All The Young Punks Pt. 18

After pie, Tommy's regulars went their way and five walked together at 3:10. The pleasant Frenchman bid them adieu and turned north at Central Park West leaving four walkers.

"You should see Henri's parent's apartment," Tina said. "They're loaded."

"I didn't know diplomats were rich."

"It's old money."

Joe could sense that Johnny dug Tina, and so did Simon, but not in the same way. A few blocks later, Johnny jumped on a subway, off to get stoned. At 3:30 it was Joe, Tina, and Si. Joe liked that Simon made her laugh by talking extra British, playing up his accent. He found that funny too. At 3:40 it was Simon's turn to peel off.

"No, Si," Joe pleaded, "this is a breakfast day. C'mon."

Joe begged him to stay hoping he would leave. Si knew that and shoved him for it. Simon left with his wristwatch. They were suddenly without time.

"We had pie at 2:30 so we should be good until breakfast." He informed his new best friend in New York.

"We're having breakfast?" Tina asked. "Isn't that a bit presumptuous?"

"I presume nothing!" Joe declared loudly. "I will be having breakfast. Only if you're stout of heart and at my side to the bitter end will you accompany me."

"No seriously, who talks like this?" She furrowed her brow. "You're definitely a weirdo. We have a lot of that in the art department."

She went on about the eclectic crew at NYU, her artsy friends, and rivals. Joe let her talk. They passed a jewelry store clock at 4:12. She kept talking and walking. A bakery clock informed Joe it was 4:21. Tina decided they would play a game of twenty questions.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

She punched him. "How many siblings do you have?"

"Three sisters."

"How's that working for ya?"

"I'm the oldest, so it's fine. I haven't seen them in weeks. I miss them."

"What do your mom and dad do?"

"Dad's a machinist and mom's a nurse."

"Do you have any pets?"

"No. Our dog died when I was eleven. We never got another."

"Do you sleep with a lot of girls?

Tina made the I-know-this-is-embarrassing face for asking.

Joe thought, 'Whoa, where the fuck did that come from?', but didn't say it.

"Wow, you're a tough first date," he said. "You just slipped that loaded question in the middle of the mundane."

He made Tina laugh, which made him happy. He loved her laugh.

"Define a lot," he said. "It's a vague concept."

"Don't be a smart ass," she punched his arm. "I'm serious."

Joe laughed: "Sister, if you don't like smartasses you better get off this ride now."

There was a silent pause, only their 4:48 AM footsteps in front of a pawn shop made a sound, except for distant sirens and the sound of light traffic. Joe wondered if he had dodged that question.

"My query stands." She leaned against him to stress that point.

"I will answer truthfully, stop me when you've heard enough."

"Okay," she said sweetly.

"I've never had a one-night stand in my life."

Tina stopped walking and leaned back with the 'Really?!' body language. She didn't say a word, just leaned on him again - thinking.

"So you're a girlfriend guy? Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it, sort of."

"Do you have one now?"

"Well, there's this super cute punk chick I met recently - and I'm kind of hoping."

"That's nice to know. I'm hoping too." She leaned against him again and resumed walking. Joe did not. She looked back.

Joe winced, "Oh, did you think I was talking about you? I'm so sorry. Ouch," he smirked. "That's embarrassing."

Tina punched him. "Oh my god, you're such a jerk!" She pushed him away.

Joe continued walking, cracking up because he stuck the landing perfectly on that joke.

"Just to let you know upfront," he said. "I'm a clown."

"Great, just what I fucking need."

"Who else would come up with the show we do? It has to be the clown."

"Anything else I need to know."

"I'm a wise guy too."

Joe stopped walking at 4:59 in front of The Little Apple Diner in Chelsea. She frowned when she saw it was closed. Twelve seconds later, a man flipped the sign and unlocked the door. Joe held the door open and waved her in. They sat in a corner booth.

Joe picked up a menu. "Now we must make the most important decision of this young day, pie or breakfast with my coffee?"

"Why can't we have both?"

He smiled. "You truly are the girl of my dreams."

Tina smiled, then hid her blushing with her menu.

"Can you do me a favor, T?"

She peeked over her menu. "It depends on what"

"Stop punching me."

"I'll try."

She ordered blueberry pie. Joe ordered breakfast.

Joe put his menu on the rack. "Okay, T. My turn to ask questions."

"Shoot." She smiled while stirring her coffee.

"What's the deal with the Costello family?"

