ached from Sam's slaps. She'd held a cold rag against it in the bathroom, but it still looked angry and a little swollen.
The damned doorman! He was absolutely staring now. Probably noticing her cheek. She felt dirty and awful. The only thing she could be thankful for was that her period was due to start tomorrow. She hadn't told Sam that. Not that he would worry about something so insignificant. She knew that if he knocked her up, he'd either discard her or arrange an abortion.
The doorman leered. Why in hell was she just standing there anyway? She went around to the door of the Lincoln. The black guy was there two steps ahead of her, opened the door.
'Have a nice day, Miss,' he said, showing her a gold tooth.
The Lincoln glided out to the street. Sam was silent on the way to the shopping center. Marcia kept pulling at her hair. She couldn't think of anything to say. She only wanted to be through with him. He cruised into the heart of the shopping center. She pulled at the handle when he stopped, but Sam reached across.
'Next Saturday I'm flying to Mexico. You're going.'
'My parents…'
'You're old enough to be legal. Tell them you're going.' Marcia looked down. Sam tightened his fingers on her wrist. 'You forget that once you're Sam Philbert's girl, that's it.' He pulled her close and kissed her. She opened her lips when his tongue forced her to. Then he let her go.
'I'll see you tomorrow. I'll call you in the moving… and listen, baby… don't fool around with me, you understand?'
Marcia tried to look him in the eyes. She dug a nail at her palm.
'What do you mean?'
'I mean you got a nice, healthy family. You want to keep them healthy, don't you?'
Marcia's head went dizzy. She could hardly believe it. She hadn't thought that men like this really existed. She felt like an utter fool for ever having gone out with him in the first place. She was suddenly burning with anger and the anger washed over her fear. She struggled the watch from her arm, started to dig the hundred-dollar bill out of her jeans.
'I'm not afraid of you, you filthy, dirty…'
'Your old man has a nice little business,' Sam said. He didn't appear at all ruffled by her sudden show of force. 'Be a shame if it burned down. Fire insurance never really covers anyone's losses completely. And fires do happen.' He looked down at the gold watch she was holding in her hand. 'You'd better put that back on, baby. Go shopping why don't you. Spend some of that hundred.'
Marcia got out of the Lincoln and stood on the curb watching Sam drive away. She was in a state of shock. She wanted to cry, to run and never stop running. She felt the ball of fear in her guts. It lay there heavy and awful. She put the watch in her pocket, felt the big bill. She needed help. But she couldn't go to her folks. You couldn't fight Sam like that. He had no decency, no scruples. He would hurt her badly in some way. Even if it meant hurting innocent people to get to her.
She started walking. She was walking out of the shopping center, north toward Grant Street. At first it didn't occur to her where she was going. Then she quickened her steps. It was ten or twelve blocks to Uncle Nat's. She hadn't really thought of him until that moment. But all through her childhood she remembered who took care of her when she fell. Who chased away the dogs. Who was always there with a hug when she was hurt.
Nat was her father's younger brother. He hadn't gone to college like Ralph. He was a truck driver who still made long hauls with a rig he'd bought and paid for over the years. Nat! Yes, she could tell him without being afraid he'd do anything foolish. He'd help her… somehow, he'd help. He just had to. Marcia broke into a jog.
'One hundred dollars is certainly a lot of money to learn to play tennis, Robin.' Her mother fluttered hands to her hair, pursed her lips and looked at Ralph. Ralph was chewing on a piece of toast as he scanned the stock- market page of the newspaper.
'Hmmmm?' He glanced up. 'Tennis? I didn't think Robin played tennis.'
'Well, she certainly plays everything else.' Her mother tittered.
Robin squirmed uncomfortably in the chair. She had not the least interest in learning tennis. But she had to get that money. Stevie had called again. His rent was due and he was running out of food. She'd begged him to come home and forget the feud he was having with his father. Steve refused of course.
Ralph was looking at her over the tops of his horn-rimmed glasses. Then he took them off. Robin tried to sit still. Did he suspect what the money was really for?
'You'd have to buy a racket too, wouldn't you?'
'Yes, Daddy.'
'Hmmmm,' He went back to his financial page. 'You haven't heard anything more about your brother, have you?'
'No sir.' Robin bit her tongue. She never said sir to her father unless she was guilty of something. Her mother came to the rescue.
'Robin said she heard from the kids at the swimming pool that Steve had an apartment somewhere by the river and that he was hunting for work. Isn't that right, Robin?'
'Yes, Mom.' Robin felt flushed and sweaty. She felt like they would see through her any moment. 'I haven't seen him myself.'
'Tennis, eh?' Her father folded the paper and folded his hands on the breakfast table. 'One hundred dollars for tennis?'
'I really have been eager to get some lessons. Patty Doran says that there's a new instructor at the Y and it's better to learn how to play right the first time rather than develop bad habits.'
'If I give you the money, you won't be expecting any new clothes for the rest of the summer, will you?'
'Oh no, Daddy!' She sat up straight, pushed her red braids behind her shoulders.
'Well then go get my checkbook. You do know this instructor's name, don't you? Or do I just make it out to the Y?'
Robin's mind worked feverishly. 'I think it would be better if you'd just give me the cash, Daddy.'
He looked at her. She couldn't decipher his expression.
'What is this man's name?'
'It's a woman,' Robin lied. 'Miss Lomax.' She swallowed, inched to the very edge of her chair. 'But she's new in town and hasn't opened up an account at a bank yet.'
Ralph shrugged. 'You seem to know a lot about Miss Lomax's private life.' He pulled out his wallet.
'Oh she's really great. She talks to all the girls like equals.' Robin gritted her teeth. Unconsciously she rubbed a hand over her short nose, remembered the story of Pinocchio and swallowed hard.
'All right, young lady, here you are.' Ralph held out the money. 'There's enough there to get you a racket and some tennis shoes.' He smiled. 'The ones you have on look pretty beat up.'
'Thanks, Daddy…' Robin came around the table and kissed him. She was halfway out the door when he called to her.
'You're sure you haven't seen your brother?'
'No, Daddy. I told you I hadn't.' She shrugged, smiled.
Robin went hurriedly out of the house and headed for the bus stop. She had Steve's money. But how long could she stretch her little act before her mom or dad got wise? The bus came as she was running up to the stop. She dropped her fare and swung into the front seat.
Robin tried to quiet her racing emotions. All those lies and now she had to face Steve again. She hadn't seen him since that last time in the basement.
Her face went beet red just remembering.
When the bus dropped her in Steve's part of town, she went quickly down a side street so she would come up the alley behind his place. Sure she was his sister, and sisters had the right to visit brothers. But she felt too as if her guilt were written all over her face.
Steve opened the door quickly when she knocked. He was wearing a pair of skivvies and a silver chain around his neck. Robin thrust the money at him when he opened the screen.
'I got what you wanted,' she gasped, surprise. I at her shortness of breath. 'I gotta run.'
'Hey wait!' He took her wrist. The touch of his fingers was like fire. She twisted to get free. 'Come on inside, will you, Robin… Goddamn…'
