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Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll
MaineWriter:
Good morning, re-readers,
Today, chapters 21-25:
http://louisev.livejournal.com/55414.html
A little PDA from Ellery and Ennis didn't seem to mind...
Ellery hung up and moved slowly to his feet, shuffling out to the bar. “Hey Chief, what’s wrong, you hurt yer back again?”
Ellery gave Ennis a quick glance, which he avoided. “Best not ta go inta details. I bring this shit on myself mostly.”
“Right Chief,” Dupree said, closing his mouth quickly.
“Now the rambunctious ones, they’re just lookin ta get attention, is how I figure, so I just give em a cold look. That way they know if they go further, I might stand up. With those kinda boys I don’t ever need ta stand up, see, because they know the line. The line is always starin em right in the face,” Ennis said.
“Right. Basic psychology, I can see that.”
“Don’t ever let em irritate you or make you raise yer voice or you end up with a crowd heckling ya an ya might as well just go home by then, place’ll be calmer without ya. I seen this a thousand times sittin in bars over the years.”
Dupree grinned. “So that’s how you get all this wisdom, eh Ennis…? Yer a barfly.”
“Yep. Used ta drink beers an watch the rowdies get drunk an get kicked out one by one. Good bouncer’ll remind em a the line before they go too far or start throwin punches.”
Ellery slipped an arm around Ennis’s shoulder. “An Ennis here keeps em calm don’t ya?”
“Hope so,” Ennis mumbled, looking down into his beer.
L
MaineWriter:
More from Chapter 21:
“I thought after last night I might not have a job,” Rudy said, looking uneasily at Ellery.
“Oh, how’s that?”
“Cause a Ennis an Gabe.”
“Did ya do anythin wrong Rudy?” Ellery asked, not taking his eyes off Rudy’s face.
“I took a kind a long break out back.”
“You left Lauren alone with a bar full a thirsty men. He is overworked, I ain’t payin em to do your job while you have a lip lock with some guy from outta town who gets ya hard. If yer gonna show up ta work, work. If ya want ta go off an fuck you got ta call in for that. That’s also why I’m getting a new assistant tender, so all a you guys can have some more flexibility in yer schedule if you need it.”
“Right. I’m sorry about that. I got a little carried away. This thing with Chuck…”
“This thing with Chuck has got you makin out with customers in the back? Come on Rudy, how old are you, fifteen?”
Rudy smiled, blushing. “Ya you got a point there. You had somethin with this Gabe before huh?”
“If you could call it a somethin. It was somethin but I wouldn’t say it was much of a somethin. I don’t give a fuck about that. What I do care about is men are not allowed ta bring loaded weapons in or flash em in the bar. From what Ennis said he made some smart comment about settlin arguments with guns an that is not gonna go down here with me. I want this ta be a peaceful bar, an I want you ta help keep it peaceful an do not cross Ennis if he throws somebody out, even if you are fuckin em.”
Rudy blushed again, looking down.
“So, you are fuckin em. Just keep that action outta the bar, Rudy. An I mean it. It pisses Ennis off, an frankly… it pisses me off, an not because I’m jealous. Because Gabe is somethin of an asshole. You’ll find that out in good time. You hear me?”
“Yeah. An… thanks for not jumpin ta conclusions, Ellery.”
“I’m a detective Rudy, I come ta my own conclusions.”
“Right.”
L
MaineWriter:
A serious moment comes up unexpectedly in Chapter 22:
After dinner, Ennis drove Ellery back home, helped him get his brace on and return to bed since he was definitely sagging. He lay with Ellery for a while, as they waited for his second Percodan to kick in.
“You think I done the right thing, hirin Dupree an Jim?”
“Dupree for sure, he’s a sensible boy an I like em.”
“An Jim?”
Ennis shrugged, trying not to look at Ellery.
“What about em Ennis?”
“It’s yer bar.”
“Well, no, I thought I had gotten around ta tellin you that I think of it as part yer bar too Ennis.”
“I don’t own it, I am just helpin you out an payin part a my rent, Ellery.”