Tina put her spoon down and took a small sip of fresh hot diner coffee.

"Dad's a Kennedy Democrat, a city councilman in Brooklyn. Mom owns a flower shop. I have a brother in high school, he's almost 16."

"Do they have names?"

"Yes, John, Mary, and Jack."

"Pets?"

"Mom has two cats, they're okay but I prefer dogs. Our Spaniel died a few years ago."

"I assume you're a stinking Catholic."

"Yes, my family is very Catholic. Is that a problem?"

"Big problem," he said loudly. "I was raised Catholic. It's a crazy religion, lots of bad history."

"I don't worship history."

"What kind of art do you do?"

"I'm a mixed media artist."

"What's that?"

"Combining materials and methods. I'm primarily a photographer. Dad bought me my first camera for my twelfth birthday. I shoot mostly black and white. The city is my subject, the people, the architecture - I love my city." She took another sip of coffee. "I'm also a painter. I take select prints, enlarge them, and transfer the image to canvas. Then I add color and texture with paint."

"That sounds kinda unique." Joe sipped his coffee.

"There are millions of photographers," she said. "I like having my own special spin."

"When can I see your art? I'm curious about this mixed media thing."

"When I move in I'll show you some."

Joe's face turned serious. "What if you're a shitty artist? I need to know that now before we get too involved."

Her jaw dropped. "Are you insane?"

Joe smiled mischievously as the waitress delivered food. They shared, with Tina stealing most of his home fries. It was Joe's favorite breakfast date of many recent breakfast dates.

"I forgot to ask," Tina said. "What are your sisters' names?"

"Jacqueline, Juliette, and Jeanette."

"And Joseph?" She leaned over the table. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged. "I know."

"I make fun of families like that. We have a K family on my street and there was a B family in high school. Why do they do that?"

"I guess we're the J family."

At 6:30 AM, Brooklyn seemed far away, especially after Tina had been up all night. The second bedroom in the apartment was cleared and painted. Joe insisted she stay in that room rather than take the train back alone. He slid his mattress into that room for her to use.

"These mattresses Babe got us are disgusting. I got the worst one. The stain looks like a fucking crime scene." Joe shrugged. "It's all I've got but at least I have linen for it."

He smiled and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

He gestured with his thumb. "I'm in that room."

"No, you can stay with me," she said. "It's not like I'm taking clothes off on a murder mattress."

They shared a twin mattress. Nothing happened except the fully clothed, tangled closeness of sleeping together and the feeling this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Joe awoke at the crack of noon because Babe was working in the bathroom. The old man gave Joe the side-eye when he emerged from the room with his tenant. Tina explained her decorating plans for when she moved in. When she was passionate about something, like art and decorating, she talked fast. It was cute... like someone wound her up.

Babe glared at Joe as he vacated the bathroom for them to use. "I'm going down to my truck." Joe smiled as if to say, 'Look at me with your cute tenant.' He turned to Tina. "You realize there is no food here?"

She shrugged. "I guess we have to walk the streets again."

"I need to brush my teeth." Joe made a yucky teeth facial gesture and stepped into the bathroom.

"I do too, can I use your brush? Please?"

Joe shot her an I-don't-know-about-that look as he squeezed the toothpaste. While he brushed his teeth Joe answered her question so she couldn't understand a word he said. He brushed for a long time, mumbling all the while, making her wait.

He spit into the sink and said. "So that's what I think about sharing toothbrushes."

She got the joke but pretended she wasn't amused. Tina stared at him with her hand out assuming he was just going to hand it over.

"Didn't you hear what I said? You must agree to my terms."

"What terms?"

"I just told you," he said. "I believe toothbrush sharing is equal to kissing on the intimacy scale. Would you share a toothbrush with someone you wouldn't kiss? You can only use my toothbrush if you kiss me. I prefer after you brush, thank-you-very-much."

"You're queer, but I agree to your terms."

"I can't believe I'm giving up my toothbrush on the first date. I'm such a dirty whore."

It was a good kiss, as was the second and the third. At that moment, T became Joe's undisputed best friend. They walked hand in hand to The Skyline Diner in the West Village for a long lunch, their third diner in twelve hours. Then Tina went home to Brooklyn and Joe took a nap on cloud nine.

---- BROKEN PROMISE ----

Tina sat across the room as Joe broke the news to his sister that he was staying longer than planned. She watched him sit silently as he listened to Jackie, and then explain himself.

