Page 28 of Alonzo

But that wouldn’t really help me. My little brother Luke is now dating Jesse’s cousin, Zach. So this is what I’m dealing with today. Jesse Boston is staying across the street from me in the Emma cottage and Zach Boston is staying two doors down in the… well, I guess that’s the actual Zach cottage now. Because Luke’s cottage, which is right next door to me, is now empty because he moved in with Zach.

I don’t understand how six months ago I had barely even heard of the Boston brothers and now I have two of those dumbfucks living on my street.

Chill, Lonz. He’s gone. For now.

I’m just about to go back to daydreaming about how I could set Tara up with a brand-new life down here in Key West when Jesse Boston comes back out of the office with his phone to his ear. He’s nodding, and talking fast, and once again gun-finger pointing at me as he retraces his steps back down my dock. “Got it,” he says into the phone. “We’ll be there in like thirty.” Then he shoots me that trademark I’m-the-biggest-douchebag-in-the-world smile at me again. “Good news, Lonz. I’ve got a job for you. And my brother Johnny says he’ll pay you handsomely if you could just do us one little family favor.”

“No.”

“Dude. You didn’t hear the favor yet.”

“No.”

Quint walks back up to us, shrugging with his hands. “Sorry. I tried.”

Jesse looks at him for a moment, confused, then back at me. “Listen, Lonz—”

“My name is Alonzo.”

“Right. OK. I can see that we’re not yet on nickname terms, Alonzo. And I didn’t come down here for business, but that was my brother Johnny on the phone and we need you to do us this favor.”

Quint puts a hand up. “What favor?”

Jesse smiles at him, then me. “You remember Johnny’s friend Chek and Chek’s daughter Wendy? They were at the Christmas party at the Bossy.”

I do. But. Not sure I want to admit that. Because I’m pretty sure that Chek dude is some kind of hired killer or something. And no one who ever looks little twelve-year-old Wendy in the eyes ever mistakes her for a kid. There’s just… something wrong with her. It’s like looking at Medusa. Those blue eyes of hers. They’re… creepy. That’s the only way to describe them. Just fucking creepy.

“Anyway. Chek and Wendy are out on a little island about thirty miles southeast of here and need a ride home. I told Johnny we’d be happy to go pick them up.”

“No.”

Jesse pauses, not exactly deflated, but you can just tell he’s recalculating on the fly. “OK. Then... can I borrow your boat?”

“No.”

“Can you call Luke and ask him if I can borrow his boat?”

“No.”

“Does Tony have a boat? He does, right?”

“No.”

“Dude.” Jesse throws up his hands. “Can you just work with me here? Johnny never asks me for favors. This is like a big deal in our brotherly relationship. He’s reaching out for help and if I don’t take his hand and pull him to safety, I’ll never get asked again.”

“No.”

Jesse looks at Quint. “Do you have a boat?”

“No.”

“I’m not talking to you, Lonz.” He snarls my name and I know I’m pushing his buttons. But eh. I kinda like winding Jesse up. He’s always so goddamn happy. So fucking unaffected. “And hey, if you don’t want to help a brother out, that’s fine. I’ll rent a boat. I’ll go alone. When Emma calls asking where I am, just tell her you let me go on a rescue mission in the middle of the ocean. By myself.”

Quint and I trade looks. This one is like a whole conversation in the span of three seconds.

Quint is saying: He could get hurt.

I’m saying: So?