to know exactly what was broken. No, it doesn’t make sense to me either,” he said into the BlackBerry while looking at Max.
“I’m sweating,” said Max, taking the paper and pen. “Do you have a beach towel in that jacket?”
Antonio handed him a handkerchief.
Max swabbed his forehead and handed it back to the butler. “I’m going back in, cover me.”
Antonio patted him on the shoulder.
Max strode over to the leather sectional. “Found some.”
Shannon balanced the paper on her thigh as she wrote. She handed it back to Max. “For Trixie. Tell her I said hi.”
Max slipped the paper into his pocket. “I will, thanks. She’ll love it.”
Antonio rejoined them. “I must apologize, but there is a matter that requires my attention.” He turned to Shannon . “I’ll return to arrange everything for your dinner, Miss Moon. I phoned to have the Roederrer Cristal you left upstairs iced and brought down to you with a clean glass and fresh strawberries.”
She stood up. “You guys are the best.”
Antonio bowed. “Thank you for seeing us. Max, shall we?”
Shannon asked, “Max has to go too?”
Antonio and Max stared at one another.
Antonio cleared his throat. “Well, he does have a tournament to attend.”
Max agreed weakly. “That’s true.”
Shannon killed her cigarette in the ashtray. “I only need him for five minutes.” She stood up and walked over to the end table where Antonio had placed the white Stetson and her flute of champagne. “I’ll hold this hostage.” She plopped the hat onto her head. It sank down over her eyes and bumped against her nose. She saluted them with the champagne. “New sheriff in town.”
Her smile was dazzling.
Max gulped audibly.
Antonio sent him a question with his eyes. Max goggled back. Antonio arched an eyebrow in rephrase. Max blinked several times. Antonio gave up.
The BlackBerry buzzed on Antonio’s hip.
Shannon had the big hat cocked back onto her head. “Five minutes. I promise.” She came up beside Max and slipped her arm through his. “You said you would give me a butler, Antonio. I just need some cigarettes. Oh! And I have another request.”
Antonio, who had been reading the message on his BlackBerry’s screen, suddenly looked up. “Pardon me?”
Shannon patted Max’s arm. “You said you’d introduce me to a butler tonight and now here you are trying to take him away.”
Max gaped at Antonio. “What?”
Antonio’s heart quickened. The sequence of coincidental circumstances played out in his head, and he found himself at that moment the end result of unpredicted chance. “Miss Moon…”
Max tried to extricate his arm from the young actress. “Sorry but…”
“Oops.” The crystal flute fumbled from her hand. A fan of champagne rained down the front of Max’s trousers as the flute shattered across the parquet floor.
“Oh my.” Antonio slipped off his jacket and spread it quickly over the crystal shards. “Miss Moon, you’re barefoot.”
“Your pants…” She handed Max the towel.
“Thanks, its okay,” said Max, taking the towel and wiping off the front of his pant legs. “It was refreshing, really.”
“Max, turn around,” said Antonio, striding quickly to his side.
Max straightened up. “Did I get wet back there too?” He turned in a circle.
Shannon Moon inspected his backside. “Looks fine to me.”
Max turned back to her. “Thanks. Oh. Wow…hey.” He stumbled backwards into Antonio. Flipped around. “She. She.”
Antonio ushered him into the adjoining bedroom. Over his shoulder he said, “We’ll return with a robe, Miss Moon.”
“Okay.”
“And slippers. Please don’t move from that spot.”
In the bedroom Antonio released Max from his grip. The poker player collapsed onto the bed.
“She.
“I’m sweating,” said Max, taking the paper and pen. “Do you have a beach towel in that jacket?”
Antonio handed him a handkerchief.
Max swabbed his forehead and handed it back to the butler. “I’m going back in, cover me.”
Antonio patted him on the shoulder.
Max strode over to the leather sectional. “Found some.”
Shannon balanced the paper on her thigh as she wrote. She handed it back to Max. “For Trixie. Tell her I said hi.”
Max slipped the paper into his pocket. “I will, thanks. She’ll love it.”
Antonio rejoined them. “I must apologize, but there is a matter that requires my attention.” He turned to Shannon . “I’ll return to arrange everything for your dinner, Miss Moon. I phoned to have the Roederrer Cristal you left upstairs iced and brought down to you with a clean glass and fresh strawberries.”
She stood up. “You guys are the best.”
Antonio bowed. “Thank you for seeing us. Max, shall we?”
Shannon asked, “Max has to go too?”
Antonio and Max stared at one another.
Antonio cleared his throat. “Well, he does have a tournament to attend.”
Max agreed weakly. “That’s true.”
Shannon killed her cigarette in the ashtray. “I only need him for five minutes.” She stood up and walked over to the end table where Antonio had placed the white Stetson and her flute of champagne. “I’ll hold this hostage.” She plopped the hat onto her head. It sank down over her eyes and bumped against her nose. She saluted them with the champagne. “New sheriff in town.”
Her smile was dazzling.
Max gulped audibly.
Antonio sent him a question with his eyes. Max goggled back. Antonio arched an eyebrow in rephrase. Max blinked several times. Antonio gave up.
The BlackBerry buzzed on Antonio’s hip.
Shannon had the big hat cocked back onto her head. “Five minutes. I promise.” She came up beside Max and slipped her arm through his. “You said you would give me a butler, Antonio. I just need some cigarettes. Oh! And I have another request.”
Antonio, who had been reading the message on his BlackBerry’s screen, suddenly looked up. “Pardon me?”
Shannon patted Max’s arm. “You said you’d introduce me to a butler tonight and now here you are trying to take him away.”
Max gaped at Antonio. “What?”
Antonio’s heart quickened. The sequence of coincidental circumstances played out in his head, and he found himself at that moment the end result of unpredicted chance. “Miss Moon…”
Max tried to extricate his arm from the young actress. “Sorry but…”
“Oops.” The crystal flute fumbled from her hand. A fan of champagne rained down the front of Max’s trousers as the flute shattered across the parquet floor.
“Oh my.” Antonio slipped off his jacket and spread it quickly over the crystal shards. “Miss Moon, you’re barefoot.”
“Your pants…” She handed Max the towel.
“Thanks, its okay,” said Max, taking the towel and wiping off the front of his pant legs. “It was refreshing, really.”
“Max, turn around,” said Antonio, striding quickly to his side.
Max straightened up. “Did I get wet back there too?” He turned in a circle.
Shannon Moon inspected his backside. “Looks fine to me.”
Max turned back to her. “Thanks. Oh. Wow…hey.” He stumbled backwards into Antonio. Flipped around. “She. She.”
Antonio ushered him into the adjoining bedroom. Over his shoulder he said, “We’ll return with a robe, Miss Moon.”
“Okay.”
“And slippers. Please don’t move from that spot.”
In the bedroom Antonio released Max from his grip. The poker player collapsed onto the bed.
“She.
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