《After Dark》Chapter 23
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Eliza and William re-emerged from the room hot and bothered. Eliza especially seemed flustered, as though she went for a jog around the block and now she was gasping for air. William attempted to look cool, calm and collected, but couldn't hide the blush from his pale skin.
"You guys are back." Herbert smiled at the two. But when Eliza walked across the room to Bessie, his smile turned into a scowl toward William. "I was beginning to wonder what was happening in there."
"Can't disclose that. I respect the lady's privacy." William said.
"Eliza's probably the only lady you've made acquaintance with." Herbert mentioned, causing William to look dead at him.
"Alright. How about we play a game?" Bessie clapped her hands. "Cut some of the tension in here."
"I don't play games." William took a seat, then put a cigar between his lips. He looked up at Herbert who was staring at him. Then opened his cigar case and motioned toward Herbert. "Want a smoke?"
"I'm good." Herbert answered. "I'd rather partake in this game Bessie's talking about."
"Seems like something a guy like you would do." William said through his teeth that clutched the cigar. "You being the way you are."
"Now what is that supposed to mean?" Herbert turned toward William. Eliza placed her hand's on Herbert's back.
"Now, let's calm down." Eliza said. "We can settle and choose a game to play."
"What's that game you have that I absolutely love?" Bessie asked.
"Billy Whiskers!" Eliza remembered, then she turned to Herbert. "Oh, it's great fun. You turn a little arrow then make your way around the board. First person to reach the end wins!"
"Sounds great!" Herbert smiled, then rubbed his hands together. "Let's begin."
All of them sat on the floor as they played the game. They all laughed together as they moved across the board. William stared at Herbert especially while they played. Herbert took glimpses at William too, while he laughed along with Eliza he took glee in having her full attention.
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It got to the point where William couldn't stand it any longer. He stood up and walked over to them. "Got room for one more?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, William. But we've already begun the game. We're too deep in." Eliza looked up at him. Silently she was glad she was spending time away from him. It gave him less of a chance to reel her back into his world.
And she enjoyed Herbert. She enjoyed that he seemed to like the things that she did. That he was an intellectual. He was everything a girl could dream of. But if that were truly so, why did she constantly find herself stuck on William?
There was a honk outside of Eliza's building. Connor and Bunny both sat at her kitchen table. They looked out of her window to find that the honk in particular came from a police car. And that police car was parking right in front of the building.
"Shit. They must know we're here." Bunny observed. "How did they find us?"
"We don't know if they're exactly coming here." Connor said as he watched the police car. But then the cops began getting out. "They very well might be."
"Is she a snitch?" Bunny looked to Eliza. Connor thought to himself, then realized their mistake.
"They must've connected her to us when she got into that jam a while back." Connor said. "They must've known we'd hide out here."
Bunny began getting particularly nervous. "Uh, William?"
William looked over to Bunny and Connor.
"Seems like we should get going." Bunny told him.
"I'm not going anywhere." William mumbled as he walked over to the men at the table. He took his stub of a cigar and put it out in the ashtray. That's when he looked out the window and saw the cops heading into the building. "Shit!"
Herbert looked up at William after his profanity. "I apologize on his behalf, ladies."
"You're such a gentleman". Bessie smile.
"We've got to get going, Eliza." William told her. Bunny began running to the front door, which tested William's patience. "Bunny, get your ass back here! We need to go out the fire escape."
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"They'll be coming up the stairwell." Connor elaborated. "Come on, we've got to go."
Connor opened the window and went out onto the fire escape. Bunny followed suit. William was about to hop out, but stopped. "I'll be right down, fellas."
"What are you doing!?" Bunny angrily asked.
William walked over to Eliza, Herbert and Bessie. "You guys have to get going too."
"Why? We're not the ones who have problems with the cops." Eliza answered.
"Problems with the cops?" Herbert asked as he looked at both Eliza and Bessie.
"If they come up here, they can question you." William told her.
"Not without a warrant." Eliza reminded William.
"How do you know they don't have a warrant?" He asked. "Eliza, come on. All of you!"
"I don't know about you guys but I just got myself into trouble recently. I'm out of here!" Bessie stood up. "You should probably come too, Eliza."
Eliza looked to Herbert, then looked to William. After rolling her eyes she stood. They all began going to the front door, but William redirected them.
"We've got to go out the fire escape. You don't want anybody seeing us." William told them. They changed their direction over to the kitchen, where they'd crowd around the window.
Connor and Bunny had already begun making their way down. William moved the kitchen table aside so they'd have more room. Bessie was the first to step out, she held Herbert's hand as he helped hoist her up.
"Can this old fire escape hold us all?" She asked. "Looks like it's from the Victorian age."
"We better hope it does." William answered. Herbert held out his hand to helped Eliza step out next, but William quickly went to the other side of her to hold her other hand. The two held onto her hands tightly as she stepped out. Then both Eliza and Bessie began making their way down the stories of the fire escape.
Herbert waited a while before going out the window. "Listen man, I don't know you very well. But from what I can see you've got a lot going on. More than Eliza deserves. She needs someone stable. Someone who doesn't have to run from the police."
"She doesn't need a Mr. Grundy like you either." William answered. Then there was a knock at the door.
"Police, open up." They said.
"I don't know about you but I'm out of here." William told Herbert as he made his way out the window. Herbert wasn't too far behind, politely shutting Eliza's window behind him.
Eventually they caught up with the rest of the people who all stood on the sidewalk. Connor was upset with William.
"Where were you?" Connor asked.
"I exchanged a few words." William put his hands up in defense.
"You ladies should come with me." Herbert placed his hands on the backs of both Eliza and Bessie in an attempt to lead them to his car.
"Oh no you don't. Eliza, come with me." William called after her.
Eliza stopped in her tracks at the sound of William's calling her, almost automatically. She looked back at him longingly, despising the effect he had on her. Herbert took her hand and began pulling her in his direction.
"Come on, my car's this way." Herbert told her.
"Lovebug, please." William said breathlessly, as though he was begging. In the heat of the moment without much thought, Eliza broke Herbert's grasp on her. She immediately ran to William and hugged him.
He held her close, his eyes shutting as they embraced. Then he glimpsed up at her apartment, holding onto her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "Let's go."
"Where are you taking me?" Eliza asked as William held her hand. They both began running to his car.
"I don't know where, but wherever it is we'll be together." William answered.
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