Death by Rodrigo by Ron Liebman

Author:Ron Liebman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2007-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

I’m coming out of the men’s and there stands Mickie, himself now away from the table after I got up to go and take a piss. He’s standing near where the cigarette machine used to be when there were cigarette machines in restaurants, now there’s a bench between the men’s and the ladies’.

“Come on, Junnie,” Mickie’s telling me. (How many fucking times do I have to hear this?) “You gotta help me out here.”

Meaning, he wants me to take Cynthia’s friend, seated with her downstairs at the table, waiting for me and Mickie to come back so we can order dessert, coffee. Take, as in take her off his hands and out of his house tonight so he can do Cynthia without her holding her palm over his mouth he’s on top of her coming, she’s saying, Shhh, Mickie, Debby’ll hear.

“What is it about no you’re not getting here?” I tell Mickie, starting to go back downstairs to the table. Mickie doesn’t let me pass. He’s pleading with me.

“Jesus, Junne,” Mickie says. “Come on, man, you gotta do this for me. Just one night. I’m going crazy, come on, pal. One fucking night. Won’t kill you.”

“Mickie,” I say. “No. Fuck no. End of discussion.”

He lets me pass and we go down the steps together, Mickie’s muttering all the way down, Shit, fuck, goddamn it.

I mean, I like Cynthia’s friend Debby. She’s nice. Not bad-looking, on the short side, her hair’s natural dark, cut tomboyish, got a good figure, she keeps up, she says, since she’s a massage therapist, telling me she needs to stay in shape, keep her muscle tone up on account of it’s hard work.

Mickie chiming in at the table, elbowing me seated next to him across from Debby, “Girl’s got strong hands, Junne, fix you up good, huh, Debby?”

This was earlier this evening, when we were at the first-round-of-drinks stage, me and Debby really talking for the first time. We all met here at the restaurant. Mickie telling me earlier, I’ll pick the place where we go this time, Junne.

We’re in Cherry Hill, near where Mickie’s house is at. The Fazanno family has restaurants several places in Camden County. The flagship’s here in Cherry Hill called Fazanno’s Cuccina. The son, now the owner, the old man probably dead or in Florida—maybe both—opened a new one, a steak place, right next door. That’s where we’re at tonight. Fazanno’s Steaks. Imaginative name, huh? But, I gotta say, the food’s good. After drinks, two rounds, we ordered Caesar salads, extra anchovies. Steak Pizzaiola for me and Mickie. Steak in red sauce, you’re thinking? What can I say? Sure, it’s a steak place, but come on, the Fazanno family knows where they came from. Cynthia and Debby get the grilled swordfish, easy on the butter. Mickie joking with Cynthia he’ll take care of giving her some meat later. Cynthia chiding him, “You are so crude, honestly,” but I can tell loving it, Mickie being Mickie.

I can see the bar area from here at the table.

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