years without knowing who he was working for. He should have never let the money lure him in. That would never happen again, guaranteed.
He parked a block down the street and headed to Alexa Blank’s restaurant at a brisk pace.
Through the window he saw her.
She was in a white dress and a black apron carrying two plates of food to a table.
He opened the door, stepped inside and took a seat in the corner booth.
She smiled at him and said, “Be right there.”
“No rush.”
43
When Wilde pressed Alabama to tell him how she knew Mitchum wasn’t the dropper, she eventually relented even though he’d get mad. “I told him I had a secret place where you could see all the lights of Denver. When he asked where it was, I said,
Wilde frowned.
“That was stupid.”
“Yeah, well, if he’d said yes, I wasn’t really going to go,” she said. “I was going to pretend to sprain my ankle or something. The important thing is that he wasn’t interested. He was more interested in a nice soft bed.”
“And that’s what happened, the bed?”
She nodded.
Wilde pictured it.
He must have had a look because Alabama punched him on the arm and said, “You’re jealous.”
“No I’m not.”
“Yes you are.”
“No I’m not.”
“Just say the word,” she said.
“What word?”
“Tell me I’m yours.”
Wilde lit a book a matches on fire, let them burn down to his fingertips and threw them out the window.
“I don’t want you to see him again,” he said. “This isn’t a game.”
“See, you are jealous.”
“No I’m not. The thing is, just because he didn’t want to go to a roof doesn’t mean he’s not the dropper. Who knows how these guys think? Maybe he’ll just store it away for a week and jack off to it. Then one night seemingly out of nowhere he’ll say,
“
Wilde nodded.
“I’m a poet and don’t know it,” he said. “I can make a rhyme any time.” He put a somber expression on his face. “I’m serious when I said not to see him again.”
“He’s a good lover,” Alabama said. “You’re probably better but then again I don’t really know.”
“Alabama-”
“Look at it this way,” she said. “If he’s not the dropper, no harm done and I get a little very-much-needed R amp;R. If he is, he’ll suggest that roof thing at some point. I won’t go up, don’t worry, I’m not that stupid. Either way, we win.”
Wilde lit a cigarette.
“I’ll fire you if I have to.”
“Go ahead and try.”
“Fine, remember it was your idea,” he said. “You’re fired.”
She ran her fingers through his hair.
“Looks like it didn’t work,” she said. “I’m going to pick up some donuts. You want any particular kind?”
He paused.
“White cake with chocolate frosting.”
She tweaked his nose.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Two minutes after she left, the door opened and Secret walked in wearing white shorts and perfect golden legs. She pulled a pink tank top up and rubbed her stomach on Wilde’s.
“Tonight,” she said.
Wilde knew what she meant.
They hadn’t done it last night thanks to Alabama’s little disappearing trick.
“Tonight?” Wilde said. He put his arms around her waist. “What’s wrong with right now?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
No.
He wasn’t.
He wasn’t at all.
To prove it he flung her over his shoulder, locked the door, took her into the adjacent room and kicked the door shut with his foot.
There were no windows.
The darkness was pure magic.
He laid her on the floor, stuck a knee between her legs and kissed her deep.
She responded.
Slowly.
Then she responded more.
Suddenly a terrible thought entered Wilde’s head-Alabama; she’d be back with donuts right in the middle of everything.
He got to his feet and said, “Don’t go anywhere.”
“Wilde-”
“I’ll be right back.”
At the main door, he hung his tie on the outside knob and relocked everything tighter than tight.
Back between Secret’s legs, he picked up where he left off, except the woman had something to say. “I remember what I wanted to tell you. Something popped into my head this morning. I think I read something back in New York a couple of years ago about a woman falling from a building.”
“You mean like here?”
“I don’t know about that,” she said. “All I remember is thinking that it would be a horrible way to go.”
Yeah.
Right.
He didn’t care.
At this second he cared about one thing and one thing only.
His mouth went to hers.
