My My Little Prince Page 25

  “You have been extremely helpful.” He tucked a thousand pesos and yet another business card in her revealing cleavage and winked. “Anything else you can tell me … ” but she was already shaking her head, ready to go and share her new found wealth. “Well thank you, thank you very much and ‘muchas gracias’! You have been so much help. Maybe now I can find my old buddy.”

  Frank skipped down to the lobby again. “Campbell, huh. This guy is nuts. I can't wait to find him. I hope David is sharpening up his darts, ‘cause I think I will be bringing home his balls sooner than I thought. Frank waved back at the old man and was outside on the stoop when he flagged down the first cab he saw, “Hey, where are the ladies amigo?” he asked.

  The cabbie looked at him like he was crazy. “Señor, no tiene ojos en su cabeza?” He chuckled, “Didn’t you look around. There are three houses on this block or, if you like, there are a few more about ten minutes from here.

  Frank laughed. He was in a great mood now. “Let’s go there then, I don’t really like this area and I'm ready for a little company, if you know what I mean.”

  The cabbie laughed too and said, “I sure do, nothing like a warm love’n lady.”

  “You ain't kidding amigo ... warm love’n and cold beer. It's a great combination.”

  29

  “OK Michelle, you deal with her.” Sherine told Michelle.

  Michelle instantly screamed back, “No fucking way Sherine! Don’t put that on me! I can't and I won’t. Remember it was your idea to have mom visit. And, if you remember, I told you that I did not want to see her ... as far as I am concerned she is dead to me! I will not have anything to do with her.”

  Sherine looked down and said quietly, “Please...I don’t want anything to do with her either, Michi. But then I want to go back to the beach, build sand castles and start over again. Do you understand? Of course you do not. Oh, what am I saying. You know I am crazy. I don’t know what I was thinking when I thought I did. I must have been even crazier, but I do.... Oh, forget it.” She forced a chuckle. “You know I can be crazy at times.”

  Michelle echoed her half laugh, but softened. “You? Crazy at times? Like I don’t know you. I knew you would come to your senses and realize that if she is here at all it will be mean trouble. And what about her new husband, Paul?”

  Sherine steeled herself now. “What about him?” She responded, her voice a bit shrill. She paced in front of Michelle and continued, “well, I hope she comes and we all have a great time, but then again we can make her wish she had never called us again. I am sure she has given him some line of BS, otherwise he would have never stayed with her. Michelle, my head hurts I don't want to think about her anymore, ok.”

  “H-m-m, different might be fun after all.” Michelle smiled devilishly as she pressed a sweaty glass of iced Coca-Cola against her temple. She set the glass down in a growing ring of water. “She gives me a headache too. What are you thinking now Sher?”

  Sherine smiled at Michelle, “That is the story of her life, and ours too.” She picked up Michelle’s glass and took a swallow before setting it back down on top of a cardboard coaster she’d brought home from some bar. “… ‘things will always be better, just don’t say anything, do as you are told and look the other way’ ... It is such BS. She has a reason for coming and when we find out what it is we will be sorry we ever had anything to do with her again. So we have to be ready. God, what was I thinking! Michelle, my head is pounding. Please stop.” Sherine holds her head in her hands, “Ok. You are right, Michelle, but we will not know why she is really coming until she gets here.”

  Michelle turned and told Sherine, “OK, here is the deal. We go along with her story until we figure out what she wants and why she is really here. Who knows, maybe you will get over wanting to kill her after we have some fun with her.”

  “I do not want to kill her. Who told you that?” Ok, Sherine, whatever.” Michelle shook her head impatiently, “You are as screwed up as mom; one minute you want to kill her and the other you want to be her best friend. Sherine, I will never understand you. Did you chew a few of those Xanax? You did, didn’t you?”

  Sherine smiled and said, “Yeah, and I had a few shots of tequila and a great date with my vibrator earlier too if you must know.”

  Michelle laughed and continued to stare at Sherine, “Sherine you are going to kill yourself or someone else someday.”

  “Oh Michelle, No. I do not know where you get the idea I do not want to kill anyone. Well maybe I have a slight idea, but you know that is my sad side talking. Come on Michelle. I love you, please do not think of me like that.”

  “Ok, you’re right. You have not killed anyone yet.” Looking at Sherine, noticing a tear trickling down her right cheek she says, “I know Sherine, you are good and I'll be nice until we figure out her angle or until she pulls one of her tricks and tries to get us to do something for her. When is she supposed to be coming Sherine?”

  Sherine was dazing off in the distance, not really hearing now.

  “Sherine-Sherine-Sherine, you are not listening again. When is she supposed to be coming?”

  “Oh, ah, I don't know exactly she says as she reaches for a tissue ... tomorrow. Late afternoon-ish ... she wants us to meet her at the airport. I wrote down the time somewhere.” She walked over to a side table and sorted through a small pile of papers. “Here it is, Jet Blue at four-forty-seven pm.

