you, I don’t know. I wish I did.” His impatience, fear, and frustration rang true. He knew nada .
Flint jumped in, saying, “It could be a race. I’ve heard high rollers on the top floor of the Fantasy Lady will literally bet on anything, with the minimum bet being a million dollars. Maybe they’re into foot races now. They’ve sure been into soccer for a long time.”
I absorbed the info and turned back to Nick. “Why did you tell Kelli about me? Why did she show up at my place early this morning?”
Nick’s eyes got huge as he stared at me. I could see the wheels turning inside his head. “I don’t know why she’d come to you. I’ve never said one thing about you to her, ever.” He thought. “Wait a minute, once, when we first got together, she asked me about my ex-wife. I told her you and your family ran a detective agency in the Bay Area, a pretty successful one. Other than that, I’ve never said one word about you to her.”
I crossed one leg over the other and considered this. So either Kelli had made up all the malarkey about Nick thinking I was the most beautiful, wonderful, yada yada in the world, or Nick was lying now. I looked at him. He wasn’t lying. He was too scared. Besides, he’d just admitted he loved her. So it was Kelli. She knew by making it sound like he still had a thing for me, she’d hit me in my ego. Ex-husband still pines for ex-wife and admits it to younger, newer wife.
I’m such an idiot.
“Spaulding and his men are still after you, Nick,” I said, uncrossing my legs and standing. “So they must think you have whatever they say you took from him. Get up and strip.”
“What?”
“I said, get up and take off your clothes. You can have a shower while Flint and I go through your things.”
“Are you crazy?” He looked at both of us. “I’m not going to stand up and take off my clothes just because you say so.”
Flint came closer. “Yes, you are, Nicky Boy, or I’ll take them off for you.”
Nick studied me for a moment, and I glared back. Then he shrugged and pulled the wrinkled and stained polo shirt over his head. His Marine dog tags clinked against themselves, protesting the rough treatment.
“You still wear those things, Nick? After all these years?”
“Never take them off,” he said, throwing the shirt to the floor and unzipping the fly of his jeans. I averted my eyes and looked down at the floor. “What’s the matter, Lee? You’ve seen it all before.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to see it again.” Both Nick and Flint laughed, Flint’s laugh more hardy than the embarrassed chortle Nick gave out. I kept my eyes down but joined in the laughter after a moment. His movements ceased, and there was silence. “Done?”
“Done,” said Flint. “Naked as a jaybird.”
“Can I take that shower now?” Nick asked. “I haven’t had one in four days.”
“And you smell like it, Nicky Boy,” offered Flint. “Sure. Second door on the right; towels in the linen closet. Take the blue ones, those are my guest towels.”
Wordless, Nick strode to the bathroom, my eyes flitting to his backside. I had to admit, he still looked pretty good, although out of condition.
While we listened to the running shower, Flint and I search through his shirt, jeans and boxers. Nothing but $16.51 and a receipt from one of the dives.
“Well, if there’s anything here,” said Flint, “I can’t find it.”
“There has to be something,” I looked at my watch. An hour had passed. Only thirty minutes more until the scheduled arrival of Kelli’s yellow Mercedes and the cats. Nick strode out of the shower, his middle wrapped in a blue towel. The light caught the glint of his dog tags.
“Give me those tags, Nick,” I ordered, reaching out my hand.
“You know, you are nuts.” Nick came to a stop in the center of the room. “I’m not giving you my dog tags. They always stay on me. Always.”
“Are you sure? They’ve always been on you?”
“Sure, I’m
Flint jumped in, saying, “It could be a race. I’ve heard high rollers on the top floor of the Fantasy Lady will literally bet on anything, with the minimum bet being a million dollars. Maybe they’re into foot races now. They’ve sure been into soccer for a long time.”
I absorbed the info and turned back to Nick. “Why did you tell Kelli about me? Why did she show up at my place early this morning?”
Nick’s eyes got huge as he stared at me. I could see the wheels turning inside his head. “I don’t know why she’d come to you. I’ve never said one thing about you to her, ever.” He thought. “Wait a minute, once, when we first got together, she asked me about my ex-wife. I told her you and your family ran a detective agency in the Bay Area, a pretty successful one. Other than that, I’ve never said one word about you to her.”
I crossed one leg over the other and considered this. So either Kelli had made up all the malarkey about Nick thinking I was the most beautiful, wonderful, yada yada in the world, or Nick was lying now. I looked at him. He wasn’t lying. He was too scared. Besides, he’d just admitted he loved her. So it was Kelli. She knew by making it sound like he still had a thing for me, she’d hit me in my ego. Ex-husband still pines for ex-wife and admits it to younger, newer wife.
I’m such an idiot.
“Spaulding and his men are still after you, Nick,” I said, uncrossing my legs and standing. “So they must think you have whatever they say you took from him. Get up and strip.”
“What?”
“I said, get up and take off your clothes. You can have a shower while Flint and I go through your things.”
“Are you crazy?” He looked at both of us. “I’m not going to stand up and take off my clothes just because you say so.”
Flint came closer. “Yes, you are, Nicky Boy, or I’ll take them off for you.”
Nick studied me for a moment, and I glared back. Then he shrugged and pulled the wrinkled and stained polo shirt over his head. His Marine dog tags clinked against themselves, protesting the rough treatment.
“You still wear those things, Nick? After all these years?”
“Never take them off,” he said, throwing the shirt to the floor and unzipping the fly of his jeans. I averted my eyes and looked down at the floor. “What’s the matter, Lee? You’ve seen it all before.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to see it again.” Both Nick and Flint laughed, Flint’s laugh more hardy than the embarrassed chortle Nick gave out. I kept my eyes down but joined in the laughter after a moment. His movements ceased, and there was silence. “Done?”
“Done,” said Flint. “Naked as a jaybird.”
“Can I take that shower now?” Nick asked. “I haven’t had one in four days.”
“And you smell like it, Nicky Boy,” offered Flint. “Sure. Second door on the right; towels in the linen closet. Take the blue ones, those are my guest towels.”
Wordless, Nick strode to the bathroom, my eyes flitting to his backside. I had to admit, he still looked pretty good, although out of condition.
While we listened to the running shower, Flint and I search through his shirt, jeans and boxers. Nothing but $16.51 and a receipt from one of the dives.
“Well, if there’s anything here,” said Flint, “I can’t find it.”
“There has to be something,” I looked at my watch. An hour had passed. Only thirty minutes more until the scheduled arrival of Kelli’s yellow Mercedes and the cats. Nick strode out of the shower, his middle wrapped in a blue towel. The light caught the glint of his dog tags.
“Give me those tags, Nick,” I ordered, reaching out my hand.
“You know, you are nuts.” Nick came to a stop in the center of the room. “I’m not giving you my dog tags. They always stay on me. Always.”
“Are you sure? They’ve always been on you?”
“Sure, I’m
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