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Charlie
I marched back down the stairs, oblivious to the view this time. I held on to the railing with one hand, and kept my purse on my shoulder with the other. I could almost feel the warm spray of the shower on my sore shoulder I intended to have once I got home. I hoped against hope that it wouldn’t ‘purple up,’ as Bull had put it, too bad. I headed for the door of Dante’s apartment.
Bull quietly stood in front of it. “I’m sorry Charlie,” he said, his arms crossed in front of him as he blocked the door.
“This is ridiculous! You heard me talking to Dante. I told him I didn’t need you,” I said, angry tears piercing my eyes again. I needed to find another job, which resumes to be sent out and meant interviews to prepare for. I didn’t have time to be a prisoner in the middle of some squabble with two brothers who couldn’t get along.
“He gave me my orders. I’m sorry Charlie,” he repeated.
“Stop saying that. If you were really sorry, you’d let me go. Tell Dante I escaped; that I got away from you.”
“He wouldn’t believe me,” Bull said.
“Why?”
“Because that’s never happened,” Bull smiled. In spite of his large features, he looked like a small child who was pleased with himself and expected some kind of praise. In spite of myself, I smiled too. There was a sweetness about this giant of a man that pierced me.
I tried to hang on to my anger by corralling my smile.
“So just how many damsels in distress have you kept under lock and key for Dante?” I asked, arms folded across my chest.
It was clear I wasn’t going anywhere – yet – so I might as well start learning about him so I could find a weakness and exploit it. And if I were truly honest, learn more about Dante. He’d told me a lot, but the more I learned about him, the more drawn I was to him. I desired him physically beyond reason. Maybe I could find out something that would tamp down that desire so that when I did make my escape – because I would – he wouldn’t haunt my dreams.
“I never guarded a woman before; just men. Bad men.”
“How long have you worked with Dante?”
“Bout ten years now. He’s a good man.”
“And Stefan?” I asked, making my way to the couch.
“He used to be good. He’s not anymore.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You have to ask Dante about that,” Bull said, clamming up.
His loyalty to Dante was as wide as the Grand Canyon; there was no way to cross that gulf. So I tried a different tact.
“Why do you say Dante is a good man? I know about his ‘organization,’” I said, putting air quotes around the word.
“Dante does a lot of good for a lot of people,” Bull said simply, not acknowledging my reference to him being a mob boss.
“Like who?” I asked, intrigued.
“Like homeless kids. And the girls in the clubs. If they have a problem with a customer, or with a john, or some of the club owners who wanna force them to do stuff other than dance, Dante don’t allow that. And he don’t charge the girls for his protection. He got a daycare for them to leave their kids. And he don’t charge them for that either. He got a rec center for kids to go to after school so they don’t have to be on the streets. He pays for teachers and computers and stuff so they can learn while they there too.”
“Wow, I didn’t know any of that.”
“That’s cause Dante would never tell anybody about all the good stuff he does. That’s not the way he is.”
“So how did you come to work for Dante, Bull?”
“I was a bouncer at one of the clubs. He hired me away from them.”
“What’s it like working for him?”
“He’s fair. There ain’t a lot of that in a lot of people these days.”
“How did you get the name Bull?”
“I played football from the time I was little. My coach said I hit like a bull. I been Bull ever since.”
I laughed at that. “What’s your real name?”
“Robert, but nobody ever calls me that.”
“Do you like being called Bull? I mean, if you prefer Robert, I’ll call you that. Everybody should have say over what they’re called.”
“Dante is the only other person to ever ask me that,” he said. “Most people just go with Bull.”
“And that’s okay with you?”
“The only person that ever called me Robert was my grandma. She raised me, but she’s dead now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too. She was the best person I ever knowed. She was an old lady, but Dante reminded me of her when I met him. That’s why I went to work for him. He’s tough. But he’s that way with himself too. And he’s fair and loyal. Things people don’t put a lot of stock in these days.”
As Bull talked, I studied him more intently. He was a simple soul; bone close to the truth of things. I shouldn’t, considering he was helping Dante to keep me captive, but I liked him.
“So is it going to be Bull or Robert, or some other name? Tell me what you prefer, and that’s what I’ll call you.”
“Bull is fine. It would feel weird having anybody call me Robert. I kinda keep that for my grandma.”
Spontaneously, I reached over and kissed the giant of a man on the cheek. He colored up like a shy teenager.
“I’m gonna get something to eat,” he said, obviously embarrassed. “Do you want something Charlie?”
“Just coffee and toast, and I’ll make it. You just feed yourself.”
“Ok,” he said, and headed to the kitchen.
“And Charlie,” he turned, “I’m sorry about this. I really am. But if Dante says this is best, then it is. You should believe him.”
“Thanks Bull,” I said. “I guess I don’t have much choice, now do I?”
His big, bulbous eyes apologized to me again before he turned and went to make his breakfast.
I hated what I was gonna have to do to him. Hopefully, he’d understand.