What’s up, Lex? Why do you want to talk about Rick? After all this time, that’s what you want to talk about? Fine. I can tell you what I know, but I’m telling you right now, Alex and Jo could tell you a whole lot more about the man. So, it all started after you’d left. Four years ago, about. This was while Dad was going through his surgeries, so we were short-staffed, and I was in charge. Dad was trying to keep it quiet so no one would worry. Don’t tell anyone, alright?
Anyways, Rick stopped by the bar early. Or late, depending on who you ask. It was around six in the morning on like a Wednesday and I was asleep. Mostly. You know what its like when you’re working that much. You just kind of sleep when you can, as much as you can. He used the spare key to come in, and walked in. Instead of seeing me or stealing anything, he knocked on Dad’s door. There was no answer, because he was at Pete’s for round the clock care. Instead of leaving, he waited. Thirty minutes later, I shot awake and slowly walked out of my room. That’s when I first met Rick. He looked up, saw me, and averted his eyes for politeness’s sake. I asked him, “Who are you? Why’re you here?”
Keeping his eyes averted, he answered me carefully, “The name’s Rick. And I’m here to talk to some guy named Jim.” I laughed, because that wasn’t an answer and because it was clear how new the guy was. He looked curiously at me, then averted his eyes again. “What?”
“Sorry, that’s not the right reaction, is it?” I replied, “It’s just, you’re lying to me.”
He shrugged. “Life taught me not to trust strangers. And I don’t know you.”
“I’m Linda. What did you want from my dad?”
He closed his eyes and chuckled. “I was worried my info was off. Boss hasn’t been here in a minute.”
“You didn’t answer me,” I said slowly.
Rick shrugged at me. “A place to stay, maybe something to keep me busy. I can pay rent.”
I nodded, a smile slowly coming onto my face. As I’ve mentioned, I really needed some extra help. “Wait here, I’ll put on some clothes.” I walked back into my room, pulled on a sundress, and returned. The man hadn’t moved an inch. “Come on,” I said, gesturing for him to follow.
Rick stood up and followed me. I could tell he wasn’t sure what was happening. “Where’s Jim at?” he asked as we walked down the stairs.
I looked back at him, not stopping my descent. “Not here right now. Don’t tell anyone. How’d you know where the spare was?”
We reached the basement. He shrugged again. “Boss told me when he told me about this place.”
I opened up the spare room’s door. There were only so many people not in town who knew where the spare lay hidden. I didn’t know who it was, but I was hopeful. “Mikey?” I asked him. He stopped walking and furrowed his brow. Only for an instant, but that was enough to tell me that Rick had no idea who Mikey was. “Never mind,” I added, “SO, how do you like the room?”
He smiled. “It’ll do. What do I owe you?”
I laughed. “It’s hardly anything. In fact, if you want to help out around the bar, it’ll more than pay for the rent. Dad would kill me otherwise.”
He nodded and put down his backpack. “This’ll do. Actually, this is nicer than my place in New York. You sure?”
“I’m horrendously overworked right now. Your help’ld be invaluable.”
Rick laughed and settled in for the morning, and I let him be. He didn’t do anything, just kept to himself, really. You know me, I’m not one to talk or hear gossip. But I did hear that he and Alex were close. That combined with his previous knowledge made me assume his so-called boss was either you or Jo. Didn’t know which though. Given what happened last time you were in town, I kinda assume you both have that sort of friend, you know? Not that I believe any of the gossip, though. Because I don’t listen to that stuff. I figured I was going to confirm it with the guy when I saw your girl Liv basically stalking the man. No offense or nothing, but you and her could never keep secrets. Not from each other. So that meant it was definitely Jo’s friend. I locked that away for a moment.
I figured I’d ask about what was going on, but I didn’t want to pressure the guy. He was too important for my sleep cycle to lose. Not while Jim was finishing up recovery. So instead, I went to the stalker first. Or, more specifically, as I was deciding who to talk to first, she came to me. For a drink, I mean. As I got her drink ready, I asked, “So, why’re you watching Rick?”
She, of course, refused to actually answer me. You know how Liv can get. “He’s cagey, I’m curious.”
I shot her a questioning look about that lack of an answer, the posited a simple question. “And what if I just told him that you’re watching him?”
She gave me a smug look. The one that says I’m-me-and-you’re-you. “Like he’d believe you. After all, I’m a respectable figure in the local community. How would I ever learn to spy on someone?” By this time, I’d finished the drink, and, with a groan, I handed it to her. As I got myself ready to ask something more, she just walked away on me. It wasn’t like I could follow, either. I had to man the bar. I figured I wasn’t going to be able to get anything else from her anyways.
Taking a five-minute break to quote-unquote smoke, I went into the backroom and tapped Rick on the shoulder. He looked up at me. “Yo, what’s up?”
