Chapter 13: Friday Morning

One good thing about sleeping on the floor is that you hardly ever oversleep. Especially if it's a tile floor. I really should have checked that, I suppose. Or gone to Jonson's, except that I didn't want to push that situation too fast. Anyway, because Reb and Magic were still asleep, I stepped outside to make my calls.

Ted had left a message giving his number and urging me to call back any time. So, even though it was five AM his time, I saved his number in my address book and then called.

"Mmmf," Ted answered, scratching his head. At first the picture was dark, then he stumbled into the next room and turned on a light.

"You said to call back any time," I explained.

"Yeah, I did," he admitted, still scratching and squinting. "Gosh, though, it's good to see you again, Viv. What are you doing at a hotel named the Banana Tryst?"

"Nothing juicy, Ted. Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm here with Reb and Magic. They just got into town and they wanted someplace cheap and below the radar."

"I don't suppose you three are... ?"

"No, Ted."

"Why don't you have any clothes on?"

"I gave 'em up. It's just easier this way. Look, Ted, I'm hoping you guys can help me out tomorrow. I know it's short notice; I'm just hoping you don't have another mission planned."

"What do you have in mind?" he asked.

I told him.

"Wow. What about traffic?"

"Olivia's here. She'll handle it," I reassured Ted.

"Well, you're right: This is definitely short notice," he continued. "It's been a while since we did anything this big, though. It'll probably be fun. I'll have to talk it over with Manny and the rest of the guys but sure, I think we can help you out. You know, we still have your name on..."

"Sorry, Ted, I gotta go. We'll need to talk at least once more today, OK?" I interrupted. Heading towards me was an unshaven guy wearing a plaid sport coat, lime green slacks, and ventilated gum-sole shoes. Right behind him was a tall black guy wearing a grimy baseball hat and a toolbelt.

"Oh, sure, I just gotta wake up, that's all. I had a dawn call anyway. You take care of yourself, huh?"

"Roger, wilco, and out," I signaled; then we both said Bang! and disconnected.

"How much?" said the creep in the plaid sport coat.

"More than you've got," I replied. "And sorry, I'm not in the market for a used car." Then I threw him and his pal The Glare.

"I like 'em a little spunky," said the pal with the toolbox. Then he took a step closer so I grabbed his arm, spun around, and shoulder-flipped him into the bushes. They were rose bushes, I believe. It felt good and he was lucky. I could have chosen the cactus. Then the guy in the sport coat charged me and I flipped him onto the cactus.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you don't hang around trouble. So before the creep's buddies showed up, or the cops, or whoever, I started the jeep and peeled out. After driving a few miles south and a few more east I found a busy parking lot and pulled in to make a call.

"Why, hello, Vivian," Cynthia greeted me warmly. "I'm surprised you're out this early in the morning."

"I, uh, had a couple of things to deal with before school," I explained. "Is Walt awake? I'm hoping he can help me with something."

"Oh, sure, he's right here. Vivian, did you get your sleep last night? You look tired," Cynthia remarked.

"Yeah, I slept OK," I stated, wishing the motel at least had vinyl tiles, not ceramic.

"Just remember you always have a place here," Cynthia offered warmly. Damn! She had me thinking of that beautiful guest room with the soft blanket, the cool fluffy pillow, the cozy sheets, the heavenly mattress, no bad spring and no tile floor. Perhaps, I thought, it might not hurt to speed that situation up a bit.

"OK, here's Walt," Cynthia announced. "Walt, it's Vivian."

Walt had his PDA set to transmit a shot of the whole kitchen. He was sitting at the kitchen table with Cynthia's sister Natasha Robinsong and a large-framed black woman with a buzz cut. I found out later she was Tanya Hayward, a co-worker of Cynthia's at Bogswamp's.

Cynthia, as it turned out, was half-leaning against the counter top. So were an Asian guy wearing a set of pilot's straps and a really buff blonde guy wearing an electrician's tool belt. Cynthia had one hand behind each of them and both had erections.

"Hello?" said Walt a couple of times. I guess I was off in space.

"Oh, hi Walt," I finally managed to stammer. "It's not too early, is it?"

"Not for me," Walt replied with a grin. Natasha was doing something under the table. This wasn't going well.

"Well, I realize you don't know me very well, but I was hoping you'd help me with something. A friend of mine is thinking of buying a plane and wants a second opinion. Would you be willing to meet him at Plummet Field on Saturday morning and have a look at it?"

"I'm not a mechanic, you know. I'm a pilot," Walt replied. "What kind of plane is it?"

"He didn't say but I get the impression it's not brand new."

"Well, OK; I guess I'm not doing anything else. What time?"

Yes! "Eight in the morning. If you like, I'll drive," I offered.

"Don't you and Adam have some kind of commitment at Bushie's Off-Road?" Walt asked.

