“Hello?” said Charice. Her voice sounded lovely, even on the phone.

“It’s Sean.”

“I know that silly.”

“So about canceling the date earlier. I lied, I’m totally still available tonight. I’m hoping you are too?”

I was back at the apartment. Despite being mad at Rob, I had just killed my second monster ever. My heart was doing fist pumps, but my hands had dialed Charice’s number.

She giggled then said, “Um yeah. Except now I’m at my brother’s house. Would you be able to pick me up here instead?”

“Of course.”

“He’s kind of overprotective of me.”

I was already picking out a nice plaid button up and a newer pair of jeans.

“That’s cool. I get it.”

She spoke slowly as if she didn’t quite know how to say what came next. “And he’s kind of a gang banger, for real.”

My stomach felt weird. “Okay,” I said. My mind conjured an image of a tatted and man with swollen muscles. “Not sure how to take that. I don’t really have any affiliations with any gangs, so it should be cool right?”

“We’ll see,” she said. “My brother can be very particular about who I’m interested in.”

“Who am I taking out on a date? You, or him?”

I laid my clothes on my bed, then moved to the bathroom with a fresh towel. Rob was in the bathroom trying to dry off Tain after a bath, but not before Tain shook himself furiously. The hobgoblin wiped the dog-water from his grimacing face. I stifled a laugh, but on the phone Charice took it the wrong way.

“I’m just warning you Sean. You can’t say I didn’t give you a heads up. I love him, but he can be kind of a jerk.”

If he was a real gang banger, being a jerk was probably the least of his issues. “So is he an actual gang banger or does he just think he is? Like Malibu’s most wanted.”

“Malibu who?”

“Early 2000’s movie reference. Never mind.”

“Anyways,” she continued. “He’s done stuff that could get him put in prison, but he’s never been caught.”

Just great. Sluagh, hobgoblins, and gang bangers. My kinda Friday night.

“Okay, I said, “I’ll pick you up in an hour. Text me the address please.”

“Okay see you soon,” she said. I could hear the smile in her voice.

I hung up and began rummaging through my mirror for cologne.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Who’s that? I exited the bathroom to find Tain wagging his tail at the door and Rob hovering besides him. There was a knock on the door again, this time louder and more persistent.

“Swellfellow,” I said. “Cat. Now.”

He turned to a cat but remained hovering until I pointed at the ground.

“Are you sure you don’t want Salmon?”

“Shhh,” I said.

I looked through the peephole. Crap. My Landlord. What did she want now? It was always something with her. “Take Tain into Eddy’s room and close the door. Don’t come out. Don’t say anything,” I whispered to Rob. He nodded then resumed his form and led Tain away.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I opened the door. “Hiya Marg.” She hated that name. But I liked the Simpsons and it was short for Margret. Marge was a woman who had seen her prime, and even then she probably wasn’t too nice. She probably had lived a pretty hard and interesting life, if I ever cared to ask her about it. The problem was she was a real stickler for the rules, and even a toe on the line and she’d come-a-knocking-n-a-talkin’. But now it looked like she wanted to scream.

“Mr. O’Farrell. I hear you own pets now.”

“Who’d you hear that from?” I scowled.

“We don’t allow large dogs, and some of the tenants are deathly allergic to cats.”

“Well I don’t own any pets.” Which was perfectly true as I did not own Tain, and Rob was technically a shapeshifter. Except for right that moment Tain appeared at my side and began sniffing Marge. She cleared her throat.

“I’m dog sitting for my mom.”

“Really, because you know that if you own a dog, you have not given me a pet deposit.”

Tain lost interest in smelling Marge and moved over to a small patch of grass where he proceeded to start a bowel movement. Bad timing.

“Don’t worry. I’ll clean that up.”

Marge’s face changed colors and she crossed her arms.

“I’ll be dog sitting for a few days.”

Then another set of padded feet came up behind me. Rob looked up at Marge and meowed loudly.

“A few days O’Farrell. I’m counting.” She tapped her finger on her watch. She glared at me one more time and shook her head like I was some kind of totally incompetent dirt bag that she wanted to beat senseless.

I watched her go. I was hot. I wasn’t mad at her, per se. I mean she was kind of a jerk, but she got paid to be a jerk. Geez, when was I going to catch a break?

---

Charice’s brother was not what I expected.

When I pulled up to his house the garage door was open and he was there working on his Chevy Impala. It was a sweet ride. Candy Apple Red and in mint condition, at least on the exterior.

He sported a wife-beater that had once been white but was now dirty with car grease. He had on black baggy dickies and sneakers. He was shorter than me, skinny, and had no visible tats. Like his sister he was part Asian, part Hispanic. As a pulled into the driveway he was mean mugging me acting like he didn’t know I was coming over or who I was.

He walked over with a slow step and a shoulder lean in his posture. He took a long drag from his cigarette which he stowed behind his ear and blew smoke in my face as he leaned into my driver-side window. “Can I help you gringo? Why you all up in my driveway?”

“You’re Justin right? I was here to…”

He cut me off, “I don’t know you, bruh. You can’t just pull up in here acting like you know me white boy.”

I waved my hand to clear the smoke and tried not to cough. I did my best to mean mug him right back.

“I’m here to pick up Charice.”

He showed me teeth but he wasn’t smiling. “Nah, bruh. My sister is not going out with no white boy.”

“Well I don’t know what to tell you Justin. Your sister said to pick her up here.”

Justin eased off my car and was about to say something but the front door opened and Charice came running out with her purse over her shoulder. She wore a purple blouse, faded jeans with designer holes in them that fit her just right. Her hair was dark and thick and she had spent time curling it. She smiled at me waving and ran up to her brother and kissed his cheek.

“J, this is my friend Sean. Hi Sean,” she said waving again to me.

“You got all dressed up for this clown?” He jabbed a thumb at me, scowling at his sister.

“Watch your manners please. I know you love me but geez.” She walked around the hood of my car before I could get out and let her in. It would’ve been awkward anyways because Justin was blocking my door so I couldn’t really get out.

As Charice buckled herself in, Justin took another drag from his cigarette, this time blowing the smoke outside my car. He leaned in again. “Be nice, all right. If anything happens, I’ll hear about it.”

“Oh please,” said Charice.

“Nothing’s gonna happen, bruh,” I said in a gruff voice.

“You just keep your hands to yourself gringo.” He reached in and patted me hard on the chest several times.

“Don’t worry.” I made a fist. “Only D-bags catch these hands.”

I winked at him and smirked. Before he could respond I threw it in reverse and peeled out of the driveway down the street.

Charice and I didn’t speak until we got to a stop sign. “Sorry about that,” I said awkwardly.

“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “My brother can be a jerk sometimes. He doesn’t mean any harm. He’s mostly talk.”

“It’s okay.” But it wasn’t. I gripped the steering wheel hard, scowling pretty bad. I inhaled deep breath through my nose and tried to calm myself.

Her hand slid over mine.

“I’m sorry Sean.”

Suddenly all the anger melted away and was replaced by a warmness that made me smile. “I’m hungry. You want to eat now, or later?”

“I’m starving!”

That smile, that face. I could look at it all day. Beautiful. All I could do was sigh.

“So where are we going?”

“Do you like Vietnamese food?”