Page 29 of Bullet
I was also officially being voted in as Vice President.
“Don’t say stupid shit,” I griped.
“It must be going well,” Avery said, then he looked over at Seneca. “He wouldn’t be acting like this if it wasn’t going well.”
A brief period of eye contact between Avery and Seneca had them both blushing lightly and I furrowed my brow. A pettier person could deflect easily if they wanted, but I had no interest in involving myself in someone else’s romantic life. If there was something between them, good for them.
“So, you’ve never really dated women before?” Seneca asked.
“I have,” I replied. “Just not seriously or for an extended period of time.”
“There was this girl in college,” Avery started, and I rolled my eyes, knowing where the story was going. “She wascrazyabout him. Beautiful, smart, funny. He took her out on a handful of dates and then ended it with her. He told her, to her face, that it just wasn’t worth it.” He started laughing and slamming his hand on the table, but Seneca was looking at him like he was a swamp monster. Finally, she threw me a disgusted look, threw him one, and then got up and left the table. He watched her walk away, all the humor fading from his face. “What did I say?”
“I’m the one who doesn’t deal with women, how areyouso clueless?” I asked.
“I’m not clueless, I just don’t know why that story mademelook bad,” he replied.
“Maybe because you thought it was so damn funny.” I took a sip of my soda. “Which I’ve told you isn’t. Multiple times. You should stop telling it.”
He looked truly disappointed that he’d upset Seneca. “I guess so.”
“Gentlemen!” Nick announced as he entered the bar, then he looked at Seneca. “And lady, we’ve got a packed day ahead of us, so let’s not waste any time.”
“He says that likeheisn’t the one who’s over an hour late,” Small Fry grumbled to Texas.
“First of all, I heard that,” Nick said, “second of all, yes, I’m late. I overslept because for the first time in months, I’m actually sleeping, so fucking sue me.”
“Nah, that’s great, Squared. You seem a little better,” Bucky said, slapping a hand on Nick’s shoulder.
Now that he mentioned it, Nick did look better. The sallow quality his face had taken on was thickening out, and he’d gone back to being cleanly shaven. A cut had his hair sitting shorter on his head, and his clothes were starting to fit well again. Not only was he getting more sleep, but he appeared to be eating normally again as well.
Almost as if he could read my thoughts, he looked over at me. “I have Bullet to thank for that.”
That took me aback. “Me? I didn’t do anything.”
“You did,” Nick said. “You accepted my offer and now when I can’t sleep at night, it’s from excitement of what we’re gonna turn this club into. I just know it, Bullet, we’re gonna take the Steel Knights to the next level. I can’t wait, but first things first, members, let’s head back. We’ve got some voting to do.”
The members gathered from their different spots across the bar, bidding the prospects adieu as they did, and then we made our way back to Nick’s rounded table in the back. There were more chairs around the table now, as a majority of the Steel Knights’ current members had been promoted to some officered position, but a few people still had to stand. Nick pulled out his gavel, and the new Secretary, Small Fry, called an official meeting to order.
“There’s only one matter on the agenda today, boys,” he said, looking across at me. “I’d like to formally nominate Harry “Bullet” Booth to the position of Vice President.”
Avery stuck his hand in the air immediately. “Seconded.”
Seth’s hand went in the air next. “Third.”
And one by one, all of the members of the club unanimously voted to promote me to Vice President. The bright look on Nick’s face was enough that Ihadto smile as he announced, “So moved. Bullet, you are hereby designated to the position of Vice President, effective immediately. Congratulations!”
The members all started to clap and somewhere between humility and discomfort, I nodded my head in thanks and remained quiet.
“I believe that’s all we had to cover today. We’ve got the prospect stuff this evening. Bucky, I’ll need you and Bullet’s help with that, but we can discuss that later. For now, I’d like some time alone with my new Vice President if we have nothing else?” No one else brought anything up, so Nick knocked his gavel on the table. “Great! Meeting adjourned then.”
The members took their time filing out, each of them shaking my hand, patting me on the back, or fist-bumping me as they exited, and eventually it was just Nick and me.
I looked across at Nick with a smile. “Thanks again, Nick. I’m gonna work hard, I promise.”
He let out a loud laugh. “For someone who resisted it for so long, I should be thanking you.”
“Why didn’t you just let it go?” I asked.
