Eddie chuckled and I realized that a Chow was not good for Lee’s Badass reputation. Especially not one who’s big, fluffy fur was shaved into a dog version of a lion wearing chaps.
Lee needed a German Sheppard or a Rottweiler, not a Chow wearing fur chaps.
“There’s na**d gratitude in it for him,” I blurted in an attempt to save Lee’s reputation.
The mirrored shades turned to me.
“I should hope so.” Eddie leaned in close. “Just for your information, for me, gratitude for hangin’ with a Chow wouldn’t be naked. It would include black lace underwear, a matching garter belt, stockings and stilettos.”
Wow.
I didn’t know, but that seemed pretty brazenly flirty. What did I do with that? Especially from Lee’s best friend, right in front of Lee. And here was me, just having promised not to flirt.
Shit.
I turned to Lee. He was also wearing sunglasses, but his were Top Gun flight glasses, smoky lenses and gold frames. His face was blank but his mouth was tight.
“I don’t have black lace underwear and a matching garter belt,” I told Lee.
Eddie leaned back and chuckled again. Lee’s face didn’t change.
“I have red lace underwear and a matching garter belt,” I said.
This was true, I did.
Eddie quit chuckling.
“And black satin underwear and a garter belt. And then there’s my purple teddy thing with attached garters.” I paused. “I’ll model them all and you can choose.”
I looked at Eddie out of the corner of my eye and the smile was gone.
Then I sat back.
My work was done.
Lee granted me A Smile. It was small but it was meaningful.
“You’ve always been a lucky f**k,” Eddie murmured to Lee.
The waiter came and took our orders. I got my usual, a Café Fantasia, hot chocolate at the bottom, espresso at the top separated by a slice of orange and topped with whipped cream that had teeny sugared-orange sprinkles. Lush.
I ordered a bowl of water for Chowleena.
“You have anything for me?” Lee asked Eddie when the waiter walked away.
“Yep, word is Rick was done by someone from out of town,” Eddie answered.
Lee sat back and his mouth got tight again. “New York?”
“Yeah, but not in the family, an independent contractor. Coxy’s havin’ to hire his guns these days. Gary couldn’t put a bullet in someone’s brain if he had the barrel restin’ against his forehead.”
I thought this was good news. Goon Gary seemed less of a threat if this was true. I was taking my good news as it came these days, no matter how freakishly scary it was.
“There’s talk that there’s two names on his list, Rick was only one of them,” Eddie went on.
“Teddy?” Lee asked.
“Nope, Coxy wrote Teddy off, or at least he did until Teddy hit the street an hour ago.”