vindication, a gloating glory. It only remained to be seen how dear a price he would pay for it.
The next box over from Papa and the mayor belonged to the college president. I noticed my parents sitting there, along with a couple of trustees and some rich old alumni. We didn’t so much as nod.
Alie was playing Tammy Truman, the top Hillsboro College player who got into the tournament as a courtesy to the school. Poor Tammy got mugged out there. After she lost the first set 6-1, she took a white bandanna out of her tennis bag and waved it in surrender. The crowd loved it, and I saw a bunch of white handkerchiefs waving back in sympathy. Alie played along, aiming her racquet like a rifle at Tammy. The cameras flashed, and that was the picture on the front page of the Courier in the morning. No wonder Alie was so popular. She had talent and style—if you didn’t know her.
Then Alie finished what she started, mowing down Tammy 6-0 in the second set to win the match. She was a killer, that was for sure.
I lounged by the door to the locker room as I waited for Alie to change. She didn’t take long, blowing into view like a model off a runway, dressed in jeans, a white shirt and a bright, multi-colored vest. The vest, left unbuttoned, also left no doubt she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Everything about her said she was on the prowl. I used to see that look all the time when I was with Jaws, the one that athletes got after they won and were ready to collect their trophies. It had been the cause for some pretty torrid nights in the sack. There was one time after Jaws won a softball game in the last at-bat with a grand slam...wow.
Alie saw the glow of memory in my eyes and took it for admiration. She smiled smugly as I escorted her to the police car. “Ready for Poe’s?” she asked.
I came back to reality in a hurry. I slammed the door so she couldn’t escape from the backseat and got in to drive. “I told you. I can’t take you there.”
“Then just drop me off. You can say you don’t know where I am.”
“Are you nuts? I’m not allowed to let you out of my sight.”
“Look, just take the poker out of your ass and let’s go. Who’s going to know?”
“Oh sure, like you’re not the most famous person in Hillsboro and no one will notice you. Listen, I am not going to lose my badge for you.”
Alie slitted her eyes. The screech in her voice was as bad as I’d heard it. “If you don’t take me there, I’ll see that you do lose your badge.”
I’m sure Alie expected me either to wilt or get mad. What she didn’t know was that I was never more relaxed than when I was threatened. After a lifetime of being in trouble, it was my natural habitat.
I startled her by simply laughing. I put the car in gear and headed out.
“Where are you taking me? Where are you taking me?” she demanded.
I ignored her and drove to the College Inn. Alie was a thundercloud of silence. I parked and let her out. She fled upstairs and slammed the door to her room. I opened the door to mine and prepared to wait until the bars shut down at one A.M.
Time passed, and then I heard the elevator stop. It discharged Tammy Truman, the college player Alie had slaughtered earlier in the evening. Alie must have called her. Tammy went to Alie’s door and knocked. She was carrying a package that only could have contained a six-pack of beer.
Well, Tammy was of age, and I was damned if I was going to play dorm mother to see who drank it.
Alie’s door opened only wide enough to admit Tammy. I stayed on alert to see whether they tried to slip out on me, but they didn’t. They had a room service cart delivered with food and a bottle of wine, but that was it for the night.
After one A.M., I called the officer on duty in the lobby and said I was turning in. I was mildly curious about whether Tammy was going to stay, but I hadn’t had much sleep the night before and I was tired.
The hell with it, I thought, and the hell with Alie, too.
Chapter
The next box over from Papa and the mayor belonged to the college president. I noticed my parents sitting there, along with a couple of trustees and some rich old alumni. We didn’t so much as nod.
Alie was playing Tammy Truman, the top Hillsboro College player who got into the tournament as a courtesy to the school. Poor Tammy got mugged out there. After she lost the first set 6-1, she took a white bandanna out of her tennis bag and waved it in surrender. The crowd loved it, and I saw a bunch of white handkerchiefs waving back in sympathy. Alie played along, aiming her racquet like a rifle at Tammy. The cameras flashed, and that was the picture on the front page of the Courier in the morning. No wonder Alie was so popular. She had talent and style—if you didn’t know her.
Then Alie finished what she started, mowing down Tammy 6-0 in the second set to win the match. She was a killer, that was for sure.
I lounged by the door to the locker room as I waited for Alie to change. She didn’t take long, blowing into view like a model off a runway, dressed in jeans, a white shirt and a bright, multi-colored vest. The vest, left unbuttoned, also left no doubt she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Everything about her said she was on the prowl. I used to see that look all the time when I was with Jaws, the one that athletes got after they won and were ready to collect their trophies. It had been the cause for some pretty torrid nights in the sack. There was one time after Jaws won a softball game in the last at-bat with a grand slam...wow.
Alie saw the glow of memory in my eyes and took it for admiration. She smiled smugly as I escorted her to the police car. “Ready for Poe’s?” she asked.
I came back to reality in a hurry. I slammed the door so she couldn’t escape from the backseat and got in to drive. “I told you. I can’t take you there.”
“Then just drop me off. You can say you don’t know where I am.”
“Are you nuts? I’m not allowed to let you out of my sight.”
“Look, just take the poker out of your ass and let’s go. Who’s going to know?”
“Oh sure, like you’re not the most famous person in Hillsboro and no one will notice you. Listen, I am not going to lose my badge for you.”
Alie slitted her eyes. The screech in her voice was as bad as I’d heard it. “If you don’t take me there, I’ll see that you do lose your badge.”
I’m sure Alie expected me either to wilt or get mad. What she didn’t know was that I was never more relaxed than when I was threatened. After a lifetime of being in trouble, it was my natural habitat.
I startled her by simply laughing. I put the car in gear and headed out.
“Where are you taking me? Where are you taking me?” she demanded.
I ignored her and drove to the College Inn. Alie was a thundercloud of silence. I parked and let her out. She fled upstairs and slammed the door to her room. I opened the door to mine and prepared to wait until the bars shut down at one A.M.
Time passed, and then I heard the elevator stop. It discharged Tammy Truman, the college player Alie had slaughtered earlier in the evening. Alie must have called her. Tammy went to Alie’s door and knocked. She was carrying a package that only could have contained a six-pack of beer.
Well, Tammy was of age, and I was damned if I was going to play dorm mother to see who drank it.
Alie’s door opened only wide enough to admit Tammy. I stayed on alert to see whether they tried to slip out on me, but they didn’t. They had a room service cart delivered with food and a bottle of wine, but that was it for the night.
After one A.M., I called the officer on duty in the lobby and said I was turning in. I was mildly curious about whether Tammy was going to stay, but I hadn’t had much sleep the night before and I was tired.
The hell with it, I thought, and the hell with Alie, too.
Chapter
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