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As it turns out, I'm absolutely correct.
"No," he says.
"Look." The last thing I want is to muck around with this kid. "Just give me the card."
"No!" The kid's attempting to cry.
"Well, what did that lady say to you?"
"She said"--he wipes his eyes--"that the card belongs to the owner of this dog."
"Well, that's me," I say.
"No--he's mine. The dog's mine!"
Give me Daryl, Keith, and another trouncing any day, I think. Anything'd be better than this kid.
"All right." I adjust the game plan. "I'll give you ten bucks for the dog and the card."
The kid isn't stupid. "Twenty."
I'm displeased, to say the least, but I ask Audrey for a twenty and she gives it to me. "I'll pay you later," I tell her.
"No worries."
I hand over the twenty and receive the Doorman and the card.
"Nice doing business with you." The kid revels in his victory.
I feel like strangling him.
It's not what I expect.
"Spades," I say to Audrey.
She's close enough for her hair to touch my shoulder. The Doorman stands on my foot.
"And you," I accuse him. "You stay put next time."
Okay, okay, he responds, and soon he goes into a coughing fit.
Sure enough, a piece of licorice jumps from his mouth, and guilt crawls into his eyes.
"That'll teach you." I point at him viciously. He tries to ignore me.
"Is he all right?" Audrey asks as we walk away.
"Of course," I answer. "He'll outlive me, the gluttonous bastard." But secretly I smile.
Apparently, we won the game, and there's a victory party at big Merv's place. Marv rings me in the evening and orders me to go since everyone voted me best player for ironing out old Mimi.
"You have to, Ed."
So I go.
Again, I stop by at Audrey's on the way but she's not there. I assume she's out with the boyfriend. It almost turns me off going to Merv's, but I find my way there and go in.
No one
