Ida gave Tina a tight smile and gulped.
“What did you think of Claudia and Sophie?” asked Tina.
“They seemed nice, and they’re beautiful,” said Ida.
“They hated you,” said Tina sharply. “Both of them.”
Ida flinched and turned toward Tina with a look of disbelief.
“You’re a threat to them,” said Tina. “Well, not yet. But you could be. And because you’ve stolen my attention, they hate you more.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s not your fault, don’t worry,” said Tina. “It’s nothing you can control. You have to get used to it. Even the men who want to sleep with you hate you. They only hide it until they get what they want. And if they don’t get what they want, you can bet your life they’ll show it to you then.”
“Is that how it is here?” said Ida.
“Of course,” said Tina. “But like I told you, you learn to relish it.”
They approached the bar and Tina took Ida’s half-full glass from her and laid it down.
“Two sidecars,” said Tina to the bartender before turning to Ida. “Let’s stay here for a while.”
“Ok,” said Ida.
Minutes later they had their cocktails in hand, complete with a slice of orange wedged along the tip. They stood in front of the bar taking sips and inspecting the scene around them.
“Look, there,” said Tina, pointing toward a young man in a tuxedo standing among a group of four beautiful women. “Handsome, isn’t he?”
He was looking directly at Ida, making no attempt to conceal it. He had light brown hair combed upwards and slightly to the side and a stubbly beard which accentuated his jawline. Through a squint his light blue eyes shone through. Without warning he broke away from his female companions and walked in Ida and Tina’s direction.
“Get ready,” whispered Tina.
Oh, no. Don’t come here. Ida got butterflies in her belly, and tried to contain her nerves as he came near.
“You look stunning this evening,” he said on approach, his full attention on Ida.
The eye contact was too much, and Ida looked away briefly before looking back and smiling.
“Terence,” he said, reaching out his hand.
Ida was about to reciprocate and tell him her name, before remembering what Tina had told her earlier.
“What can I do for you, Terence?” she found herself saying.
Terence raised his eyebrows high, his hand still reached out. Ida ignored it and reached forward and rubbed on his jacket collar.
“Nice tuxedo,” she said.
Terence gave Tina a bewildered looked, to which she offered no help, only shrugging and smiling.
“Thanks,” he said. “So I don’t get a name?”
“Not yet,” said Ida, now feeling much more confident maintaining deep eye contact, knowing Tina was standing beside her.
A smile betrayed Terence and he shook his head while biting his lip.
“I won’t bullshit you,” he said. “Now I’m twice as intrigued.”
“I’m glad you’re not going to bullshit me,” said Ida. “If you do, then you’ll never get that name. Or anything else.”
“Fair enough,” he said, narrowing his gaze and turning serious, even appearing vulnerable for a split second. “I’m going to return to my friends. I have no doubt we’ll run into each other again tonight.”
“If it’s meant to be, then sure,” said Ida.
He nodded, almost chuckling.
“See you soon,” he said.
“I look forward to it,” said Ida.
Terence turned around and rejoined his group, who enthusiastically welcomed him back while glancing curiously in Ida and Tina’s direction.
Tina said nothing, only squeezed her nose up and stared expectantly at Ida.
“He was cute,” said Ida, her face remaining stone cold.
Tina snickered and shook her head in disbelief.
“Well done,” she said with an earnest expression. “Well done.”
“Thank you,” said Ida, a sly smirk on her face, having enjoyed the rush of the encounter.
“Let’s go for another wander, shall we?” said Tina. “See how many more hearts you can break.”
“Sounds fun,” said Ida with a nod, once again following Tina’s lead.
The place was crawling, with people laughing in fits, yelling over each other, migrating around the room with beers pressed close to their bodies. At one point there was a collective scream, with a group scrambling in various directions as a cup full of beer flew into the air. Deciphering what was happening inside the Stern and Dolly was going to be tough, figured Frederich, especially from across the road while sitting in his car.
It was a chilly evening, and the street remained as quiet as a suburban street should in the middle of the week. The cold had seeped into the cabin of the car over the passing hours and was working its way through Frederich’s feet and fingers. It did little to distract him. He understood the scope of the challenge which awaited him.
Bibby, Dikka, Pistol, Faust and Vent; all five were at the Stern and Dolly for the second straight night with no apparent hit jobs to keep them busy. Bibby was by far the loudest and most animated, commanding attention with his sheer size. Faust the boxer stood close to a young woman in a tight white singlet, the two of them talking intimately into each other’s ears. The more they drank, the more enthusiastically the woman laughed and laid hands on Faust. At one point they disappeared into the crowd and did not appear again. At 10:41 pm Vent came outside to take a phone call, standing away from the pub by the side of the road before going back inside. The call did not seem urgent. Frederich waited and watched, keenly aware of the deadline. The longer Vent and his friends remained in there, the more the risk increased. To Frederich’s relief, he got a break at 12:13 am. Dikka, Pistol, Faust and Vent came bursting through the door, swaying here
