wiggled it. The boy fondling her chest spit and flipped me the bird.
Milo moved his badge back and forth in front of the bouncer's eyes.
The bouncer followed it, as if hypnotized.
Milo held it still. The bouncer read laboriously.
Someone cursed. Someone else howled like a wolf. That caught on and soon the street sounded like something out of Jack London.
Milo said, 'Open up, Spike, or we start checking IDs and health codes.'
The lupine chorus grew louder, almost blotting out the music.
The bouncer crunched his brows, digesting. It looked painfiil.
Finally he laughed and reached behind himself.
Milo grabbed his wrist, big fingers barely making it around the joint.
'Easy.'
'Op'rung it, man,' said the bouncer. 'Key.' His voice was unnaturally deep, like a tape played at slo-mo, but whiny nonetheless.
Milo backed away, gave him some space, and watched his hands.
The bouncer pulled a key out of his surf-shorts, popped a lock on the bolt, and lifted the bar.
The door opened an inch. Heat and light and noise poured out through it. The wolf-pack charged.
The bouncer leaped forward, hands shaped into what he thought were karate blades, baring his teeth. The pack stopped, retreated, but a
few protests sounded. The bouncer raised his hands high in the air and made patwing movements. The light from above turned his irises red.
His armpits were shaven. Pimples there, too.
'The fuck back!' he bellowed.
The wolfies went still.
Milo said, 'Impressive, Spike.'
The bouncer kept his eyes fixed on the line. His mouth hung open. He was panting and sweating. Sound kept pouring out of the door crack.
Milo put his hand on the bolt. It creaked and stole the bouncer's attention. He faced Milo.
'Fuck him,' said a voice from behind us.
'We're going in now, Spike,' said Milo. 'Keep those assholes calm.'
The bouncer closed his mouth and breathed loudly through his nose. A bubble of snot filled one nostril.
'It's not Spike,' he said. 'It's James.' Milo smiled. 'Okay. You do good work, James. Ever work at the Mayan Mortgage?'
The bouncer wiped his nose with his arm and said, 'Huh?'
Working hard at processing.
'Forget it.'
The bouncer looked injured. 'Whaddya say, man? Seriously.'
