“Wasn’t me who took down a pimp and two whores single-handed.”
Hmm.
He was right.
Time for a different tactic. “If we keep our deal, I have to explain it to Vance. I’m not sure Vance can take another Yoko Ono conversation,” I told Luke.
Silence.
“Luke?”
“Jesus,” came the muttered reply.
“What?”
He didn’t answer on our primary topic, instead he said, “Tonight, you be sure you take lead. Tex is a nut and Tex is an ex-con. Do not let him do anything crazy. You go down, you got no priors. He goes down, he’s f**ked. The cops want you off the streets and they’ll be aimin’ for you. Take Tex’s Camino, your Camaro’s too visible. And for f**k’s sake, keep sharp.”
Disconnect.
Call number ten came when I was in my kitchen, punching in my alarm code and Boo was shouting at me for treats, very unhappy with my trip to the mall and my gab with Roxie at California Pizza Kitchen and not afraid to tell me.
I dumped my shopping bags and purse on the kitchen table and snatched out the phone. Vance.
“What’s this about Tex?”
Jeez.
“Crowe –”
“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
Time for evasive maneuvering. “Jet wants to know if you want to have Thanksgiving at Eddie’s Mom’s house with her and Eddie, Tex and Nancy, Roxie and Hank, Ally and her parents. Or do you just want to have it with Nick and me? Or, erm… did you, um, have to work or something?”
Oh my God.
I was such a dork.
When Vance answered, his voice was pure silk. Evasive maneuvering was effective and it was clear Vance didn’t think I was a dork.
“What do you want, Princess?”
I felt the warm whoosh in my belly. “Just you and Nick,” I replied.
“That’s what we’ll do then.”
I smiled at the phone. Again.
“I’ll make pumpkin pie,” I said.
“We’ll get one at King Soopers.”
Disconnect.
I stared at the phone.
“I am so sure,” I said to the phone.
“Meow!” Boo said to me.