To Hampton I say, “Sit tight.”
“Can I take off my blindfold?” he whines.
“No.”
I turn the radio on so he won’t hear the quick conversation I have with Lucky and Gwen. Then I climb back in the car, turn the radio off, and say, “Lucky is very angry at me. He’s a man of his word, and Gwen’s a good sport. Against my wishes, she’s agreed to let you feel her up.”
“It’s okay. I w-was out of line.”
Lucky opens the door. Gwen is standing next to him. She reaches out and takes his right hand in hers.
“I want you to,” she coos. “Please?”
“Okay.”
Lucky lifts up his shirt, exposing the sensational pair of breasts Gwen showed me in the photo. It only takes a quick glance to confirm that Phyllis put a lot of love into his boob job. Good thing, because one glance is all I can stomach. To me, it’s just creepy. Gwen places Hampton’s hand on Lucky’s left tit. His hand jumps. He obviously wasn’t expecting to touch flesh. He touches it again, enthusiastically, and Gwen moans softly. This goes on long enough that I have to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. Finally, Gwen removes Hampton’s hand from Lucky’s breast, leans into the car and gives Hampton a kiss on the cheek. Whispers something in his ear. I motion Lucky and Gwen to get in the back seat. They do, and I drive us to Hampton’s bank to cash the check. When we get there, Lucky and Gwen take the check inside. When they exit the bank moments later, they’re not happy.
“What’s wrong?”
“Insufficient funds.”
“How much does he have?”
“They won’t say.”
I remove his blindfold.
“How much is in your account?” I say.
“A couple hundred.”
“Dollars?” Lucky says. “You son of a bitch!”
I kick Hampton out of the car. As we drive away, he yells, “Gwen! Call me!”
A few minutes later Gwen says to Lucky, “Now you know what it’s like.”
“What?”
“To get felt up by a slime ball.”
“Actually, I kind of liked it,” Lucky says.
25.
We’re back at the house. Gwen’s in her bedroom, changing clothes. Lucky’s in his command center, with the door locked. He’s settling back into his routine. After missing several days of action, the calls from his savants are piling up. I’m on the phone with Callie, telling her about my morning. When I hear Gwen open her bedroom door, I say, “Gotta run!” and click my phone off.
“Will you take me to the Forum?”
She’s wearing cut off jeans with frayed ends that are short enough to show a sliver of pink panty, and a UNLV cotton t-shirt with rhinestone lettering. A thin, tan leather strap hangs on one shoulder and crosses her chest like a bandolier belt, and is attached to a Chanel purse that hugs her left hip. The purse is high style, but too small to be practical. She’s wearing pink eye shadow, with blue eyeliner, and frosted pink lipstick. Her hair’s in a pony tail and the whole package is put together so well, I don’t give a shit what kind of sandals she’s wearing. But they look great, too.
“The shopping center Forum?” I say.
“The same.”
“What about Lucky?”
“He won’t even know we’re gone.”
“You sure about that?”
“Trust me. He’ll stay locked in there till eight-fifteen tonight.
“Why?”
“Two reasons. First, he’s avoiding you.”
“Why?”
“He’s afraid you’re going to ask for your money.”
“And?”
“He doesn’t have it.”
I shrug. “No big deal.”
“No?”
“I don’t need the money.”
We walk out the back door, lock it behind us, and get in my car.
After settling into the passenger seat, Gwen looks at me with curiosity. “If you don’t need the money, why’d you take the job?”
“Honestly? I wanted to get to know you.”
I glance at Gwen’s face while I start the car. She looks surprised. I drive us down the driveway, wave at the gate goons, and turn right. It’s hot out, and in the distance I can see wavy heat lines coming off the asphalt.
The lots are nice in this area, with oversized houses, and massive iron gates designed to make honest people feel safe.
But they’re not safe.
Each of these homes is a cracker box to guys like me.
“Why were you interested in knowing me?” Gwen says.
“Specifically, I wanted to determine if you were the type of woman who could look me in the face and lie, even when the truth would serve you better.”
She laughs. “And what have you decided?”
“You are.”
She scrunches her nose. “Well, that’s not very flattering.”
“Do you deny it?”
She leans over and kisses me on the cheek. “No. But let me say this: I only lie to level the playing field.”
“That’s well put,” I say. Then ask, “What’s the second reason?”
“For what?”
“Back at the house you said there were two reasons why Lucky would stay locked up in his command center till eight-fifteen. The first is he’s avoiding me. What’s the second reason?”
She turns away and looks out the window.
I try again: “What happens at eight-fifteen?”
“That’s when he comes out for his shower.”
“And why’s there a timetable for that?”
“Because Maddie’s coming.”
“Wait. Tonight?”
“At nine.”
“Maddie, as in threesome Maddie?”
“It’s not a threesome. Lucky doesn’t participate.”
“No?”
“He watches.”
We come to the first light just as it turns red. It turns out to be a long light, considering how little traffic there is out here.
I look at her and say, “Do you enjoy being with Maddie?”
She scrunches her nose again. “It’s not really my thing. I mean, I’m a willing participant. If I’m in the mood.”
“Really?”
“You’re giving me that old guy look again,” she says.
“Oh. Sorry. I don’t mean to.”
“What then?”
“The thing you said about being with Maddie.”
“What about it?”
“I like it. I think. I’m just trying to understand.”
“Maddie’s one of a kind. Teeny Tiny, but a sexual rock star. So when she comes over, it’s like an event. Between the X, the booze, the music, and the sheer force of Maddie’s sexuality, I can get caught up in it.”
“If you’re in the mood.”
“That’s right.”
The light finally turns green. I drive to Capstan Way, take a left, and follow it all the way to the interstate.
“And if you’re not in the mood?”
Gwen laughs. “Maddie doesn’t need me to participate. She just prefers that I do.”
“Maybe I should be there tonight, just in case.”
She giggles. “In case Maddie tries to kill us?”
“No. In case you’re in the mood.”
She smiles. “I won’t be.”
“No?”
She whispers, “Not if things go according to plan.”
I whisper back, “What’s the plan?”
She whispers, “I’ll tell you in the hotel room.”
“What hotel room?”
She laughs again. “You stopped whispering.”
“I got excited. What hotel room?”
“You didn’t really think I wanted you to take me shopping, did you?”
In truth, that’s exactly what I thought. I mean, I’ve seen her closet.
She says, “I was thinking you could drop me off at the mall entrance, park the car, and get us a room at Caesar’s.”
“And then?”
“I’d meet you there.”
“That’s what you thought?”
“Unless you’re chicken.”
26.
Gwen calls from the lobby. I give her the room number, then say, “I’ll leave the door slightly open so you can walk in without knocking.”