“How much?”

Lowell shrugged. “Depends. Sometimes you can get away with a twenty, other times she wants to see Mr. Benjamin before she lets you in.”

I grimaced a bit. A hundred dollars is a lot on a poor college kid’s ‘salary.’

“Gifts work too, if you want to go that route. They have to look nice though.”

“How nice?”

Another shrug. “Department store nice. Let me get another cigarette.”

I handed him my pack and lighter. He drew a thin stick out, put it in his mouth, lit it, puffed, and handed the rest of them back to me. I don’t even smoke. And Lowell’s got me carrying around cigarettes for him. What a racket. Everyone has a price, I guess.

“Mmm,” he said. I must’ve said that last line out loud.

***