"We're doing great. We have three clubs in the city and an opportunity to stay a little longer. I can't pass this up."

"How much longer?" Jackie asked.

"A couple of weeks..." Joe hedged his bet. "Labor Day weekend at the latest." He figured with Tina moving in on the 25th, and Uncle Babe needing to paint the bedroom, they'd be home before the holiday weekend. It was a safe promise.

"You promised me you'd be home in five weeks."

"Look, Sis. I meant that... with the information I had at the time. I promise we'll be back by Labor Day. How is everyone?"

"It's so weird how calm it is," Jackie said. "Mom talks about you, she's worried, but she's not wigging out. She's been unusually chill."

"Maybe I'm the problem."

"No, you're not. Don't say that."

"How else can you explain her being sane when I'm gone?"

"You're not the crazy one, Joe. You don't start fights."

Jackie handed the phone to Jeannie. This was the new phone call routine. Joe called it the family phone pass. Everyone had to get a word in.

"Thank you for the postcards," Jeanie said. "I love them."

"Which one is your favorite?"

"I kind of like the first one."

"The Arch, why? I thought The Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty would be your favorite."

"Because it was the first and a surprise. It made me happy you were thinking about me."

When Julie took the phone, Joe teased her with some information.

"I have a couple of gifts for you."

"What?"

"I can't say. It would ruin the surprise, but I think you'll like them."

"Why are you staying longer?"

"I just explained to Jackie. She can fill you in. I'll be back in a couple of weeks. I promise."

After he hung up, Tina smiled at him. He stared at her, then off into space, thinking to himself.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I hate disappointing my sisters."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I need to buy more postcards and gifts."

---- APARTMENT 3C ----

With Joe and Tina now a thing, the band could stay beyond her moving in. In the week that followed their first date, Tina bounced back and forth from her parent's home in Marine Park, Brooklyn to her West Village apartment bringing personal items on each trip. The kitchen remodel was complete. Joe picked up a cast iron skillet at a second-hand store so he could cook. When T showed up with her cookery, plates, bowls, and flatware, Joe helped carry supplies up three flights of stairs and unpacked. Tina expressed skepticism about his claim of being proficient in the kitchen.

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe me," he said. "I'll prove myself."

"What do you cook?"

"All kinds of things. My favorites are Italian dishes, seafood, and steak. I like doing a whole roasted chicken. You can eat that for days. I love breakfast for dinner."

"Me too," she said. "What Italian dishes do you make?"

"Sal's dad cooks at the warehouse we live in back home. He has a serious kitchen. There's a joke, for the best Italian food in Boston, drive to Providence. I live on Federal Hill, that's our Little Italy, but we don't call it that. Tony taught me manicotti, cioppino, veal scallopini, and my favorite - ricotta meatballs."

"What are they.?" Tina said while filling her utensil disorganizer.

"Take any good meatball recipe, add at least a pint of ricotta cheese to the meat, and they become light and fluffy, like cake. I hate hard meatballs."

"You're just too young," she said. "How did you have time to learn all those things?"

"That's not even a fifth of the dishes I know. From age twelve, I had to help Mom cook dinner because she worked the second shift at the hospital. We'd prepare together while she got ready for work, and I'd finish it. I fed my sisters every weekday for years."

"That's not a normal childhood."

"Who said I was normal?" He slapped her bum with a wooden spoon. "On the night you move in, I'll cook you a nice dinner, just you and me."

"That's Saturday."

"We have a Friday gig at Tommy's. I have Saturday off - perfect."

Tina spent two more nights with Joe, fully clothed on the murder mattress, repeats of their first night together. Even though Joe had put fresh sheets on, she wasn't getting naked on mystery stains. There was a lot of kissing and heavy petting. Joe made it safely to second base, but Tina threw him out trying to steal third. Joe retreated, falling back on his pillow.

"I feel like I'm in eighth grade," he whispered, hitting a bullseye on T's funny bone.

She laughed loudly, covering her face. "You're such a fucking weirdo."

---- BABYSITTING ----

The only difficulty Joe had in his otherwise blissful life on Jones Street was dealing with Johnny. Joe had to explain to Tina how his friend and guitarist got hooked up with druggies downstairs in apartment 1B.

"He met them our third day here, and he's been playing like shit ever since. It's really pissing me off. I'm also worried about him. Johnny has a history. He did some rehab. On Friday, I'll spend my entire day trying to keep him occupied and away from 1B. Every day we have a gig, I'm his damn babysitter."

