Matchstick Men: A Novel About Grifters With Issues by Eric Garcia

Author:Eric Garcia [Garcia, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION, Media Tie-In, crime
ISBN: 9780307488039
Google: DVaVQbMWFCIC
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2003-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

FIVE

Angela is still giddy over the afternoon’s events. She eats her turkey sandwich, barely able to remain seated. “I threw that one glass,” she says, “and it shattered hard. I mean, I didn’t think I threw it hard enough to break that much, but did you hear it? It was like an explosion.”

“You did real good,” says Roy. It’s hard for him not to smile. She’s excited. She did a good job. But Frankie’s not happy. Frankie’s not happy with it at all. He came into the diner once they were already sitting down, barely registered Angela’s presence. Roy tried to introduce them, tried to get Frankie to acknowledge his daughter, but there wasn’t much. A handshake. A grunt. Angela tried, but Frankie just ordered his burger and shut up.

“Almost got cut by some of it,” Angela continues. “I jumped back, though. Did you see that old chick by the counter? The one with the makeup? She almost died when I threw that glass.”

“You did good,” Roy repeats. Turns to Frankie, tries to include him. “Didn’t she do good?”

“Yeah,” he mutters.

“Hit her cue, right on time.”

“Was it okay I yelled so loud?” Angela asks.

Roy nods. “ ’Course. Loud’s the way to go. I said have a fit, hell, you had a fit.”

Angela says, “Frankie?”

“Hm?”

“Was it okay?”

“Yeah. Sure, loud. It was great.”

Roy can’t have this. Frankie and Angela not talking. Frankie never shuts up, and now, tonight, he’s a clam. He can’t operate like that, not tonight. Not if she’s around. He leans over the table. “Take it easy, okay?”

“Take what easy?” says Frankie. “I’m easy.”

“What’s your problem?”

Frankie looks away. “No problem.”

“Thirty-G take, I hope there ain’t a problem.”

Frankie starts to talk, then stops himself. Closes his mouth. Looks to the girl, to Roy. Digs in his pocket, comes up with a bunch of quarters. “There’s some video games a few stores down,” he tells Angela, tossing the quarters onto the table. “Why don’t you go play?”

“If you’re gonna talk about me—”

“We’re not.”

“—I’ll stay.”

“We’re not gonna talk about you. I got business to discuss with Roy.”

Angela shakes her head. Folds her arms across the table. “So I’ll sit here and eat. I won’t bother you.”

“I ain’t saying you’re bothering me, I’m just saying … Roy?”

He doesn’t want to be in this situation. Not a decision he wants to make. “Let the kid stay,” he says. “She’ll sit there, eat her turkey. Go on, eat your dinner.”

Angela smiles and tucks in, pointedly turning her body from the other two. Frankie shakes his head. “This—this is what I’ve been talking about all along.”

“You have a problem me bringing her into this thing. Understood. It was dumb.”

Angela cuts in. “But I did real good, you said it.”

“Shush. Eat.” Roy turns back to Frankie. “It was dumb, but it couldn’t be helped. You called me outta the blue, I had her with me, what was I supposed to do?”

“That’s the thing, you’re the one screaming no partners all the time.”

“Different situation,” says Roy.

“Same situation. Exact same situation.

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