Chapter 2
Jack left the gym a little while later, taking a shower in the cramped locker room and then walking back home, his gym bag slung over his shoulder. The long, hot summer day was drawing to a close, but the streets were still uncomfortably muggy. The air was full of the reek of car exhaust, hot asphalt, and old sweat. And whenever he took a short cut behind a bar or restaurant, the stench from the infrequently-emptied dumpsters hit him like a wall.
“I’m home,” he said, shouldering open the door of the apartment. He walked into the kitchen, kissing his mother on the cheek. “What’s up?”
“You missed supper,” Anita Antonelli said. “Again. But I saved some leftovers for you. Do you want me to heat them up?”
“I’ll take care of it,” he replied, turning to open the fridge. “Thanks.”
“
