“Late Night Business” – part 1

Adam stood on the back porch, debating on whether or not he should go inside or not. The house was dark and quiet, most likely Colin and Raine were both asleep. He looked at his watch – just past 12:30. Shit, he was much later than he’d told Raine he’d be; she’d be fuckin’ livid.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a joint, lit it up, then sat down on the steps – thinking as he smoked. Things were getting much worse down at the garage, as if they hadn’t been bad enough once Dob had entered the picture. And Dom was no dummy; Adam had noticed already that Dom was getting a bit suspicious. Colin would getting his cast off soon, would be coming back to work. Arthur, he could handle, but Dom and Colin were another story altogether. Hell, he didn’t want to get them involved in his shit, they were good blokes, but Dob had been more than clear with him about what he’d do if anyone got between him and his business.

And then there was Raine, his wife. He loved her, more than anything... as much as he could love, anyway. She had trusted him, trusted that he’d always be there for her, be a loving husband and take care of her the way a husband should take care of a wife. If she knew what he was involved in, if she knew the kind of person he really was, what he had done... hell, she wouldn’t hesitate to leave him, he knew that, and didn’t blame her if she did.

He took another hit off the joint, leaned his back against the porch railing and closed his eyes. He had to get out of there, he had to leave before anyone found out about him and Dob and...everything. What the fuck had he been thinking when he married Raine, anyway?! Did he honestly think he could ever have a normal life here? It would be better in the end if he just... left, disappeared again. Sure she’d be heartbroken, but at least she’d be alive and free of him and all his shit.

Adam gathered up all the courage he could, pushed himself up to his feet and stumbled down the porch steps towards his car. He rummaged around in his front pocket for the keys, finally found them just to drop them on the ground in front of him. He cursed to himself as he bent down to retrieve them and was startled by a gruff voice behind him asking, “Goin’ somewhere, lad?”

Adam quickly scrambled to his feet, his car keys clutched in his fist. “Dob...I...uh...I was just goin’ for a drive, clear my head a bit.”

“Get in,” Dob told him, opening his car door and motioning towards the driver’s seat.

“Where to?” Adam asked, worried. When Dob showed up out of the blue it was never a good thing.

“Just drive, I’ll fill you in while we’re on the road,” Dob snarled, shoving him into the car. Adam barely got his feet in before Dob slammed the door.

“Drive,” Dob snarled again, as he slid into the passenger seat.

Adam nodded, started the engine and peeled out down the road. Once they were clear of town, Adam cleared his throat, asked again, “You gonna tell me where we’re goin’ now?”

“Coffs,” Dob told him, “We got business there. Bloke’s meeting us at some bar... Crossings, I think it’s called. Know it?”

Adam nodded, “I been there before, yeah,” he said. Adam wanted to ask him more about what exactly they were going to be doing there, but was worried he may not like the answer. Best just to accept things as they come, he thought to himself.

They drove in silence for a while longer, when Adam’s cell phone suddenly rang. He tried to ignore it, figuring it was most likely Raine, wondering where he was and when he was coming home. He wasn’t prepared to face her yet, if ever. Finally, it went to voice-mail and Adam relaxed a bit, until it started to ring again.

“Answer yer fuckin’ phone, mate!” Dob told him, angrily. “Fuckin’ thing’s givin’ me a headache! Besides, could be business.”

Adam nodded, pulled out his phone, looked at the caller ID. Shit, it was Colin.

“Yeah?” Adam said into the phone.

“Mate?” Colin replied, “Where the fuck are you?”

Adam turned, looked at Dob, then back at the road. “I’m... um... a friend called, car broke down, needs a jump. Heading into Coffs to meet him.”

Colin was quiet a moment, then said, “Next time you might wanna call your wife and give her know what you’re up to. She’s been here crying all night, worried about you.”

“I... shit, sorry mate... tell her I’m... sorry. I thought she’d be asleep, didn’t want to wake her.”

“Mate... look, I saw you... on the porch... then leaving with that bloke,” Colin confessed, “I don’t know what you’re really doing or what you’re up to but if you don’t get your arse back here by morning don’t bother coming back. We clear?”

Adam sighed, “Yeah,” he replied softly.

“Good,” Colin told him, “See you then.”

“Yeah, later,” Adam said, then stuffed the phone back in his pocket as they pulled up in front of the bar and parked.

TBC...