I sighed. It didn’t matter whether or not he believed me, telling him was the right thing to do. “I know it’s not my place to say anything, but I wanted to warn you. I’m pretty sure Liv has been tailing you. For a while now, if I’m right.”
He chuckled. “You’re right. I’m pretty sure she’s been looking into me for a day or two now. Aleksandr was too open and made her curious, I think.”
That was surprising. Not the Alex thing. Alex couldn’t keep a secret if the fate of the world depended on it. But the fact that he knew. He was definitely more observant than I gave him credit for, you know. I shrugged. “Well, just wanted to make sure you were aware.” Then, looking around, I added, “Welp, I was definitely expecting that to take longer. I actually have time to get a smoke in.” Tapping a cigarette out from the pack, I started to head outside.
Rick stopped me. “You know those’ll kill you,” he told me abruptly.
Slightly insulted at the implication and generally snarky, I snapped back with a joke that was definitely in poor taste. “Sure, I’ll take safety advice from the wanted criminal.” I instantly regretted saying it, but when something like that comes out of your mouth, you can’t take it back, you understand.
“What?” he said, shifting his grip on the mop slightly. I got the feeling he could probably do some real damage, even with our crappy plastic thing.
The conversation was going to take up my entire break, I remember thinking disappointedly. Slowly, I pushed the cig back into the pack. “I’m sorry, but I’m not an idiot.” Again, not the best phrasing, I know, but in my defense, I had just realized I wasn’t going to be smoking during my smoke break.
“How so?” he asked, not relaxing his grip at all.
I sighed. Deeply. Rather than holding anything back, I decided to lay my cards on the table and see where everything fell down. “You knew where the key was, meaning you knew someone who was once here, but isn’t any longer. Rather than wait around for opening time, you specifically went inside immediately. Only way that happens is if you’ve gotten being on the street ingrained in you as a problem. My ex has this saying, ‘People come to Serendipity for one of two reasons: Because they want to find something, or because they want to make sure nothing finds them.’ You said you were here to lay low, which means something’s looking for you. I’ve heard that you talk to Alex, which means two people could be you’re so called ‘boss’. Liv doesn’t know who you are, though, which means you’re a friend of Jo’s. Jo’s too smart to let his friends get in trouble with the rest of the criminal underworld, which means you’re a wanted criminal. How am I doing?”
I honestly didn’t know what to expect. There was equal likelihood in my head that he would try to put me in a coma or would just break down and confess to everything. Instead of those two extremes, he took a third. He let out a hearty and honest laugh. “Shit,” he said, “I definitely underestimated you.”
I smiled and shrugs. “The cleavage’ll do that,” I joked.
He loosened his grip on the mop. “If you say so. I was going to go with the general trusting nature you presented, or my innate prejudice against you rural types, but let’s say the cleavage is what caused it.”
I laughed along with him for a moment, then stopped myself. “To be fair,” I clarified, “Serendipity isn’t your normal rural town.”
“You think I can’t tell?” he burst out, still laughing. “I mean, you dress like it’s 1972, the doctor all but wears one of those beaks, your sheriff is straight out of a western, and your bar quite literally has saloon doors.”
“Don’t forget the free Wi-Fi and the electric cars everywhere,” I added.
“How could i? I’ve seen Ivan put an electric engine into a goddamned Model-T.”
We couldn’t stop ourselves from laughing. Looking up at the time, I realized my smoke break was over. Still laughing, I said, “Fuck. I gotta head back out there.” And I returned to the bar to finish out the shift.
We never addressed it again. He confronted Liv that evening, I’m pretty sure. Whatever happened, it wasn’t too disastrous. He stuck around for two weeks or so after that. During that time, dad was working again and, though he was still only at partial capacity, it was comforting to know I had even more of the load off of me, you know? The two of them talked some, and I’m pretty confident that dad agreed with my agreement with Rick. Then, one night around four, as I was getting ready to sleep after helping close up shop. Rick walked up to me and gave me a serious look and nod. I knew exactly what that meant. I smiled and nodded back. He wasn’t the type who wanted or needed a long goodbye. The next day when I woke up, he was already gone.
Why ask me about this, though, Lex? I’m sure you could get Alex to spill everything with a single, slightly disappointed look. Or Jo by just calling him and saying a couple words. Not that I don’t appreciate a chance to chat with my favorite ex-congressman. Next time, bring Olive with you, okay? Last time I saw her was back when she was a baby. Don’t you want me to help raise the next generation? I know it’s a bar, but does that really matter? I mean, it certainly didn’t stop her father when he was her age. Sorry, that was too much. Just, I feel like I’m missing out. Sorry, I got a tad rambley in there. You want something for the road? On the house.