“Just wondering how aman can look so tough and yet be such apussy,” Louie drawled slowly.
Mom shot to her feet and started rapid firing at him in French for his cussing, but all Icould do was stare in shock. I’dnever known Louie to be so openly disrespectful in front of Mom. Normally we tried to pull it together for her sake. But this Louie, this version in front of me, he was someone different.
Gauge started to laugh. Like, really laugh. It started off slow and then built into something bass-yand deep, so much so that Icould feel the vibrations of his laughter humming through my body.
“That funny to you?” Louie asked, adding his own chuckle to the mix.
“Sure is, kid,” Gauge replied, emphasizing the wordkidjust to piss Louie off. And for that Ihad to give him props. “Because if you knew anything about me—anything at all—you sure as shit wouldn’tbe calling me apussy.”
Louie reached down and plucked his last piece of bacon from his plate before popping it into his mouth and chewing. “The thing is, you talk the talk, but when you’re taking orders from my slutty little sister—agirl, by the way, that is young enough to be your daughter, maybe even your granddaughter…well, that only leads me to the conclusion that A, you can’tget awoman your own age because they all know what apussy you are, and that B, you’re apussy for taking orders from akid. So laugh all you want.” Louie stood up straight, eyeballing Gauge like his life depended on it, when really it was the very opposite: if he didn’tlook away, he was adead man.
Mom was freaking the hell out, her French barely understandable by me and Iassumed Louie, because he wasn’tlistening to her anymore. She began clearing the table, slamming dishes and cutlery in the sink and yelling in French, but now tears littered her pale cheeks. Apang of guilt twisted in my stomach.
Gauge slowly stood up, his frame towering over Louie’sdespite how tall Louie actually was. When he’dreached his full height, Gauge reached down and pulled me up to standing, and Iwas so in shock with what Louie had just said that Inumbly did what he wanted.
He placed his hand on the back of my neck, his thick fingers wrapping around the base of it and getting entwined in my long hair.
“The thing is, kid, Ican have any woman Iwant. Have plenty of them every night any which way Iplease. But you see, Iwanted this one”—he gave me alittle shake like Iwas adoll, and my jaw dropped open in shock at the audacity of him—“so Itook this one. Because I’maman and aman takes what he wants.”
Louie’sface was flushed, his nostrils flared, and the sight of him made me want to laugh. Iprobably would have, too, if it wasn’tfor the fact that Gauge was still manhandling me like he owned me. If only he knew he was about three seconds from getting my knee to his crotch.
Gauge looked down at me, and before Icould say anything he pressed his mouth to mine, pushing his tongue into my shocked mouth. His grip on the back of my neck tightened and he dragged my body to his, kissing me like he was stealing the soul from my body. Stars danced behind my eyes when Iclosed them, the musky scent of him intoxicating my every sense.
Then he released my mouth, his hand still on the back of my neck, and he looked back at Louie, who was now red-faced and looking furious. Mom, thankfully, had quit with her incessant yelling and was gripping the edges of the sink as she stared down into it.
“You got agirlfriend, kid?” Gauge asked. “Because if so, you better watch your back; Imight just come and take what’syours next.”
And then he winked.
He fucking winked at Louie.
Iwas feeling far too many emotions to comprehend any of them, so when laughter burst from my lips it surprised me as much as it surprised Louie.
He snapped out of his silence and turned his angry glare on me. “So this is the sort of guy you go for now huh, Jolie? Classy as always.”
“Man, son, I’maman. You’re aguy…aboy, really. There’sareal big fuckin’ difference between you and I,” Gauge said, his voice thick like gravel. “And don’tyou ever insinuate anything like that about my woman again or you’ll have me to answer to. Ya feel me, kid?”
“Lalangue!” Mom yelled from behind us, making another burst of laughter escape from my now tingling lips.
“Fuck you!” Louie replied.
“Lalangue, lalangue, lalangue!” Mom yelled over and over again, stomping her foot.
We all turned to look at her, and Ifelt Gauge’sgrip on the back of my neck loosen. She looked shattered into athousand pieces. Tears streamed down her face, her cheeks were flushed red, her eyes wide and pleading. Guilt pressed against my heart. Guilt and sadness.
“Jesuisdésolé,maman,” Isaid, shrugging out from under Gauge’sgrip and going to her. Iwrapped my arms around her and she pulled me in against her body. It felt like the first time we had hugged in such along time.
I’mnot sure when, but at some point Louie left for school and Gauge left the kitchen, giving me and Mom some space. We hugged until our legs ached and then we sat down and hugged some more. Iwanted to hug my mom for the rest of my life, because Iknew once we stopped hugging, things would go back to normal again.
And Ireally hated normal.
