Oh, I noticed, all right. She was wearing a black blazer over a cgarcoal knit shirt that fit like a coat of paint. Her complexion was flawless, and her features had come together nicely. Long, wavy brown hair lay silkily over her shoulders. Alaynah didn’t help things when she leaned forward and lowered her voice.
“You know, I used to have quite a crush on you.”
I felt a strong urge that made me feel ever so slightly dirty. I tried to contain myself by changing the subject. “Speaking of crushed, how’s Debbie?”
“She got married a few years ago and moved to Seattle.”
Alaynah didn’t seem to want the subject changed. “How about you, Tex? You married?”
I shook my head enthusiastically. “Not anymore, thank God. And never again. I’ve been burned a few too many times, which brings us back to your sister. She was a real flamethrower.”
Alaynah fixed her eyes on me like no receptionist had ever done before. “I’m not Debbie.”
No she wasn’t. Unfortunately, I had a dual image blurring my vision. I kept seeing a gangly teenager with braces and a knack for showing up at inappropriate times. Of course, that was a long time ago. And maybe I was just imagining that she was coming on to me. “Are you coming on to me, Alaynah?”
She gave me one of those looks that would peel paint. “I think you’ve been single too long. Why don’t you buy me a drink, and I’ll see what I can do about knocking some of the rust off.”
If she only knew how rusty I was. I hadn’t had an offer like that in a month of Sundays.
It just didn’t feel.. proper. Of course, there were certainly ways to get around that.
Alcohol sprang to mind. If I’d had the cash, I would’ve jumped on her invitation like a bum on a box of chocolate. As it was, the only thing I could afford to buy was time, after which I’d go back to my office and see if I’d overlooked anything worth hocking.
“Tell you what. I’m tied up at the moment, but I promise I’ll get back to you soon.”
Alaynah trumped me. “I’m buying.”
I suspected that Alaynah’s persistence came from some long-nurtured, post-pubescent fantasy, or possibly sibling envy. Motivations not withstanding, the opportunity was too ripe to pass up. Not only was a stunning woman asking me out, but she was volunteering to foot the bill. And she was just the person to help me get in to see Percival.
“All right. I’ll let you buy me a drink, as long as you promise you won’t get me all liquored up and expect me to put out.”
Alaynah raised an eyebrow. “I promise.”
Alaynah got someone to cover the remainder of the afternoon for her. The special treatment was unexpected, but a welcome disruption of the routine. Twenty minutes later, we walked into Lindsay’s, a piano bar on the top floor of the downtown Hilton, which my escort said was her favorite. It was a swanky joint, where people like me would have to choose between an evening of cocktails and paying rent. The first thing that caught my attention was the sight of Nat King Cole at the piano. It was a holographic projection, but convincing enough to give me chills.
As it turned out, not only was this Alaynah’s favorite watering hole, but she also had a favorite table, waiter, and beverage. It took out a lot of the usual guesswork, and since it was her party, I was just happy to tag along. Our table sat close to a window offering a majestic view over the heart of the metropolis, which probably figured heavily into the price of the drinks.
Fat drops of rain ran down the window. In the distance, a brief flash of ruddy sunshine broke through the drizzling sky, like a flare from a sinking ship, and its last gasps played across Alaynah’s face like firelight. To avoid staring, I picked up a menu. The first item I noticed was foie gras. Oh, great. Vegetarian food. I decided to stick with liquor.
Alaynah smiled at me over the top of her menu as the waiter appeared and asked what we wanted. My escort ordered a white wine spritzer and something French. I wanted to make a good impression and ordered a scotch. When the waiter left, Alaynah fixed her gaze on me.
“A few wrinkles around the eyes… not quite so thin… for the most part, you haven’t changed much at all. That’s a compliment, by the way.”
I glanced down at my rumpled overcoat and askew tie. I didn’t look good at all. Of course, love is blind, and so, apparently, is pure, wanton lust. I felt like a sex object, and I liked it. “Well, I’ve tried to take care of myself. I eat right, exercise, and take Geritol every day.”
Alaynah giggled. I suspected that she would be fun to tickle. She leaned forward, elbows on the table and chin resting on her hands. “So… tell me what you’ve been up to all these years.”
I shrugged. “Not much. Work. I got married and divorced. No kids. That’s about it.
Nothing exciting.”
Alaynah looked at me dubiously. “I find that hard to believe. What kind of work?”
“I’m a private investigator.”
My date flashed me another smoldering look. “What a coincidence. I’ve been looking for a good private investigator.”
“No kidding.”
Alaynah nodded playfully. “If you’re any good, I have a little something I’d like you to take a look at.”
She wasn’t very subtle, but she certainly had grown up. A part of me was quickly forgetting the image of her as a gangly teenager. Unfortunately, that particular part of me was the one that usually got me into trouble.
Like she was reading my mind. Alaynah sat back in her chair, a perfect picture of posture. She’d either shelled out for surgery or had blessed genes. “So what does a PI do for fun?”
I felt like a little kid trying to stay awake — my eyes kept drifting down and snapping back up to her face. She might not have minded, but I was still trying to handle this situation with a bit of decorum. And don’t forget, I told myself, you hate women. With some effort, I focused on her eyes.
“Oh, the usual… long walks in the rain… playing with puppies… badminton.”
Our waiter arrived and deposited our drinks with a flourish. We raised our glasses, and Alaynah volunteered a toast. “To old acquaintances and new experiences.” I nodded and we drank. Things were looking much too promising.
“Tell me, what’s it like to work for the richest man in the world?”
Alaynah shrugged. “It pays well. I’m actually planning on going back to school, maybe get a doctorate.”
“Really. What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I haven’t decided. I think it might be fun to teach. Probably history. It’s always interested me.” Alaynah took another sip. “So, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I’m pretty much locked into the PI gig. This fedora was an occupational investment.”
“OK, if you weren’t a PI, what would you want to be?”
I considered. “A philanthropist.”
Alaynah’s face lit up and, for a moment, I was again reminded of little Ally Moore. I glanced down briefly, and the image evaporated. Alaynah flipped her hair back and raised her glass again. “Here’s to us both being happy and getting rich.”
It was a worthy toast, but I wasn’t going to hold my breath. I took a long drink of scotch.
It was silky smooth, with a peaty nose and a long, oaky finish. Between the scotch and the company, I was happy for the time being.
Alaynah set her glass down and glanced away. When she turned back, an expression of disgust was on her face. She leaned forward and whispered, “Who let the goyles in here?”
I turned to see a young couple entering the lounge. There was no mistaking that they were Mutants. I picked up my drink and saw Alaynah staring in the direction of the couple. Her reaction to the Mutants left me stunned. Goyle, short for gargoyle, was an extremely derogatory term, coined by Norms. I’d heard it used before, but not by anyone I knew personally. Of course, most of my friends were Mutants, but that didn’t matter. I glanced at Alaynah, and she looked different to me.