if they'd hurt you..."

He kissed me again, and despite my attention initially being on the road behind him as I looked out for the heavies to come back, I pretty quickly forgot about everything apart from the feel of it.

He drew back mere inches, and said, "I'm not quite sure I can handle you being out of my life."

I felt a rush of hurt and fear that I tried very hard to repress.

"You know I'm not going anywhere," I said.

"But you have to. For now. You know that, don't you? Until it's safe. You have to."

I dug my fingers into the flesh of his back as I replied, without being able to look at him, "I know. I know."