Ladies Night by Christian Keyes Read Free Book Online Page A

and down again, sizing him up.
    â€œLook,” Amp continued, “I’ll work hard. I’m reliable, and I don’t steal.”
    Mr. Lam still didn’t seem too sure about taking Amp up on his offer.
    Amp looked around the store. It was the average corner store with a few aisles, a large cooler, candy and gum rack by the register, and a doorway leading to the office and storage in the back. “I can stock the shelves and the cooler, sweep, mop, take out the trash, and work the register. I can do it. I need a job, sir.” Amp’s voice didn’t relay the desperation he was feeling in his heart, but his eyes did.
    Mr. Lam took one more look at Amp, then glanced around his store at all the work that his former employee would no longer be doing. It was definitely more than one old man could handle by himself. He finally said, “Can you start today?”
    â€œYes! Yes, sir,” Amp said, wanting to burst at the seams. Finally, the break that he desperately needed.
    Looking down at his soggy workout gear, he asked, “Can I shower first and put on something more appropriate? I live like five minutes from here.” Amp was eager to impress his new boss. He wanted him to know that he had made the right choice in trusting him.
    â€œBe back in thirty minutes,” Mr. Lam said.
    â€œThirty minutes,” Amp assured him and then quickly dashed out the door.
    â€œHey!” Mr. Lam stopped him in his tracks. “And no play me like dat.” He pointed, squinting his eyes for emphasis.
    â€œNo, sir,” Amp said, trying to keep from laughing at the Asian man’s misuse of slang. “I wouldn’t play you like that.” He turned and raced happily back to the halfway house.

Chapter 5
    Amp bounded up the porch steps to the halfway house, tripping and darn near falling into the screen door. He’d run all the way home from Mr. Lam’s store full speed. If he hadn’t needed a shower before, he certainly was in need of one now, as sweat poured down his face.
    He entered to the usual scene: a couple of housemates glued in front of the television and Paul with newspaper in hand.
    â€œDamn, the only time I see cats huffing and puffing like that is when they’re running from the cops,” one of the housemates said. “You all right, man?”
    â€œYeah, you all right?” Paul stood, looking concerned. He leaned forward, peeping through the screen door as if checking to see if, in fact, the police were close behind the out-of-breath parolee.
    Amp, trying to catch his breath, nodded.
    â€œGood, because I need to talk to you about something,” Paul said.
    â€œCan it wait? I got somewhere I have to be,” Amp huffed out, finally starting to get his breathing leveled.
    Paul flexed up a little, and Amp realized that his words might have been interpreted as disrespectful. Granted, he wasn’t in prison anymore and didn’t have to be told his every move, but Paul was still the man in charge and not someone he needed to piss off.
    Amp offered, “I got a job. I start in thirty minutes.” He looked up at the clock. “Make that twenty-five minutes.”
    â€œTwenty-five minutes?” Paul said, surprised. “Then why are you just standing here? Go get yourself together.”
    As Amp headed up to his room, he heard Paul say, “Wouldn’t hurt for a couple of y’all to pay attention to Amp. That’s a young man making it happen and not making excuses.”
    Amp closed his door, smiling with satisfaction over the fact that Paul had given him that recognition aloud. He had achieved what he had set out to do, and he was proud of himself. This would be the first step in getting back on the right track and walking into his destiny.
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    â€œOh, you come back,” Mr. Lam said to Amp when he returned to the store thirty minutes later, now showered, changed, and eager to start earning a paycheck.
    Amp nodded