would never meet.
So the next best thing was to get out of that hotel and go back home to figure out what he
was going to tell his mother about the putto. Maybe there was still time to find one just like it.
Ricky stood up and left a twenty-dollar bill on the table. He smiled at Leyland and said,
“Let’s go.”
Leyland gulped down the last of his martini and followed him out the door with a
swagger in his step. He complained all through the lobby and out on the sidewalk about leaving.
He didn’t understand why Ricky wasn’t going after Chad to get the angel back. Ricky didn’t say
a word. He knew if he tried to explain his feelings to Leyland it wouldn’t have done any good.
He wasn’t even sure what he was feeling. All he knew was he couldn’t do anything to hurt Chad. Confronting Chad about the stolen putto would have been far more difficult than dealing with his
mother and father. Ricky’s mother and father would survive the loss and they’d either replace the
putto or find something similar, and just as stupid, for his mother to obsess about. But Ricky
wasn’t so sure about how Chad would survive.
When the parking attendant drove the Porsche to the end of the garage, Ricky handed him
a ticket stub and reached for the keys. But as Leyland was about to open his door, a deep voice
from behind said, “Ricky, is this your car?”
Ricky’s eyes opened wide. When he turned, Chad was standing next to him. “It might be
my car.” He wanted to play this cool. “Why do you ask?” He felt like a character in an old black
and-white movie.
“I need to talk,” Chad said.
Ricky folded his arms across his chest and said, “Then let’s talk.” He was stunned to see
Chad had followed him outside. He wasn’t going to confront Chad about the putto that moment.
But he also wasn’t going to let the incident slide altogether.
Chad spoke fast, with a hint of panic in his voice. “Let’s talk in the car.”
Ricky motioned to the door. “By all means, get in and we’ll talk.” Then Ricky sent
Leyland a glance.
Poor Leyland was standing beside the passenger door with wide eyes and an open mouth.
When Ricky nodded at the backseat, Leyland opened the door and pushed the front seat forward
without asking any questions.
Then Chad and Ricky jumped into the car at the same time. Ricky switched on the engine
and Chad locked the doors from the passenger seat. “Would you do something for me?” Chad
asked. “You want me to do something for you ?” Ricky asked. “You’ve been playing with my
mom’s putto, and that wasn’t nice.”
“Her what ? I never touched your mother.” He lowered his eyebrows and sent Ricky a
curious frown.
“The crystal angel you took. It’s called a putto. I want it back.”
“Fine,” Chad said. “I’ll get the angel for you. Just drive now. We have to get out of here.”
Before Chad could even finish the sentence, the older man in the pinstriped suit crossed
the street and started waving at them. He walked fast and pointed at the Porsche. “Chad, get out
of that car and get over here. I’m not joking anymore.”
Ricky ignored the man. This guy meant nothing to him .
Leyland’s eyes grew wide and he gripped the seats. “Ricky, start the car and get moving.
This guy looks like trouble, seriously.”
Ricky ignored Leyland. But when the guy reached the car and started banging on the roof,
Ricky shouted, “Hey, asshole. Get the fuck off my car.”
“Get out of here,” Chad said. He didn’t shout. But his voice went higher.
Leyland grabbed Ricky’s shoulder. “This guy isn’t joking, buddy.”
The guy banged on the passenger window and said, “Open the fucking window, Chad.”
“Get the fuck out of here, Carson,” Chad shouted.
“We have to leave right now,” Leyland said.
Ricky
So the next best thing was to get out of that hotel and go back home to figure out what he
was going to tell his mother about the putto. Maybe there was still time to find one just like it.
Ricky stood up and left a twenty-dollar bill on the table. He smiled at Leyland and said,
“Let’s go.”
Leyland gulped down the last of his martini and followed him out the door with a
swagger in his step. He complained all through the lobby and out on the sidewalk about leaving.
He didn’t understand why Ricky wasn’t going after Chad to get the angel back. Ricky didn’t say
a word. He knew if he tried to explain his feelings to Leyland it wouldn’t have done any good.
He wasn’t even sure what he was feeling. All he knew was he couldn’t do anything to hurt Chad. Confronting Chad about the stolen putto would have been far more difficult than dealing with his
mother and father. Ricky’s mother and father would survive the loss and they’d either replace the
putto or find something similar, and just as stupid, for his mother to obsess about. But Ricky
wasn’t so sure about how Chad would survive.
When the parking attendant drove the Porsche to the end of the garage, Ricky handed him
a ticket stub and reached for the keys. But as Leyland was about to open his door, a deep voice
from behind said, “Ricky, is this your car?”
Ricky’s eyes opened wide. When he turned, Chad was standing next to him. “It might be
my car.” He wanted to play this cool. “Why do you ask?” He felt like a character in an old black
and-white movie.
“I need to talk,” Chad said.
Ricky folded his arms across his chest and said, “Then let’s talk.” He was stunned to see
Chad had followed him outside. He wasn’t going to confront Chad about the putto that moment.
But he also wasn’t going to let the incident slide altogether.
Chad spoke fast, with a hint of panic in his voice. “Let’s talk in the car.”
Ricky motioned to the door. “By all means, get in and we’ll talk.” Then Ricky sent
Leyland a glance.
Poor Leyland was standing beside the passenger door with wide eyes and an open mouth.
When Ricky nodded at the backseat, Leyland opened the door and pushed the front seat forward
without asking any questions.
Then Chad and Ricky jumped into the car at the same time. Ricky switched on the engine
and Chad locked the doors from the passenger seat. “Would you do something for me?” Chad
asked. “You want me to do something for you ?” Ricky asked. “You’ve been playing with my
mom’s putto, and that wasn’t nice.”
“Her what ? I never touched your mother.” He lowered his eyebrows and sent Ricky a
curious frown.
“The crystal angel you took. It’s called a putto. I want it back.”
“Fine,” Chad said. “I’ll get the angel for you. Just drive now. We have to get out of here.”
Before Chad could even finish the sentence, the older man in the pinstriped suit crossed
the street and started waving at them. He walked fast and pointed at the Porsche. “Chad, get out
of that car and get over here. I’m not joking anymore.”
Ricky ignored the man. This guy meant nothing to him .
Leyland’s eyes grew wide and he gripped the seats. “Ricky, start the car and get moving.
This guy looks like trouble, seriously.”
Ricky ignored Leyland. But when the guy reached the car and started banging on the roof,
Ricky shouted, “Hey, asshole. Get the fuck off my car.”
“Get out of here,” Chad said. He didn’t shout. But his voice went higher.
Leyland grabbed Ricky’s shoulder. “This guy isn’t joking, buddy.”
The guy banged on the passenger window and said, “Open the fucking window, Chad.”
“Get the fuck out of here, Carson,” Chad shouted.
“We have to leave right now,” Leyland said.
Ricky
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