practical joke was being played on me when I saw Stevie at
a candlelit table.
As I
pulled out a chair and sat down, Jeri stood behind me. Placing her hands on my
shoulders, she said, "What can I get you, sweet thing?"
"A
beer. Imported if you have it."
Jeri
massaged my shoulders as she asked Stevie whether she was ready for a refill.
Stevie
leaned across the table after Jeri left. "Nice stuff, huh," she said.
I
turned to watch Jeri walk away. "Not bad."
"They're
all like her in here. Service with a smile."
"College
students?" I asked.
"More
like prostitutes," Stevie said over her glass. "But they can actually
carry on an intelligent conversation about current events, and nothing ever
goes on between the customers and the greeters."
"That's
hard to believe. They're very attractive women," I observed.
"Therein
lies the problem," Stevie grinned. "They're not women."
I
had no idea what my expression must have looked like, but whatever it was
seemed to make Stevie's day.
"No
shit," I said, looking around again.
Jeri
returned with our drinks, and after setting them down, she rested a slender,
well-manicured hand on my shoulder again. Whatever thoughts I might have been
harboring about Jeri earlier were now completely flushed from my mind. That was
what I got for lusting after another woman even if it was only in my mind. I
had obviously been living alone too damn long and needed to take up dating
again...soon.
After
Jeri walked away, I said, "Hope that made your day, Stevie. That why you
invited me to join you today?"
"It
reminded me of that club we went to in Hamburg where all the women were
transsexuals, but it's the first one I've seen around here," Stevie said.
"How'd
you find this place?" I asked, still incredulous.
"The
guys from the Light come here sometimes after work," she said. "In
fact, they were here today. I thought you'd enjoy Jeri's and called you after
they all left."
"Was
Kyle here?"
"Yeah."
Stevie chuckled. "Seems that once upon a time he almost had an intimate
moment with one of the 'girls.'"
"Well,
if they fooled a man, then I don't feel too bad about my reaction." I
laughed as I took a drink.
"Your
name came up," Stevie said.
"Oh,
really."
"We
were discussing overseas work, and when he found out I had been to Africa and
Central America, he asked if I'd ever worked with you."
"And..."
I prompted, leaning forward onto my elbows.
"And
I told him you were a great journalist and the best lay I'd ever had." She
shrugged.
"You
what?" I choked out.
Throwing
her head back, Stevie laughed. "Just kidding, Jo, except for the great
journalist part." After a pause, she said, "Well, the other part is
true, too, but I figured he probably didn't need to know that."
"Thank
you," I said, relieved. "His opinion of me is bad enough without
adding fuel to the fire."
"I'll
tell you the truth, Jo," Stevie said, "I don't think I'm going to
find out anything useful for you. It's like your son has lockjaw when it comes
to talking about whatever he's working on. I've tried buddy-buddy and had him
pretty much three sheets to the wind this afternoon and couldn't get jack out
of him except about his girlfriend."
"Yeah."
I sighed. "I think you're right. Maybe he's decided to dump the
story."
"I
know you'll disagree, but there isn't a story anywhere worth getting shot
over."
"Neither
of us used to think that way." I smiled.
"Well,
maybe your son is smarter than we were."
Chapter
Ten
TWO
LONG WEEKS had crawled by, and Stevie hadn't been able to find out anything
about the story Kyle had been working on at the time he was shot, and I was becoming
convinced it was a dead end. Kyle and Sarita were going about their daily
routines without even a hint of danger around them. I finally decided that it
was time for Stevie to go back to her hideaway cabin when the photographer she
was replacing came back from his vacation. I had gone through the pictures I
had taken in Kyle's apartment a dozen times but still hadn't
a candlelit table.
As I
pulled out a chair and sat down, Jeri stood behind me. Placing her hands on my
shoulders, she said, "What can I get you, sweet thing?"
"A
beer. Imported if you have it."
Jeri
massaged my shoulders as she asked Stevie whether she was ready for a refill.
Stevie
leaned across the table after Jeri left. "Nice stuff, huh," she said.
I
turned to watch Jeri walk away. "Not bad."
"They're
all like her in here. Service with a smile."
"College
students?" I asked.
"More
like prostitutes," Stevie said over her glass. "But they can actually
carry on an intelligent conversation about current events, and nothing ever
goes on between the customers and the greeters."
"That's
hard to believe. They're very attractive women," I observed.
"Therein
lies the problem," Stevie grinned. "They're not women."
I
had no idea what my expression must have looked like, but whatever it was
seemed to make Stevie's day.
"No
shit," I said, looking around again.
Jeri
returned with our drinks, and after setting them down, she rested a slender,
well-manicured hand on my shoulder again. Whatever thoughts I might have been
harboring about Jeri earlier were now completely flushed from my mind. That was
what I got for lusting after another woman even if it was only in my mind. I
had obviously been living alone too damn long and needed to take up dating
again...soon.
After
Jeri walked away, I said, "Hope that made your day, Stevie. That why you
invited me to join you today?"
"It
reminded me of that club we went to in Hamburg where all the women were
transsexuals, but it's the first one I've seen around here," Stevie said.
"How'd
you find this place?" I asked, still incredulous.
"The
guys from the Light come here sometimes after work," she said. "In
fact, they were here today. I thought you'd enjoy Jeri's and called you after
they all left."
"Was
Kyle here?"
"Yeah."
Stevie chuckled. "Seems that once upon a time he almost had an intimate
moment with one of the 'girls.'"
"Well,
if they fooled a man, then I don't feel too bad about my reaction." I
laughed as I took a drink.
"Your
name came up," Stevie said.
"Oh,
really."
"We
were discussing overseas work, and when he found out I had been to Africa and
Central America, he asked if I'd ever worked with you."
"And..."
I prompted, leaning forward onto my elbows.
"And
I told him you were a great journalist and the best lay I'd ever had." She
shrugged.
"You
what?" I choked out.
Throwing
her head back, Stevie laughed. "Just kidding, Jo, except for the great
journalist part." After a pause, she said, "Well, the other part is
true, too, but I figured he probably didn't need to know that."
"Thank
you," I said, relieved. "His opinion of me is bad enough without
adding fuel to the fire."
"I'll
tell you the truth, Jo," Stevie said, "I don't think I'm going to
find out anything useful for you. It's like your son has lockjaw when it comes
to talking about whatever he's working on. I've tried buddy-buddy and had him
pretty much three sheets to the wind this afternoon and couldn't get jack out
of him except about his girlfriend."
"Yeah."
I sighed. "I think you're right. Maybe he's decided to dump the
story."
"I
know you'll disagree, but there isn't a story anywhere worth getting shot
over."
"Neither
of us used to think that way." I smiled.
"Well,
maybe your son is smarter than we were."
Chapter
Ten
TWO
LONG WEEKS had crawled by, and Stevie hadn't been able to find out anything
about the story Kyle had been working on at the time he was shot, and I was becoming
convinced it was a dead end. Kyle and Sarita were going about their daily
routines without even a hint of danger around them. I finally decided that it
was time for Stevie to go back to her hideaway cabin when the photographer she
was replacing came back from his vacation. I had gone through the pictures I
had taken in Kyle's apartment a dozen times but still hadn't
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