Dark Waters (SLOW UPDATES)

9

"James Montclair." Leo said steppin ta shake his hand.

I saw Tommy in the store window watchin us from the corner of my eye.

"What you doin here Leonard?" James said steppin in front of me.

"How about we just skip all this and go inside." I said whisperin to'em. I tugged on his arm tryin ta get him ta move.

"I came to see you. It just so happens that I was on a walk with my lady here and saw your wife. Louise gave the great idea that we'd all ride here to meet with you." Leo said lookin at me. I got closer ta James and I could feel him gettin all tensed up.

"You know we not on them kind of terms Leo." James started to tap his hand on his leg and I knew it was time for me to step in. I went around him and stood in front of James and put a hand on his chest.

"Uh. It was nice seein ya Leo and it was nice meetin ya Lauren-"

"It's Louise!"

"Louise. I'm sorry." I looked back at James to see his jaw clenched. I looked at my watch and faked like I was lookin at the time. "James' lunch break is comin ta an end and I'm sure he'd like to eat." I turned around and pushed James ta the door of the sto'.

"Maybe I can stop by your place some time?" Leo asked.

"Uh maybe?" I said gettin James inside. "You two have a good day. C'mon Boy." New York stood up and followed behind me. Tommy opened the door for us and the dog came in first. James stormed to the back with everyone's eyes followin him. Tommy went back to the window and watched them get in their car and drive away.

"I don't like him." Tommy said turnin around. "You make sure James and him don't make any contact with each other. Something about that boy is shady." Tommy said looked down the street.

"He has a brand new car but his shirt wasn't ironed?" Roy said shinin his own shoes. "Something definitely ain't right."

"You noticed that too?" Tommy asked Roy. "You go back there and go calm him down. I don't want customers to leave." Tommy said whisperin in my ear. "Everyone back to work! These shoes aren't gonna shine themselves. Roy you better be paying for that."

"You know I got you." Roy said pullin money from his pocket.

I rolled my eyes and hurried ta the back past the storage room, Tommy's office, and fianlly to the employee area. James paced around back and forth with his eyebrows in such a frown they looked sewn together.

"Baby calm down, he's gone." I stood in front of him so he could stop pacin so much. "He's gone." I gently held his sides and got close to him. "He's gone James." He looked down at me and shook his head. His hand still tapped on his leg, it's like a nervous tick.

James has always had.... What's the best way ta put this?... He's a very sweet man, very kind. He'll save people from a burnin buildin if he has ta but he's got this... This mean streak. A man as perfect as him had ta have somethin wrong. Once somethin or someone has struck his nerves he goes crazy. Like I have ta leave him alone type a crazy. I know it's about ta start when he gets to tappin on his right leg. The best thing is ta let him walk away and calm down. Don't try and stop him he'll just go off on ya. Sometimes me gettin him off the ledge isn't enough. He's never hurt me but I've seen him upset befo' and I didn't like what I saw. 

"How about we sit down?" I brought him over ta the metal bunch in front of the locker bays. He sat down and his leg got to shakin. "James just tell me what happened. You can't go trying to snap his neck when you see him and not tell me why." He bit his bottom lip and shook his head again. I grabbed his face and made him look at me. "Just tell me."