  “Christ, that’s right during rush hour! Tell her to get a fucking cab, I hate going to Orlando to that fucking airport!” Michelle spouted. “She’s rich now. See she is starting already. I told you, I’m not doing anything for her until I see why she is really here!”

  Sherine nodded at this and the decision was made. Michelle lightly punched Sherine in the shoulder several times, and laughed out loud, “Enough about the old lady, tell me Sherine, why aren't you seeing Joe tonight? Anything change? Did he find your Xanax? Bite marks? Your bottle of vodka under the bed?”

  Sherine jerked her arm away and looked at Michelle crossly, “Come on Michelle, I need your love now and you know that I need all of that to get through the day, okay? Once I marry Joe I will be calm and normal. And to answer your question, I told Joe I needed a night with my sister … and I do. I have been with him a lot lately and I need some space. I told him that I wanted to go to sleep early because I have to work in the morning. He is so good to me.”

  Coming back into focus Sherine picked at her cuticles in her lap, and then she looked back up at Michelle, “Yeah, like you are such an angel. Come on big sis, let’s knock down a few shots and chase them with a few beers.”

  “Sounds like my baby sis is back again from her other side.”

  Sherine headed for the refrigerator.

  “Poor Joe.” Michelle called in after her. “If and when he knows, I wonder what he will do?”

  In the kitchen, Michelle was cracking open a couple cold beers when Sherine followed her in with the vodka bottle. She poured two healthy shots. “So Sherine what about the wedding?”

  “What about it Michelle.”

  “You know, where are you going to have it, … are ya going to wear white … have a cake?”

  “Well, somewhere big. Joe wants that. And so sure, I am going to have a cake. I don’t know about white though, that may be pushing it even if Joe doesn’t know!” They both laughed and Sherine continued wistfully. “I have to find some big hall though. His family is huge and besides, I want all the bikers there.”

  Michelle looked surprised, “Well that may not be too cool. Remember Joe has no idea of our colorful past.”

  “You mean of the times we had together?”

  “Well, yeah, and of Smitty too for that matter. And what do you think he would say if he knew about us, and Spinner and … ”

  “Yeah and you paying your rent when I was passed out.”

  Sherine handed her a brimming shot glass, “Er, yeah, I told you I was sorry about that, but yeah, and of countless other ‘little’ things ... li
ke no panties at the pool hall.” They clinked their glasses and threw back the icy gin.

  Sherine changed track, “You know Michelle? ...”

  “What baby,” Michelle asked?

  “I liked it.”

  “What did you like?”

  “I liked leaning over the table while all the bikers were behind me. It was such a turn on, that power I had over them ... I still like it!”

  “Yeah, for the whole bar to see.” They did another quick shot but Michelle coughed out as she swallowed wrong. She spit vodka all over Sherine and both girls started laughing hysterically and pushing and shoving each other. They ended up giggling in each other’s arms.

  “let’s go down to the pool hall and make a few dollars. What do you think Sherine?”

  Sherine smiled at this idea and told Michelle, “Excellent idea. But not this one, let’s go to the other one near the Pier. I have not strutted for a while and while I am still single. I likes to mingle!”

  Michelle threw her arm over Sherine’s shoulder and headed for the bedroom so they could get ready. She sang, “We are sin-gle - and we likes to min-gle - we can get any man - to do what we wa-nt!”

  They laughed and Sherine threw open her closet doors. They started rummaging through clothes. She mimicked as she started holding up outfits and checking them in the full-length mirror stuck on the back of the door, “yes, we are so incredibly good looking and we can get any man to do anything we want!” She posed with a little black dress held up under her chin then wrinkled her nose and tossed it on the bed. “What do you think Michi? Are we are ready for a little wild sex with a new face … just the three of us?” She grinned as she poked an elbow in Michelle’s ribs pushing her out of the way of the mirror. “See? There is life after Spinner.” She nodded at her reflection. “If you are in, I want to put on this short black skirt, my CFM heels and this slinky blouse. What do you think.”

  Michelle looked her up and down and blew out a breath, “Well, that depends if you want them to actually fuck you or come in their pants at the first sight of you! Damn girl! That’s H.O.T. Let me see what you have here that will fit me.”

  Sherine was in the bathroom and she started the shower running. “Hey Michelle.”

  “What sweet baby?”

  “Hand me the vodka bottle, will you?”

  She handed it to Sherine after she guzzled a long pull. Sherine took her turn. She wiped her lips on a towel hanging on the back of the door. “I want to get wasted tonight and celebrate my future wedding in my style.”

  “What’s your style Sherine”?

  “My style? You know my style baby! Every guy in that place wanting me. And me having the pick of the litter… taking control.

  “I like your style, Sherine. Let’s do it.”

  Twenty minutes later….

  “Ok, how do I look now Sherine?”

  “Bad baby ... like the bad girl you always wanted to be. What about me?”

  Michelle looked her up and down and Sherine twirled. “Wow, you look killer Sher. You’re gonna knock ‘em all dead!”

