had been filmed by an amateur on a simple point-and-shoot camera. He added he
didn’t want anyone to know they were filming the meeting.
Jesse also said that while Dexter had been napping, he had phoned the town clerk
to get permission to film the meeting. The town clerk told him that as long as he didn’t
cause any disruptions, it was fine. Jesse said he might have to block out a few faces for
legal reasons, but he was mainly interested in getting shots of Dexter fighting for a cause
in which he believed.
When Dexter pulled his BMW into a parking space at the school on Mayflower
Lane, Elliot moaned and rolled his eyes. “What’s wrong?” Dexter asked. He’d parked
next to a white SUV with Pennsylvania license plates. It was the only space left. The
entire lot was filled with cars and there were bicycles lined in front of the entrance.
“You just parked next to the enemy,” Elliot said. “Fred Collette and Steve White.
Fred is the president of the chamber, the one who wants to cancel the fundraiser. Steve is his partner. They’ve been together for a long time. They like being thought of as a power
couple.” He spoke too fast, as if he were trying to get a lot of information in with a
limited amount of time.
Dexter switched off the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Should I
say something to them?”
Elliot turned and looked out of his window. When Steve and Fred saw him in the
black BMW, they smiled and flapped their hands. Elliot smiled back. But he said,
“You’re not going to have a choice. These two are the vicious types, but with smiles on
their faces. They’ve been dying to meet you. Just be friendly, but don’t trust them and
don’t take anything they say seriously. Especially when it comes to Fred. He’s the type
who will hug you and tell you you look spectacular on the day you look your worst.”
Dexter raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Ah well, I see,” he said. “Fred’s a cunt.”
Elliot smiled. “You’ve got the picture.”
When they got out of the car, Fred and Steve were standing at the end of their
SUV waiting for them. Fred walked over to Elliot, hugged him, and said, “It’s so good to
see you, Elliot. We love you so much.” His voice rose with a false, planned lilt.
Steve was less obnoxious. He hugged Elliot and said, “It’s nice to see you again.”
Elliot smiled at them both. “I’d like you both to meet my new friend and the
newest member of the Provincetown Retail Business Association, Dexter Moore.”
Fred smiled. His eyes bugged and his lips pursed. “It’s so nice to meet you,
Dexter. We’ve heard about you. You just bought Keel Cottage on the west end of town.
We just love that house. We really do.”
Dexter smiled and reached out to shake Fred’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Fred.” Then he turned to shake Steve’s hand. “Hi,” he said.
He tried to focus on their faces, but it wasn’t easy to do. Steve had the body and
clothes of a twenty-year-old, but he had the face of a sixty-year-old. His short spiked hair
was dyed light blond and it looked stiff. From the neck down, his stomach was flat, his
low-rise jeans hugged his slim hips to perfection, and his pointy Italian shoes looked
expensive. But from the neck up, he looked like someone’s grandfather after the facelift
and Botox injections.
Fred must have been about ten years younger. He had darker hair with graying
sides, but it was too short for someone with a nose so large. His outfit looked as if he’d
raided Madonna’s 1980s closet. He wore a shiny silver shirt covered with a shiny bronze
vest. His parachute pants were made out of some kind of plastic material and his shoes
were black quarter-boots with three-inch Cuban heels. Dexter hadn’t seen anyone dress
like that in years.
Elliot smiled.
didn’t want anyone to know they were filming the meeting.
Jesse also said that while Dexter had been napping, he had phoned the town clerk
to get permission to film the meeting. The town clerk told him that as long as he didn’t
cause any disruptions, it was fine. Jesse said he might have to block out a few faces for
legal reasons, but he was mainly interested in getting shots of Dexter fighting for a cause
in which he believed.
When Dexter pulled his BMW into a parking space at the school on Mayflower
Lane, Elliot moaned and rolled his eyes. “What’s wrong?” Dexter asked. He’d parked
next to a white SUV with Pennsylvania license plates. It was the only space left. The
entire lot was filled with cars and there were bicycles lined in front of the entrance.
“You just parked next to the enemy,” Elliot said. “Fred Collette and Steve White.
Fred is the president of the chamber, the one who wants to cancel the fundraiser. Steve is his partner. They’ve been together for a long time. They like being thought of as a power
couple.” He spoke too fast, as if he were trying to get a lot of information in with a
limited amount of time.
Dexter switched off the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Should I
say something to them?”
Elliot turned and looked out of his window. When Steve and Fred saw him in the
black BMW, they smiled and flapped their hands. Elliot smiled back. But he said,
“You’re not going to have a choice. These two are the vicious types, but with smiles on
their faces. They’ve been dying to meet you. Just be friendly, but don’t trust them and
don’t take anything they say seriously. Especially when it comes to Fred. He’s the type
who will hug you and tell you you look spectacular on the day you look your worst.”
Dexter raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Ah well, I see,” he said. “Fred’s a cunt.”
Elliot smiled. “You’ve got the picture.”
When they got out of the car, Fred and Steve were standing at the end of their
SUV waiting for them. Fred walked over to Elliot, hugged him, and said, “It’s so good to
see you, Elliot. We love you so much.” His voice rose with a false, planned lilt.
Steve was less obnoxious. He hugged Elliot and said, “It’s nice to see you again.”
Elliot smiled at them both. “I’d like you both to meet my new friend and the
newest member of the Provincetown Retail Business Association, Dexter Moore.”
Fred smiled. His eyes bugged and his lips pursed. “It’s so nice to meet you,
Dexter. We’ve heard about you. You just bought Keel Cottage on the west end of town.
We just love that house. We really do.”
Dexter smiled and reached out to shake Fred’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Fred.” Then he turned to shake Steve’s hand. “Hi,” he said.
He tried to focus on their faces, but it wasn’t easy to do. Steve had the body and
clothes of a twenty-year-old, but he had the face of a sixty-year-old. His short spiked hair
was dyed light blond and it looked stiff. From the neck down, his stomach was flat, his
low-rise jeans hugged his slim hips to perfection, and his pointy Italian shoes looked
expensive. But from the neck up, he looked like someone’s grandfather after the facelift
and Botox injections.
Fred must have been about ten years younger. He had darker hair with graying
sides, but it was too short for someone with a nose so large. His outfit looked as if he’d
raided Madonna’s 1980s closet. He wore a shiny silver shirt covered with a shiny bronze
vest. His parachute pants were made out of some kind of plastic material and his shoes
were black quarter-boots with three-inch Cuban heels. Dexter hadn’t seen anyone dress
like that in years.
Elliot smiled.
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