Ellery brought a long hand up and touched it lightly against Ennis’s cheek. “I think of us as partners, Ennis. An partners is… partners. I ain’t got nobody but you, an I want ta share my life with you, an that means sharin what I got.”
“Ellery we only been together…”
“That don’t matter Ennis. I never felt this way about Bill an we was together four years more or less. I want you ta be my partner… in every way. Ta share everythin.”
“Shit Ellery… I… I don’t know what ta say…”
“Say you ain’t gonna bolt out the door an drive off in a cloud a smoke cause I just scared ya witless.”
“Okay, I ain’t.” Ennis’s face was flushed, however, and he looked anxious, even frightened. “You… sure?”
“Sure I’m sure, Ennis. Have I told ya lately that I love ya?”
“Yeah, last night after the blowjob.”
Ellery smirked. “Oh yeah. Well I love ya, Ennis.”
Ennis leaned over and pressed his lips softly against Ellery’s cheek. “I love you too, darlin. Feel better. We can talk about it later, okay? I got ta go.”
Ellery nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. By the time Ennis pulled on his boots and denims, he was already nodding off. Ennis gave him another soft kiss on the cheek, which made him stir slightly, but he did not wake.
L
MaineWriter:
Obviously, Ennis took the partner comment seriously. More from Chapter 22:
“So yer Ellie Mae’s new buck, huh?” Gabe said, deliberately situating himself on the stool Ennis had risen from.
Ennis did not reply, but moved down the bar. Gabe got up and followed, standing much too close as Ennis sat back down. “Can I help you with somethin?” he said, voice low, irritated but controlled.
“I asked you a question Del Monte.”
“The name is Del Mar,” Ennis replied, speaking through his teeth.
“So it is.” Gabe was still grinning nastily.
“An Ellery asked you nicely ta refer ta him by name at the time as well. If you come in here ta stir shit up or ta piss me off I’ll get yer pistols for ya an ya can go find another bar with some other guys in it ta pick on.”
“I came here ta talk ta you, Ennis Del Mar. Yer Ellery’s new buck then.”
“Partner.”
“Oh partner is it? Does that mean ya switch off? When I came round last year it was pretty much always him on the bottom, or have his tastes changed since then?”
Ennis got up from his stool. “Yer buggin me, Blackwell. So you’d best go.”
“I think maybe we’d just best step outside, seein as how we’re equivalently armed.”
“Why is that?”
“Cause I got a bone ta pick with you about embarrassin me in this bar in front a someone I respect.”
“That’s too bad. I think you had just better go,” Ennis said tightly, and nodded to Dupree.
L
MaineWriter:
Chapter 23:
He pointed subtly with his glass. “That... is Lang, an he’s got a new boy. Careful, Leon’ll slap ya if ya get too close, he’s what the boys around here call a little bitch. Only boy I ever known who really deserves the moniker if ya ask me.”
Dupree chuckled. “How long you been around here? You really seem ta know these folks.”
Ennis shrugged. “Only so many queers in Laramie, Dupree, they show up over an over.”
“That’s true. You think this Gabe fella is gonna come back an stir things up?”
“Gee I dunno, but if Rudy calls an wakes Ellery up he is gonna get a piece a my mind.” Jim set the plate of nachos down for the bikers, setting out napkins, a welcoming smile on his face, and Ennis heard him introducing himself.
“Oh he’s a friendly one all right, looky there. Can you see him bein a bouncer here?”
“Nah. Too touchy feely is my view.”
“Bartender, cook, maybe.” Ennis turned away as one of the bigger men reached around Jim and patted his snugly clothed rear with a wide hand, giving his ass a squeeze. “Ain’t no one’d try that on me.”
“Cept Ellery.”
“He never done that. Not before we was...” Ennis suddenly turned brick-red. “He knows I ain’t into that public affection stuff.”
“What are you talkin about, Ennis?” Dupree said, looking frankly amazed. "He came out a the office today an threw his arm right around you an you didn’t even flinch! An right in front a me an Rudy too!”
“He did?”
Dupree nodded. “See, yer so used to it you don’t even notice anymore.”
“Wow, guess not.”
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