When the Heat Gets Heavy

by Tim Zatzariny Jr.

About the Author: Tim Zatzariny Jr. is a lifelong resident of South Jersey. He teaches writing at his alma mater, Rowan University. His stories and essays have appeared in The Best of Philadelphia Stories, Thieves Jargon, Flash Fiction Magazine and elsewhere. He is at work on his first novel, set in his hometown of Vineland.

Excerpt

They said the man could make them a hundred grand in one sitting. Luther wondered if he had the right address. 

Idling in front of a rancher that really needed new siding, Luther didn’t see dollar signs. Instead, he watched the man called El Tragón limp out of the house down three steps, sweating before the sun was even all the way up.  El Tragón looked like one of those crazy white boys on MTV in the ‘80s: peroxided hair long in the back and spiky on top, gold hoop in his left earlobe, cheap sunglasses.

Luther squinted at the white T-shirt stretched over the man’s gut, to make sure he was reading it right: Bringing Hoes the Bacon.

Luther ran a hand over the smooth top of his head, thinking: People got no respect these days.

And who dressed this cat, anyway? El Tragón’s denim shorts weren’t long enough to cover the scars on both his knees, and his pale legs ended in orange Chuck Taylor hi-tops. Luther figured it was some kind of costume for Wing Thing, which was where he was supposed to drive El Tragón.

He had been in a funk lately, the Pagans told Luther, and they wanted someone hawking over him.

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