"What's he on?"

"We think it's heroin. He has no needle marks, but the punks at Tommy's say he might be smoking it. I had no idea you could smoke heroin. They laughed at me as if I'm supposed to know about heroin."

"I'll stay overnight Thursday and spend the day with you Friday," she said. "Johnny likes me. I think I can help."

Joe pulled her in for a hug. "You're amazing. You don't even know Johnny."

"I know you care about him," she said as he held her close. "and I care about you."

"What does Johnny like?" She asked.

Joe smirked. "Let's see. He likes Fresca, The Rolling Stones, and Marlboros..."

"No, I mean what does he like to do?"

"Heroin."

Tina glared at him. "I'm being serious."

"Okay. He likes parks, so that's always part of my plan, and he likes diners, and he likes movies. I took him to see Mad Max."

"I know all the parks in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and most of Queens. I'm fascinated by our park system."

"So you're a Robert Moses girl."

"You know about Robert Moses?"

"Yeah, he's a big deal. He built your city."

"I know."

"Johnny is slippery. He's always looking for a jailbreak. He just wanders off if you're not looking."

"We have four eyes."

Joe already loved Tina, he was certain, but on Friday he got a deeper look into how special she was. They took Johnny out for breakfast at The Skyline. That was easy. Then they went to Washington Square Park where they sat under a tree and talked. That's where Johnny attempted his first escape. Tina wouldn't allow it.

"No, stay with us," she said as she grabbed Johnny's hand. "Joe wants to go to a record shop we've never been to. Then we'll check out Bryant Park."

Johnny was helpless against her charm. She dragged him like a toddler to the subway station. All that hand-holding made Joe a tiny bit jealous. He knew Johnny was into Tina, and he didn't want him getting any ideas.

At Rock and Soul Records on 37th Street, Joe pulled Tina aside. "We have to stay close to him. Record shops are where I'm most distracted and he knows this. If I turn around for too long, poof, he's gone."

"Okay," she said. "You look for your records and I'll check out posters with him. Do you think he's going to buy one?"

"Nah, Johnny's a window shopper."

Joe scored some excellent U.K. punk records, including a band from Northern Ireland - Stiff Little Fingers, that made his day. After the record shop, on the way to Bryant Park, Tina thwarted another attempted slip. She herded Johnny in the right direction. After that, they jumped on the subway to Harlem. Joe explained why.

"I always move further from home as the day goes. If he gets away late, he has a long way home and I will beat him there because I'll run between stops and in stations. Johnny never runs."

"Have you done that?"

"Yeah, a few times, and he still beat me once."

Gladys and Carl worked the late shift, so Joe met a day crew at The Bluebonnet Cafe. Joe boxed Johnny into the booth. He was jittery, but he ate enough of his lunch. All day, they never stopped moving, from one place to another... unless they were sitting.

They took the subway back to Chelsea. When they walked up to a movie house, Johnny stopped in his tracks. "I don't feel like a movie."

"You just told me you wanted to see The Warriors."

"I'm tired. I need to sleep before the show."

Joe took Johnny by the elbow. "You can sleep in here."

By the time they got back to Jones Street, it was after four o'clock. Sal and Nate were waiting for them so the band could grab a bite together before going to Tommy's.

Sal pulled Joe into the hallway outside Tina's apartment. "When you weren't here, we thought he was with the druggies. Where were you?

"All over the city. T kept Johnny in line all day. He tried to slip off but she wrangled him every time. We took him to the movies. She watched him like he was her child. I love that chick. She's an angel."

"She seems cool."

"No, Sal, she's un-fucking-believably cool."

"Have you fucked yet?

"No."

"Let's talk after that," Sal said. "She seems a little... I don't know, prissy?"

That night, The Young Punks had their best gig in weeks. Johnny was not feeling well, but he played well, not his best, but good. Because NYU kids were coming back into town, Tina invited a bunch of her artsy friends to Tommy Guns. They loved the sideshow antics and singalongs. After the show, walking to a diner for late-night eats with a large group of punks, Tina was a happy girl.

"I wanted to show off my new boyfriend," she smiled. "I knew they'd love you."

"What about the band?"

"They loved the band too," she leaned hard against him.

"Why didn't they come out for pie and coffee?"

Tina looked back to see who was near. She whispered. "Because some of these guys look pretty fucking scary. I told them the punks are sweet, but the girls can't get past the Mohawks and face piercings."

"What the fuck are they, Republicans?"