Read Online Every Man a Menace by Patrick Hoffman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patrick Hoffman
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feeling: optimism. The end was near.
The man sitting behind Raymond said something in their language and the man sitting in front turned around. Raymond expected to see a cool look on his face, but what he saw instead—sadness—made Raymond feel ashamed. The man looked right at Raymond, then answered the man.
“What are they saying?” Raymond asked, trying to sound good-humored.
“He said,” said Gloria, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at the man in back, “that you are a very important person. And that man,” she said, pointing to the front, “said he feels honored to have ridden in the same car with Mr. Repair Man.”
The man in back and Gloria both laughed. Their laughter seemed fake, almost violent. It sounded like barking. “Nothing,” said Gloria, as though Raymond had accused her of something. “They didn’t say anything important. They say, ‘You owe me this, you owe me that.’ They always argue, these two.” The man in front didn’t join in the laughter. “Stupid,” said Gloria.
All five of their heads turned as a police car sped past. Gloria organized her face into an expression of unworried confusion. Raymond looked at her pearls and thought aboutsnatching them off her neck; then he imagined grabbing her face and kissing her. He thought about the last girl he’d kissed, a girl from the Tenderloin named Emily. A man walked out of the restaurant with a phone pinned between his ear and shoulder, carrying large paper bags filled with food. He was muttering something. He looked like a trucker. As Raymond watched, he dug in his pocket, his eyes locked on the van, and a car alarm chirped. He got into the car beside them and drove away.
“Here,” said Gloria, pointing toward the entrance. John’s black SUV was pulling into the lot, heading for a space across from them.
“Hold on,” said Gloria.
They watched as the driver’s door popped open. John, standing tall, his chest puffed out, walked toward the door of the Denny’s. The way he carried himself, calm and slow, made Raymond appreciate him. He went to the cash register and spoke to a redheaded waitress.
“Is Shadrack with him?” Raymond asked.
“He’ll take you to him.” They watched John for a moment. Gloria said, “When he comes out, walk with him. Walk right behind him. Get into the front seat. Don’t talk until you’re in the car.”
John came out with a coffee in his hand. He walked back toward his car.
Raymond opened the door and stepped out. He and Gloria exchanged one final look; her eyes stayed flat and calm. Then he slid the door shut and walked after John.
For some reason, right then, he remembered that Gloria had claimed not to know John. The thought unsettled him,but it was too late to do anything about it. A moment later he was in the SUV.
The inside smelled sweet, like pipe tobacco. John was already turning the car on. “Buckle up,” he said, fitting his coffee into a cup holder.
Raymond watched Gloria’s van—its engine and lights still off—until he couldn’t see it anymore. Then he turned to John.
“You good?” Raymond asked.
“I could complain, but it won’t do nothing,” John said.
Raymond touched the key in his pocket, nodded his head, and looked at the road coming at them. The lights of the dashboard glowed blue. John did something to the steering wheel and the radio switched on; the sound of an announcer providing play-by-play for a basketball game filled the car. Draymond Green is having an MVP-type night, the voice said. They were back on 80, heading away from San Francisco.
“Where we going?” asked Raymond.
“Gonna go meet the man.”
Raymond had a habit, when he was nervous, of working his tongue over each tooth in his mouth. He was doing it right then. He looked in the side-view mirror to see if Gloria’s van was following them, but all he could see was yellow headlights.
“They’re not following us,” John said.
The basketball game continued. John would
The man sitting behind Raymond said something in their language and the man sitting in front turned around. Raymond expected to see a cool look on his face, but what he saw instead—sadness—made Raymond feel ashamed. The man looked right at Raymond, then answered the man.
“What are they saying?” Raymond asked, trying to sound good-humored.
“He said,” said Gloria, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at the man in back, “that you are a very important person. And that man,” she said, pointing to the front, “said he feels honored to have ridden in the same car with Mr. Repair Man.”
The man in back and Gloria both laughed. Their laughter seemed fake, almost violent. It sounded like barking. “Nothing,” said Gloria, as though Raymond had accused her of something. “They didn’t say anything important. They say, ‘You owe me this, you owe me that.’ They always argue, these two.” The man in front didn’t join in the laughter. “Stupid,” said Gloria.
All five of their heads turned as a police car sped past. Gloria organized her face into an expression of unworried confusion. Raymond looked at her pearls and thought aboutsnatching them off her neck; then he imagined grabbing her face and kissing her. He thought about the last girl he’d kissed, a girl from the Tenderloin named Emily. A man walked out of the restaurant with a phone pinned between his ear and shoulder, carrying large paper bags filled with food. He was muttering something. He looked like a trucker. As Raymond watched, he dug in his pocket, his eyes locked on the van, and a car alarm chirped. He got into the car beside them and drove away.
“Here,” said Gloria, pointing toward the entrance. John’s black SUV was pulling into the lot, heading for a space across from them.
“Hold on,” said Gloria.
They watched as the driver’s door popped open. John, standing tall, his chest puffed out, walked toward the door of the Denny’s. The way he carried himself, calm and slow, made Raymond appreciate him. He went to the cash register and spoke to a redheaded waitress.
“Is Shadrack with him?” Raymond asked.
“He’ll take you to him.” They watched John for a moment. Gloria said, “When he comes out, walk with him. Walk right behind him. Get into the front seat. Don’t talk until you’re in the car.”
John came out with a coffee in his hand. He walked back toward his car.
Raymond opened the door and stepped out. He and Gloria exchanged one final look; her eyes stayed flat and calm. Then he slid the door shut and walked after John.
For some reason, right then, he remembered that Gloria had claimed not to know John. The thought unsettled him,but it was too late to do anything about it. A moment later he was in the SUV.
The inside smelled sweet, like pipe tobacco. John was already turning the car on. “Buckle up,” he said, fitting his coffee into a cup holder.
Raymond watched Gloria’s van—its engine and lights still off—until he couldn’t see it anymore. Then he turned to John.
“You good?” Raymond asked.
“I could complain, but it won’t do nothing,” John said.
Raymond touched the key in his pocket, nodded his head, and looked at the road coming at them. The lights of the dashboard glowed blue. John did something to the steering wheel and the radio switched on; the sound of an announcer providing play-by-play for a basketball game filled the car. Draymond Green is having an MVP-type night, the voice said. They were back on 80, heading away from San Francisco.
“Where we going?” asked Raymond.
“Gonna go meet the man.”
Raymond had a habit, when he was nervous, of working his tongue over each tooth in his mouth. He was doing it right then. He looked in the side-view mirror to see if Gloria’s van was following them, but all he could see was yellow headlights.
“They’re not following us,” John said.
The basketball game continued. John would
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