  “Perfect let’s go ... the night’s not getting any younger!” They headed for the door but Sherine stopped. “Hold on Michelle, I want to chew a Xanax too.”

  Michelle stopped in her tracks and looked back at Sherine shaking her head, “I will have to carry you home if you chew them and drink like normal.”

  Sherine stared her down. She threw one in her mouth, chewed and swallowed. She opened her mouth to show Michelle it was all gone. “Then carry me bitch!” She continued on without a second thought, “I swear Michelle, if these heels didn't make my ass look so good I’d never wear them ‘cause they are killin’ my feet!”

  Michelle could only look at her and shake her head. She walked out the door, almost pulling Sherine out with her and said, “Lock the door then and let’s get going!”

  As they left the apartment, Sherine asked Michelle, “Hey, do you wanna walk to the bar just down the street first and have a beer and then drive to the Pier Pool Hall? Otherwise, it will be twenty minutes without a beer.”

  “Sherine that is an idea I can live with. Man girl, that must be why they pay you the big bucks!”

  They had only walked a minute or so when a car pulled up along-side and slowed. It continued a few more yards and then did a quick K-turn in the dimly lit street.

  Sherine looked at Michelle and pulled her elbow. They stopped. “Hey Michi, see that car?”

  “I’m not blind girl.”

  “What are they doing? Do you know them?”

  “Don’t know, but they definitely got a bead on us.”

  They started walking again, huddled together but Sherine stumbled and fell on a garbage can lid. She landed on a small patch of grass without really being hurt, other than her pride. She started to laugh as Michelle sat down next to her and laughed with her, the prowling car forgotten for the moment.

  “What ass hole left a lid without the can?” Michelle laughed. Some ass hole left a lid without the can!”

  “No shit Sherlock, you’re a rocket scientist,” Sherine giggled at Michelle as she attempted to stand.

  “Hey bitch, we are both wasted, just remember that. Concentrate on walking straight and not falling.”

  At that moment the car came slowly by again. They turned and watched it go and Sherine smirked, “Wonder what those idiots want?”

  “Are they cute?” Michelle asks Sherine.

  “Come on Michelle; see they are turning around again.” They started hustling toward the bar again. They could see the street lights streaming on the sidewalk through the front windows and music was beating. “See, here they come again.”

  For the third time the car passed them slowly, but this time it stopped, facing them. “Look they stopped.”

  “No shit again Sherlock, boy, you are really on tonight,” Sherine laughed.

  The car pulled up next to them. A window rolled down and a young Latino man poked his head out and asked, “Excuse us ladies, but do you know where ... ”

  Just then a car behind them started blowing its horn. They could not hear what the passenger said. Sherine stumbled up to the car but managed to look him squarely in the eyes. She wobbled only slightly and asked, “Where what is handsome?” Michelle stood slightly behind Sherine wondering if she needed to help stabilize Sherine.

  He smiled a big grin and said “You know, your apartment?”

  “What?” Sherine says.

  “Your apartment, you know, where you live. It’s gotta be closer than mine!” He grinned, his white teeth glowed in the dark interior.

  Sherine huffed, “What the hell are you talking about? Who do you think you are talking to!” She straightened back up and waved him off with her middle finger.

  He opened his door and the passenger door opened at the same time. Two lanky Hispanics wearing dark cowboy hats and tight jeans jumped out. The driver grabbed Sherine and the other taller man was on Michelle before she could get two feet. He twisted Michelle viciously by the arm as he flicked open a knife, “Like I asked you, Linda, where is your fucking apartment?” and he gave her arm a savage yank.

  The driver hissed at them, “We want to party with you chicas tonight. We thought you might invite us back to your apartment. Both of you. Got it? Now you get in the front” and he shoved Sherine. Her high heel caught on the edge of the curb causing her to fall and she landed half in half out of the old car. He jerked her up and pushed her further in across the bench seat and threw his arm around her shoulders.

  “And you get in the back puta,” said the other guy. He grinned savagely and a gold tooth shone thru his dark goatee. He grabbed the back of her neck and bumped her toward the door with his hip. As he threw her in the back, he continued, “without making a scene too, or I'll end the party right now and right here and you will not like the ending. That’s a promise puta.”

  As they peeled away from the curb, the guy in back told Michelle that he wanted her to suck him. Michelle eyes w
ere wide with fear and anger. She looked at Sherine in the rearview mirror but the driver grabbed Sherine forcing her head below the seat back out of the mirror's view while hearing the guy in the back speaking to Michelle. “Listen cariña, we don't have all night, get that mouth of yours down there and don't make a mess, my wife would not like to see that. You swallow and keep it clean. And if I even begin to feel your teeth I’ll slit your fucking throat!”

  Michelle quickly unzipped Gold Tooth’s pants and started to do as she was told. Sherine looked at the guy she was next to and said seductively, “Hey, you’re pretty cute baby, please don't hurt us.”

  “Then start sucking puta and don’t forget the rules ... no mess, no teeth, got it?”