One Rough Man

shuffled along a half a step behind her, making no effort to talk. She asked him repeated questions, but he just mumbled in response. She couldn’t even get him to tell her his name. Great. He really is a drunk. Maybe I’ll just give him some change and point him to the nearest park bench. When they finally got to her car, he attempted to wave her off, saying he was fine and could get home on his own. She was surprised by the sudden apparent sobriety. He was no longer swaying, and his eyes were fairly clear, although it was hard to tell with the swelling. What was with this guy? He was a drunk one minute, and sober the next? Why fake being drunk?

She said, “Look, don’t act like you’re putting me out. You’re really doing me a favor. If you go off on your own, I’ll have no excuse for not going back in there. I’m headed home anyway, so you might as well let me give you a ride — that is unless you live somewhere other than the Isle of Palms. I’m not running a taxi service to Charleston.”

“I live at the marina, but I don’t need a ride. My bike is down the street. I’m sober enough to drive.”

“Are you nuts? Even if you were stone-cold sober, you’d probably wreck from the beating. Come on. I’m offering a ride for free. No strings attached.”

“I don’t need a ride. Worst case, I’ll just walk. It will do me some good.”

The penetrating gaze was back, forcing her to glance away.

“Walk? It’s like five miles away. Quit bitching and get in.”

He closed the gap between her and the car. With the car preventing her from moving away, he leaned into her personal space.

“Why do you feel compelled to help me out? You don’t know anything about me. The world is full of monsters, why do you think you’re immune from them? Do you think that just because you made some pathetic attempt at ‘helping’ me out I won’t rape you? How long do you think it would have taken the bouncers to get to me? About a half second after you did? Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t need the help then, and don’t need it now.”

He was towering over her, his eyes radiating anger. For a split second she was afraid, wanting to bolt, wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. But her fear quickly gave way to irritation. What the hell was this all about? All she was trying to do was to help him out. He definitely wasn’t a charmer, but he didn’t seem like the type who would smack someone around just for the hell of it. After living with her husband for four years, her antenna for that sort of thing was fairly well tuned. Either way, she’d had enough. Ungrateful son of a bitch.

“Back off! What the hell is your problem? If I thought you were going to attack me I’d have let Tad crush your ass. If you planned on raping me, why on earth would you tell me beforehand? Oh, and yeah, I did save your ass. In case you didn’t notice, Tad was giving you a beating that was about to be the difference between a ride in my car and a ride in an ambulance. Thanks for your appreciation, now get the hell out of my way and start hoofing it to the marina, superman.”

She pushed him back from the door, yanking it open and banging her head as she tried to get inside the small cockpit of her car. She reached over to close the door when he leaned in and stopped her.

“My name’s Pike. Pike Logan.”

“Pike? What, are your parents Romanian vampires or something? Thanks for the information, but at this stage I really don’t give a shit. Please let go of my door.”

“That’s just what I’m called. Look, I apologize. I haven’t had a good day and took it out on you. I could use that ride.”

When she looked back up at his face, she saw the intensity had been replaced by pain and confusion. Maybe shame. She was left with the impression that he hadn’t apologized to anyone in a long time, and he was waiting to see if the gesture was worth it. Shit. I know I’m going to regret this.

“Get in. I’ll take you home.” Once he was settled in the passenger seat, she stuck out her hand and said, “I’m Jennifer Cahill. What’s your real name?”

He took it, saying, “I told you, it’s Pike. Pike Logan.”

She started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, keeping the conversation going. “Really? If I were going to book you for assault, that’s what I’d write down? What was the name written on your birth certificate?”

“I’ve been called Pike for a long time. It’s my name now.”

They rode in silence for a few minutes before she tried again.

“If you live at the marina, you’re either passing through or working as a sailor. Which is it?”

“Neither. I moved here about two months ago. I don’t like paying rent and couldn’t afford a house. A guy was selling a beat-up thirty-seven-foot boat that needed a lot of work. The plumbing was okay, and the slip was paid for a year. I bought it, and now I live there.”

“Wow, that’s pretty romantic.”

“It puts a roof over my head.”

Jennifer waited for more, but he said nothing.

“That’s it? Nobody buys a boat just to live on. They buy it for a reason. Come on, what’s yours?”

She saw him grimace at the question.

“I told you why. There isn’t any deep meaning. It’s just a damn boat. A place to live. Do we have to keep talking about it?”

She let it go. Luckily, they had turned onto Forty-first Avenue and were only seconds from the marina. The rest of the ride was spent in silence.

“All right, we’re here. Where do I go?”

“Just park it anywhere. I can walk in from here. What do I owe you for the ride?”

Jennifer hesitated, and then said, “Does your boat have a bathroom? I really have to go.”

She regretted saying it as soon as it came out. She really just wanted to use the bathroom but was sure he would take it a different way. She didn’t want him to think she was attracted in any way. When she saw his face, she realized that he was embarrassed as well.

“Ahh… yes… I do have a bathroom, but it’s a dinky thing that requires you to pump it to get it to work, sort of like a floating outhouse. You’re welcome to use it, if you want. Just don’t complain about the mess.”

“Okay. If you don’t mind, I’ll use it and go on home.”

Jennifer walked down into the galley of the boat and was repulsed by the mess. Doesn’t this guy know that underwear doesn’t wash itself? Man, how could he live in this filth? She was really wondering what the toilet would be like, and figured she’d be doing the squat-and-hover like she was at a sleazy truck stop in between Mississippi and Louisiana. She looked around in an attempt to find something to talk about to break the awkward silence. She was just about to ask him if dirty socks were commonly used as insulation when she saw a picture of a very pretty woman on the shelf above the foldout bed.

“Is that your girlfriend? She’s gorgeous.”

“That’s my wife. She’s dead, and I don’t want to talk about that either.”

The words hit Jennifer like a cold shot of water. Next to the woman in the picture was a small child. She wisely decided not to ask who that was. Pike showed her the toilet, which was surprisingly clean, and how to operate the pump that flushed it. After she finished, she came out, trying to look cool leaning against the doorjamb, saying, “Thanks. I guess I’ll head out now.”

There was another moment of awkward silence. It looked to her like Pike didn’t know what to say. She was wondering if he was going to spit out some sort of Tourette’s syndrome rant when he finally said, “Well, I appreciate your help tonight. Thanks again for the ride.”

With a wry grin, Jennifer said, “You don’t lie very well. Thanks for the use of your bathroom.”

Pike gave her a smile that reached his eyes for the first time. The effect diminished his Halloween mask appearance. He ought to do that more often.

“You don’t lie very well either,” he said. “I meant it.”

Jennifer left the boat, wondering if she would ever see Pike again. She also wondered why she cared. He was attractive enough in a weird, Grizzly Adams sort of way, but he had a personality that seemed to swing between outright asshole to limited tolerance. He had moments of humor and kindness that almost seemed to be fighting their way out.

She had reached the front of her car before she saw the two men standing behind it.

She stopped where she was, immediately feeling unease and toying with running back to Pike’s boat. “Can I help you guys?”