[b][center][h1]Lee Stephens 
& 
Gwendolyn Dexter Barrett[/h1][/center][/b]

Gwen looked over the bodybuilder as he took the plastic case, placing a boot on the bench. “Getting a boyfriend  is not really on the top of my list.” Taking out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, lighting up one of the cancer sticks. Taking a few deep puffs and blowing large smoke rings in front of her. “I’m gonna need payment for getting your meds.” Holding out her hand for the Aussie to hand her some cash. She really hoped this guy was not going to stiff her on the bill. If he did then she would have to get her boss involved, and that would not really be a good idea. 

“Yea, I didn’t say boyfriend,” Lee replied, digging into his back pocket. His work jeans were well worn and the denim was stretched in the shape of white outline where his wallet resided. He had already banded together one group of bills and unceremoniously dropped the stack in her lap, “I said [i]man[/i].” The fact that she had mentioned being paid for “getting” his supplements seemed to confirm his suspicions that she wasn’t at the highest level of his contact’s pecking order- none of the others ever said anything like that, it was usually just chit-chat, sometimes even questions about diet or exercise, but people were funny. The sports-pharmaceutical business he gave them was essentially low-risk and easy profit, meaning the runners he met were generally more relaxed than this brooding girl.  

Gwen took the wad of cash into her hand, quickly putting it into her jean pocket. “Potato, tomato.” She curtly responded making sure that the wad of cash was not going to fall out of her pocket. “Thanks, chief.” She took another drag of her cigarette, blowing what looked like guts of dark wind coming out of her mouth. There was a quite long bit of silence before Gwen spoke up. “You ever thought about wanting kids?” This question would seem out of the blue, but she was curious about what he thought about having children. Personally, she was not interested in raising a loud bratty child.  She thought the world was getting too crowded, too many ungrateful people clogging up the streets. Even if she would have a child she would try to be a better parent than her own.  

Lee was just about to write-off the conversation and walk away when the girl suddenly piped up again with a complete reversal in what appeared to be her standard demeanor, suddenly wanting to chat about reproduction after quickly dismissing the boyfriend talk. “Yeh, maybe one day, not right now though, got too much goin’ on,” He said with a modest shrug and tucking the case under one arm. It was a question he’d been asked before so the words were almost automatic, however he remembered seeing some children playing as he’d walked into the park and he was starting to piece together that his little drug runner had some daddy issues, or more, perhaps. Backchannel dealing in the pharmaceutical trades didn’t exactly attract the most savory of characters, though she was more presentable than some he’d seen. Nothing a little crude humor couldn’t solve: “Why? Ya thinkin’ about makin’ some babies, yeh?”  

Looking up at the man watching him turning back around to responding to her question, “I was thinking about it myself, i might want a kid in the future. But i don’t know if i’ll be a good parent or not. Being a drug deal ain’t really a, “what do you want to be when you grow up kinda job”.Finishing off her cigarette and putting it out on the ground, throwing out the bud into a near by garbage can. A small smile appeared on her face hearing his crude joke, “Maybe, only if that person buys me a nice dinner first.” She looked over towards a mother playing with his son, imagining herself playing her son or daughter. She didn’t think she would be a very good mother. Or perhaps because of her upbringing, she would try to be a better parent then her own. Now she felt she was bothering her client with her philosophizing about having children, and how to raise them. “Sorry, i’ll be goin. Thanks for the cash, hope we can do this again sometime.”  Standing up from the bench, sliding her hands deep into her pockets. 

In his back pocket was a small notepad with a golfing pencil threaded through the binder which Lee used throughout the day to write down trailer and container numbers, ship names and any other plethora of notes. Before any sort of warning about mixing business and pleasure could flash through his brain, he smoothly produced it as if he were about to run shift change at the port. “How about I give you a call the next time I’m hungry for a nice dinnah?” He said, handing her a blank page with an assertive smirk. “And maybe we can do this again.” 

Taking the pencil and piece of paper quickly writing down her house number, “I’d like that.” She said handing him back the paper with her number. Smiling once again before saying goodbye and heading off. Her next destination was going to meet her bandmates to practice for their gig tonight. Walking back towards her car, but not before looking back to peer over at the Aussie Bodybuilder. Giving him one last smile. 


[@Eviledd1984]