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“Back off? Did you just tell me to back off? I’ve been waiting twenty-two years for this!” Ally was back to yelling. “You can’t be on a break. That’s ridiculous! Hank’s never gonna get married. There’s no one perfect for him. You’re perfect for Lee and you won’t sort it out with him. I’m never gonna get a niece named after me.”
“For God’s sake, Ally, make your own babies,” I yelled back.
“No, please, don’t do that. Not until you’ve found someone special,” Kitty Sue threw in.
“Um…I don’t mean to interrupt your asinine conversation, but are we gonna let those diamond earrings just sit on the counter?” Tex asked.
“What’s happening?” Duke had walked in and was surveying the scene.
I didn’t know what to do. My life had never been this out of control before. I didn’t know how to deal. I needed space. I needed time. I needed rock ’n’ roll.
“Duke, you okay to close?” I asked Duke and he nodded. In turn, I addressed everyone (but Ally of course). “Kitty Sue, please help Mrs. Salim find a book. Mr. Kumar, the tea’s on the house. Someone put those earrings somewhere safe and if Lee or one of his boys comes to get them, give them to him. Tex, can I borrow your car?”
He tossed me the keys. “Bronze El Camino, parked out back.”
I stomped outside, slid into the El Camino and stared in shock at the 8-track player. After a moment, I noticed there was a huge, leatherette case on the passenger side floor and I popped it open.
That’s when I hit the mother lode.
I ran my finger down them. Carlos Santana, The Eagles, Heart, War, Neil Young, George Thorogood, Thin Lizzy, The Allman Brothers Band, Molly Hatchet, BTO…it was rock ’n’ roll nirvana.
I yanked Free out of the case and slammed it into the 8-track. I turned on the car and rolled down the windows. I turned up the volume, pulled my gold Elvis shades down over my eyes and peeled out of the alley, down Bayaud and onto Broadway. I screeched past Lee, who was slamming the door to the Crossfire, which was parked in a spot right in front of Fortnum’s.
“All Right Now” was screaming from the windows.
Bliss.
TWENTY-THREE
SAY IT AIN’T SO, TEX
Tex and I were on our way to Twin Dragon for Girl’s Night Out Does Chinese.
I’d spent the afternoon at Flat Iron Crossing Mall.
The next best thing after rock ’n’ roll to calm a girl’s soul was retail and Auntie Anne’s pretzels, both of which I exercised in therapeutic proportions.
Since it wasn’t safe to go home (because by now Vance likely had the whole place wired direct to Command Headquarters), I bought myself a new outfit for Girl’s Night Out, including underwear and makeup.
I called Tod and Stevie and invited them, and Tex called me to tell me Kitty Sue gave him a ride home.
I took a shower at Tex’s with a cat lying on the toilet seat watching the whole show. I put on my new red, satin drawstring pants, a bronze silky camisole with sequins stitched across the neckline and strappy bronze sandals. I figured red and bronze were the way to go when going to Twin Dragons as I’d fit in with the décor.
Tex was driving. I was shifting.
“What’s with the earrings?” Tex asked.
“The earrings are bad news,” I told him.
“Not a lot of women would think that about a pair of diamond earrings.”
“I’m not a lot of women,” I replied.
“You can say that again.”
We stopped at a light. I downshifted and explained.
“There’s a war going on. You know that creepy guy who looks like Grandpa Munster who came in yesterday morning? Him against Lee. Who will win me. Bookies are taking bets on it.”
