Somewhere // Spot Conlon

Chapter 10.

Evan, Fletcher, Charles, and Spot seem to be getting along nicely. But ever since dessert, Bennett has been staring at the door like Cosette is going to walk through. Just waiting.

Suddenly, some knocks on the door and the talking stops mid sentence. Everyone looks at someone else, but Bennett stares at me. I slowly get up and walk to the door. I stand on my tiptoes to see through the small peephole. I groan loudly.

"Who is it, Al?" Evan asks.

"It's that dirty rotten, O-"

Oscar Delancey swings the door open.

"Oscar! What a surprise!" I say sarcastically.

I hate this man with everything in my body. Bennett's wanted me to marry him or his brother for a year. Since it's legal for girls to get married at fourteen, and I'm fifteen. For every one step he takes forward, I take one back.

"Isn't it though? I'm just full of surprises."

My back hits against the lamp, by the full length mirror. He starts licking his teeth, just right there in front of me. I gag at him as Evan tries to hold in a laugh.

"You know Allyson, there's not a girl in town who wouldn't want to be in your shoes."

I roll my eyes, no one would marry a Delancey, unless forced.

"This is the day your dreams come true."

He throws himself down on our small sofa.

"And what do you know about me and my dreams?"

"Picture this," he puts his disgusting, muddy, dirty shoes on top my book on the coffee table.

"May I have my book please?" I ask sweetly.

He takes it out from under his feet and starts to look at it," How can you read this there's no pictures?"

"People have things called imagination, you should try it sometime."

"It's not right for a woman to read. They start thinking, then they get ideas, it goes down hill from there."

He hands me back my book and kicks off his shoes. They smell like rotten eggs that have been sitting in the sun.

"Picture this, in our house, after I get home from work, my little wife massaging my feet. While the children play on the floor with the dogs. We'll have six or seven."

"Dogs?" I ask with fake hope.

Please don't be kids. Please don't be kids.

"No, Allyson! Strapping boys like me! Do you know who that little wife is?"

I hate that he's calling me little and his wife! He is about a foot taller than me. Spot's only about six inches taller than me. I walk over and put my book on the dusty wooden shelf as Oscar follows me.

"Let me think," I snap.

"It's you, Allyson," he pins me up against the wall and tries to kiss me.

"Delancey! Let the goil go," Spot walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder.

Oscar lets go of me and turns to Spot," Well, I have never seen the King of Brooklyn so dressed up."

Spot does look even more handsome with his hair slicked back and clean, new clothes. Oscar glances back and forth from me and Spot.

"Wait a second! You want me to stop touching her 'cause she's your girl, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is and I'se don't like ya treatin' 'er like dat."

Did he just call me his girl?

Oscar walks over to the door," Conlon, I'll have your girl as my wife, make no mistake of that."

He slams both doors behind him making the house shake. I slide down the wall, bringing my knees up to my chest, tears running down my face. Spot gently grabs my hands and pulls me up. He guides me over to my room.

"It's okay," he whispers over and over again in my ear.

He gently sits me on the bed after shutting the door behind us.

"Is he gone?" I sob.

Spot nods and sits down beside me. He cups my face and starts to brush away the tears with his thumb," Ya wanna go ta dah bridge?"

I nod my head and Spot leads me back. Fletcher, Evan, and Charles are yelling and scolding Bennett. I explain to Mother where Spot and I are going. She nods and lets us go out the front door. We walk down the dim street to the bridge.

"Can you imagine?" I ask sobbing," Me married to that boorish, brainless man?"

Spot says quiet until we reach the bridge.

"He could probably suppawht ya moah dan I'se could."

"I don't care about how much money you have, just if you make me happy."

Spot wraps his arm around my waist as we watch the sunset. Neither one of us talk. I finally stop crying and look up at him. He smiles down.

"Hey, Spot. Why'd you call me your girl at dinner?" I ask.

"Well, 'cause I'se like you'se. Ya beautiful, and smart."

He likes me! We fall back into silence for a couple minutes.

"Princess, do ya wanna be da Queen of Brooklyn?"

I gaze at him with my eyebrows furrowed.

"What I means is do ya wanna be me goil?" He asks.

I stay silent for a few seconds. Spot sighs and starts to head towards Brooklyn, leaving me.

"Spot! I never gave you an answer!" I yell at him," It's yes."

He runs back over and lifts me before spinning me in the air. When he sets me back down, his lips crash down on mine. I pull away and rest my head on his shoulder.

"I'se can't even remembah da last time I'se was dis happy, Princess."