"Hey. Hey," D said a bit more gently the second time. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, mate. People would do well to take that to heart. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. If you don't want to work, you don't have to. If you do want to wark, but not this? Not obligated at all. People will always tell you you can do anything you can dream but that's bollocks. The best I can give you is that you don't have to do anything you don't want to."
It sounded so kind, so generous, but Davey never did anything if he couldn't see a way to make a profit from it. There was no such thing as a 'goodness of his heart'.
"...Don't suppose, um, you'd come with me tomorrow. To meet this friend of yours? I'd pay you. Give you a cut of whatever I earn on my first job, I just- Don't fancy going alone."
He'd done a lot of dumb shit, but never like this. Not for a profit.
"Oh, mate, I don't know. I get a lot of fares around seven. People off work, going to dinner and such," he replied hesitantly, then paused as if in thought, and sighed.
"I could. I could. If you give me a cut to make up for what I'll lose, I could go with you. I mean, you don't know him, he don't know you...might ease the way. I could do that. If you're sure."
"What about St. Michael's? Still out? Still rather go to the club and stand in the rain hoping someone will cover you? Or should we just sit here for a bit? They won't kick us out of the place until after midnight."
Pulling the money he'd intended for his ride to the church from his wallet, he held it out in offering.
"It's late enough that I can just go home now, I reckon."
He was desperate, but he wasn't thick. He'd known blokes like David before, generally they were nothing but trouble- But he liked to try and give people a chance.
"Or am I just someone you can cash in on later?" he added bluntly, not seeing any reason not to be direct.
And it wasn't something that was going to weigh on him until hindsight made things clear.
"I'd like to think we could be. You seem a good bloke. Don't know much about you, though. Music, movies, first date shit. Fill me in while I take you home. What's your address?"
"Isn't very much to know about me that you couldn't have read in the papers last year," he admitted.
"Alright," he said, letting it go because it seemed a sore spot and he had no reason to be a twat. "So? Tell me something. Like, I don't know. What's your mate's name you live with? Where'd you grow up? What's your favorite food?" he listed.
Traffic was slow because of the rain but that didn't bother him. Traffic never bothered him, really. As long as people weren't mad behind the wheel he didn't care.
"Oberon," Q smiled. "Titania is at home with my other half."
"That's noble. Real sweet. It's great you've got a mate like that. Important. I don't think I've got a mate like that. Maybe...I've never been tested, really," Davey replied. "What do you do for fun? I'm sure you don't go to St. Michael's for the fun of it so what do you like?"
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