Page 78 of College Town

He lets that sink in, and the Giacolettis trade glances before returning their attention to Tommy.

“What sort of amendment?” Stefan asks. He’s playing it cool, but Lawson can tell he’s interested.

“The product you’re selling is shit,” Tommy says. “It’s killing people at the kind of noticeable rate that’s going to bring down your whole operation. And when that happens, I know you’ll throw us into the shit, too.”

Sal smirks.

“Eastman can’t afford to be on the news anymore, for both our sakes. I know you’re buying your product cheap, and selling it high, and you’re pocketing more money that way. Here’s my proposition: you go back to your old supplier, you drop your current Eastman retailers, use Lawson instead, and I’ll pay the difference in profits.”

Lawson hears what he says.

And then he understands what he says.

The bottom drops out of his stomach.

Across the table, three sets of eyebrows lift.

“Dude,” Taylor says.

Sal says, “So let me get this straight. You want us to sell inyour town, and you’ll make up the financial difference on the product?”

“Yes.”

Lawson nudges Tommy’s foot and tries desperately to keep his mounting panic from showing on his face.

Stefan cracks a sharp laugh. “Why?”

Tommy sighs and massages at the back of his neck. He looks tense, and tired, and Lawson thinks most of it isn’t an act.

By contrast, his own heart is racing.

Tommy says, “When I say this is ‘my town,’ I mean it’s because it’s where I grew up.” He shrugs. “I’ve got a soft spot for it, and I don’t want to see it on the news with all of this. We can hammer out new deals about the other territories, but go back to Gino with what I just said and see what he thinks. In the long run, it can only benefit both of us.”

~*~

They don’t stay for lunch, thank God. Frank orders a round of whiskey for everyone to seal the deal – one that’s still a little up in the air, but which is so sweet the Giacolettis would be stupid not to take – and Lawson throws his back in one long swallow, and nearly brings it right back up.

He manages to make it out to the car before he starts hyperventilating. He grips the armrest tight and hangs his head between his knees. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…”

“See?” Frank says as he clambers into the very back. “I knew he couldn’t hack it.”

A door slams, and then a hand lands between his shoulder blades, rubbing firm circles. Through the whistling scream ofwhat the fuckin his head, he’s distantly aware of warm breath against the side of his face. “Hey,” Tommy says, very close, as the engine cranks and the car starts to move. He’s kneeling in the gap between the seats, Lawson can see from the corner of his eye. “Hey, it’s okay. You did great in there.” More firm circles over his spine. “Just breathe. You did it. The worst part’s over.”

“The worst – are you fucking kidding me?” Lawson chokes out, and lifts his head. The car sways around him.

Tommy looks adorable and ridiculous, wedged between the seats, the knees of his nice pants grinding into the floor mats. His eyes threaten to swallow his whole face, puppy-dog sad and deeply concerned. If Lawson wasn’t about to hurl or pass out, he’d ask if he could take a picture of him like this.

“Hey, no,” he says. “It’s gonna be okay.” His hand slips up to cup the back of Lawson’s neck, warm and heavy, fingertips sliding into the freshly-shorn hair at his nape. “You can do this.”

“Do what? Fuckingsell drugs?”

Tommy’s mouth turns down in a near-cartoonish frown. “Lawson–”

“I am notselling drugs, Tommy! Fuck!”

Tommy has the gall to look wounded. “It wouldn’t be permanent.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll only sell drugs temporarily. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

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