It Was 2052 Read Online Free Page A

way past lunch. I'm about to cave in. Let's find that pizza.” 
    Rose gave up on her efforts to talk Jackson into buying a long sleeved denim shirt, similar to the one that Eric was wearing. She was unaware that the young man was being very cautious with his funds now that he knew he wouldn't get paid until the end of the month, she just shrugged. A pale colored blouse got placed into the shopping bag over her shoulder and she gave the clerk a few coins, pleased with the purchase.
    The cafe smelled of all the Italian ingredients that create a pizza. They ordered,  sat at a small table with bottles of water and waited for a number to be shouted out. On the exterior wall of the village a big wood fueled oven heated the room and sent smoky aromatic smells through the heat as the pizzas baked.  Jackson looked around at the crowd that was sparse since it was late for lunch.  He had lost track of what Rose was chattering on about, just said uh-huh in courtesy.  There--- at a table in the back corner, the light was dim but no mistake it was those beautiful big red lips.  Of course, not as big or as red but it was those pretty lips. The exotic young woman was thin and small, her glossy black hair was sleekly pulled up and away from a delicate face, a long ebony stream of it flowing down her back.   Large dark eyes caught his for just an instant and looked away.  She sat very straight in her chair and listened unsmiling to a man sitting with his back to them.  When the man turned up a bottle of beer, Jackson saw that it was the aggressive man from the street earlier. 
    The large pizza was brought to the table. It tasted good and Jackson was trying hard to keep his attention on the conversation and company of his two new friends. His eyes kept wandering to the girl in the dusky shadows of the room.  She didn't seem to be happy, perhaps even frightened. Eric said, “So, how do you think we can get those shelves up from the basement. You think we need to take them apart and rebuild them in the mayors office or do you....” the voice faded into the background of Jackson's head as he saw the woman and man stand up.
    The man put a rough hand on the woman's arm and they moved farther back into the cafe, towards a door.  He tapped on the door, it opened and the gray haired man that was visible looked familiar, he allowed them to slip through the narrow opening.  Is that the man from Brewer's? Half of the old couple that came from the second level stair entrance?
    Jackson said, “Sorry to interrupt, man.  That thug on the street, what do you know about him?”
    Eric and Rose looked around the room, “Why? Is he here?” said Eric.
    “He was, sitting over in the corner with a woman.  They went through a back door. You know, I would swear that the man who opened the door was that old guy from Brewer's. The man from the couple that asked Rose's uncle about lunch.”
    Rose said, “Really, that's a little odd. I don't actually know the old couple. Guess the man could be here for any number of reasons.”
    “All I know is that the guy from the street is a real piece of crap. He's connected in some way to  the shady stuff that goes on in the villages.  I think he would slice your throat in a blink,” said Eric.
    “The woman was young and really pretty. Wonder what she would be doing with that sleaze-bag,” said Jackson.
    “My uncle is always warning me.  Not everyone is here in the city of their own free will. I think some folks, especially women, do what they have to in order to survive.”
    He tried to push down his curiosity and also not show that this dark side of the city was damn unsettling.  “Well, okay.  Let's head back to Brewer's and figure out how we're going to handle those shelves.”
    Looking at a clock on the wall, Rose said, “Oh, my gosh---yeah, we gotta go. I need to be in the pub in a couple of hours.”
     
    ***
     
    The third level of the Brewer's Village was a copy of the fourth, various size