"We'll be done in plenty time for that," I assured Walt. "In fact, he can come along if he wants. Is he there?"

"No, he just left for swim workouts," Walt explained. "Actually, he left a bit earlier than usual. Is everything OK between you two?"

"I hope so," I replied. "Shall we meet at seven tomorrow morning, then? That'll leave time for breakfast."

"Sure, that'll be fine," Walt agreed.

"OK, well, thanks for helping me out, Walt. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Vivian. This might even be interesting. Have a good day at school," said Walt, then he reached over to Tanya and disconnected.

Was Adam pissed at me? Is that why he left the house early? Because he was pissed, and he didn't want to talk to me, and he knew I was on the phone? Walt seemed to sense something was wrong... Shit.

Cynthia had noticed something, too, but I didn't need her comments to realize I looked a mess. Plus, I was starving. Fortunately, just down the street was a little Greek restaurant named Cupid's Pita. It even had a drive-through.

The guy working window had a great physique, a great tan, and curly black hair with just a touch of gray around the temples. He was wearing a white pleated miniskirt -- oh, excuse me, a foustanella -- held up by a gauzy sash. A badge on the sash claimed his name was Socrates. He gave me a funny look and a once-over but at least he spoke to my face.

"I think I recognize you," he began. Oh brother, I thought; now I even have to smile and wave at the drive-through workers. Then, to my great amazement he asked, "Aren't you Pietre's friend, Vivian?"

"Uh, yes, I have some classes with Pietre Agoras at Bald Mountain High School," I confessed.

"I thought so. Pietre talks about you so much. My name is Socrates Agoras. I'm Pietre's dad and I own this little Taverna. I think we met once before. Or maybe I saw you on television. A beautiful morning, eh? Now, what can I get for you?"

"I'm hungry enough to eat anything," I admitted. "Do you have a special?"

Well, go figure. Four minutes later I was driving away with two large -- no, huge -- catering chests full of baklava pastries, koulourakia cookies studded with nuts and raisins, spanakopita feta cheese pies, siphnopita cheesecake, karithopita walnut cake, a tray of spinach waffles, two platters of spinach quiche, dozens of pork, chicken, and goat pitas, gyros, and souvlaki, a half gross of shish kabobs, five pounds each of baked shrimp with garlic and spring onions, sardines with oregano and oil, mussels krasata, smoked trout in a dill and scallion marinade, several large bowls of grapes, oranges, and mangos, a tray of grape leaves stuffed with goat cheese and figs, and two huge cartons of tabouli salad with feta cheese and kalamata olives. Socrates also gave me a huge thermos of pitch-black coffee, another of frappe, and four cases of Ioli mineral water: two still and two sparkling. All costing nothing. Otherwise, Socrates said, he and his two girlfriends would have to throw it away.

I ate one pita and one shish kabob on the way to school but had no idea what to do with the rest. Then Rita Rodriguez and Serena Sanchez parked two spaces away from me.

"Is that all food?" Rita asked. Of course she'd smelled it and the catering chests were covered in stickers reading Eat At Cupid's Pita.

"Yeah, and I don't know what to do with it. I'd hate to throw it away," I explained.

"How about taking it inside and sharing?"

"Might as well," I agreed. Then the three of us lugged one catering chest into the athletic building rotunda and set it on a table near the refreshment stand.

Julio Sessums and two of his friends, Manuel Savona and Ali Manzueta, were also in the rotunda, just standing around. They helped us carry in the second catering chest and the drinks, then we all took what we wanted and followed Rita and Serena into the natatorium. I guess the two of them liked watching swim workouts but they seemed to like watching Ali Manzueta just as well.

Ali was a tall black guy, completely bald, with a pretty good set of muscles, gold earrings, and a gold PA. That's a problem black guys tend to have, you know. If their skin is really dark it's hard to see their package. The PA made up a little for that.

Rita and Serena steered Ali to one of the back bleachers, then sat on either side of him and started discussing, of all things, their hair! From what I overheard, both of them were kind of frizzed out. I'm sure Ali would have been completely bored except that Rita and Serena kept rubbing his heads.

About thirty or forty people had been watching the swim workouts but most of them left when they heard about the free food in the rotunda. I took a seat thinking perhaps I'd join Adam and Olivia in the showers later. Damn, though, those aluminum bleacher benches were cold! And I was sure they'd leave lines in my butt.

"Care for a towel?" Julio asked. When I accepted he took a seat to my left. Manuel took the right.

"Rough night?" asked Julio.

"Not rough, hard. I had a hard time sleeping, you might say. Then everyone else was asleep and I had to leave without taking a shower. I'm sure I look a mess. Thanks for asking but I hate you for noticing."

That led to a pregnant pause so I continued, "I was gonna take a shower on the way to school, then I got sidetracked by all that food. I guess I'll take a shower with Adam and Olivia after workouts."

"Yeah, what's with that food?" Manuel wanted to know.