Delicious by Mark Haskell Smith Page A

chair.
    â€œYou’re so fuckin’ hot, baby!”
    Joseph couldn’t help but notice that Jack was—well, highly aroused. He nudged his uncle.
    â€œUncle, look.”
    You couldn’t miss it. Neither could the stripper. She bent down close, staring right at the apex of Jack’s triangulated crotch.
    â€œYou want a private dance? I can make you happy.”
    â€œOh, yeah, baby.”
    â€œTen minutes, okay? I’ll come for you. Maybe you come for me?”
    Jack’s eyes rolled in his head. “Oh, yeah!”
    The woman turned and began abusing the pole with her ass. Jack watched in awe.
    Sid leaned in to Joseph and shouted in his ear, “Lemme handle dis.”
    Before Joseph could argue, Sid had bulled his way past him and was taking the seat next to Jack. Jack continued to proclaim his new discovery.
    â€œOh, my God. No wonder there’s ten billion of ’em! Look at the Chinese chick! Oh, my God! Look at those Chinese hooters! Who knew about this? Who?”
    â€œShe’s Korean.”
    Jack turned and looked at Sid. “Korean? You sure?”
    â€œFo’ sure.”
    Jack nodded, processing the new information, rethinking his trip to Hong Kong. “Is all Korean pussy like that?”
    â€œI don’ know.”
    Jack poured half a beer into his mouth and shook his head. “Here’s to Pyongyang poontang!”
    Sid had heard enough. He picked Jack up by the collar and lifted him out of his chair. Jack sputtered a little tough-guy talk, but Sid had him moving toward a room in the back. Joseph intercepted the bouncer.
    â€œIt’s cool. Our friend needs to puke.”
    The bouncer nodded and went back to grinding his teeth and watching the crowd, waiting for someone to slip up so he could vent some of his cocaine-fueled tension.
    Joseph hurriedly followed Sid, hoping his uncle wouldn’t do anything he’d regret.
    He found them in a semiquiet spot in back. Sid had squashed Jack into a vinyl banquette and was looming over him. Jack wasn’t intimidated; he was bouncing off the seat, yelling at Sid, spit flying out of his mouth.
    â€œI know who you are! You don’t fucking scare me.”
    Sid, surprisingly, remained cool. “I’m not tryin’ fo’ to scare you. I’m tellin’ you wot it is.”
    â€œFuck you!”
    Sid nodded, like a good parent waiting for a teenager to stop raging. “I’m only gonna say dis one time den.”
    â€œAnd I’m gonna say this until you go away. Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!”
    Sid just crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at Jack. He didn’t say anything.
    â€œIf you don’t mind, I’m going back to the Korean chick. I got some unfinished business.”
    Jack tried to stand, but without his walker he wasn’t going anywhere. He flopped around, struggling and thrashing for a few minutes, and then gave up and glared.
    â€œWhat? What the fuck do you want?”
    â€œYou gonna listen?”
    Jack nodded. Sid leaned in.
    â€œHere’s the deal. You got the job. Good fo’ you. You brought some trucks over. Good fo’ you. The union is gonna drive your trucks, they gonna take real good care of ’em. They’re gonna make you look good.”
    Jack nodded, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
    â€œWhen the job’s over, you leave da trucks where dey are and you go back to Las Vegas.”
    â€œIn your fucking dreams, King Kamehameha.”
    â€œYou don’t want no problems den. You understand dat?”
    Jack’s face flushed red.
    â€œI understand. Now you wanna know what I think?”
    â€œSure.”
    â€œYou want a war, you got one.”
    â€œYou don’t wanna go there. Not with us.”
    Jack took that in.
    â€œOh really?”
    Sid nodded.
    â€œDis is our island.”
    Jack pulled himself up, struggling to maintain his balance, and leaned as close as he could to Sid. Then he started