The Tangled Web | Peter Parker

Chapter 37

I pulled my coat around my chest tighter, zipping it in an attempt to block the wind. There was a cold December breeze blowing through the city. I could smell the first hint of winter approaching. If we were lucky, it would snow soon.

I gripped the straps of my backpack as I looked both ways before carefully crossing the street, jogging slightly to beat a taxi that was barreling down the road a block away. I exhaled a puff of hot air, watching the steam cloud in front of my face before I searched for my new friend. He said he would meet me here. I'm at the right park, right?

My eyes scanned over the few people scattered throughout the park, finally landing on a man wearing a grey beanie that covered his distinctively long blonde hair. His face lit up when he saw me, a smile beaming on his face as he lifted his hand into the air waving energetically.

I chuckled, shaking my head a few times as I made my way over to the park bench he was sitting on. "Thanks for meeting me," I sighed while smiling as I sat next to him on the bench.

"Of course," Foggy boasted, leaning toward me to nudge my shoulder with his. "How could I say no to my new favorite informant?"

I couldn't help but let a laugh escape my lips. "So, um," I said, lowering my voice slightly, "How do these things usually go?"

"What do you mean?" Foggy asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Like, do I just hand you the papers? Or do I give them to you discreetly?" I questioned, biting nervously on my lower lip. "Or do I leave them in my bag on the ground next to you and walk away? Or-"

"Oh my god. You're adorable," Foggy snickered, shaking his head. "No, no. Just, uh, just hand me the papers and that's that."

"Really?" I asked, eyeing him skeptically.

"Yep," he nodded, raising his eyebrows. "It's pretty simple."

I scoffed and furrowed my eyebrows as I bent down to retrieve the stack of legal papers from my backpack. "Eddie always made it seem like it was way more complicated than that."

"Well, Eddie's an idiot," Foggy stated as he took the thick stack from my hands. He quickly glanced up to meet my knowing stare. "No offense."

"None taken," I smiled, shaking my head.

"So we're in agreement then. Good, good," Foggy nodded, staring at the papers in his lap. "He never exactly called me to meet up with him just to have me look over some paperwork for him."

"That's surprising," I admitted, crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to stay warm as I leaned against the back of the bench. "You mean to tell me Eddie's never gotten into legal trouble since you've known him? That would explain why you two are always so secretive with your meetings."

"I plead the fifth," Foggy grumbled, trying to hide the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I'm doing this as a favor to a friend, without expecting anything in exchange, so we don't have to be discreet about handling things."

"Okay, good. That's a relief," I exhaled, closing my eyes. "Wait, really?" I asked turning my head to stare at him quizzically. "You're not expecting anything in return? That doesn't seem fair to you."

"Dude," Foggy laughed, shaking his head. "This is the first time you've actually asked me to do something for you," he stated, raising his eyebrow. "Consider it a free pass. Complimentary consulting," he nodded, trying his best to sound serious. "On the house."

"Thanks, Foggy," I smiled, pressing my lips together as I shyly stared at my shoes.

"Anytime, sunshine," Foggy taunted, wiggling his eyebrows before he nudged my shoulder playfully. He chuckled quietly to himself before exhaling loudly as he skimmed through the Connors Interview Agreement papers. "Woah," he sighed, lifting his hand to scratch his forehead. "This is a lot more complex than I thought it was going to be. Anne is good."