I walked up Mansfield, cut east and made for the big red Las Palmas Market. I could have just gone up Melrose from the shop and gotten the smokes from the gas station at La Brea, but everythings cheaper at the Market. Save some money on Chevs smokes and thered be enough for a soda and some gum. Chev cant ask for change I dont have.

Well, he can, but I cant give it to him. So that gets us both off the hook.

Coming back to Melrose with the smokes, I saw the girl coming out of the shop, Chev holding the door open, thumbing the digits of her phone number into his cell. I stood there and watched him watch her ass as she walked to the 2008 Z her mommy and daddy bought for her. She climbed in and waved and pulled into traffic and Chev held up his phone. Ill call.

I waved at her as I crossed the street and she punched it and almost ran me over.

Chev laughed and I walked past him and into the shop.

– Jailbait.

He let the door swing shut and caught the pack of smokes I tossed him.

– Asshole.

– Total jailbait.

He stripped the cellophane from the pack.

– Just turned eighteen. Her folks gave her the car as a birthday present.

– Bull. They gave her that car as a bribe to keep her from dropping out of high school and going up to the valley to become a porn star.

– Dude, shes eighteen. I carded her when she came in.

– Fake.

He dropped into one of the two old barber chairs customers sit in for easy arm and leg pieces.

– I know a fake when I see one. Shes eighteen. Legit. And smokin’ hot.

I unwrapped a piece of gum and stuck it in my mouth.

– Shes a spoiled piece of high-maintenance ass that thinks itll be cool to fuck a tattoo rocker because shes already taken it in the ass from every rich boy in Beverly Hills and variety is the spice of life and her familys money makes her life boring so she has to slum with losers like us.