“Did you just hang up on Lee?” she asked.

“Yep,” I answered.

Ally stared back at the phone, then back at me.

“You just hung up on my brother?” Ally asked, sidling into bitch smackdown mode in defense of her sibling.

“Ally,” Kitty Sue said placatingly.

“We’re on a break,” I told Ally.

“You’re on a break? You’ve been together a week!” Ally yelled.

“We’re on a break,” I repeated.

“I don’t believe this,” Ally snapped, her hand at her hip, countdown to bitch smackdown mode hitting critical.

“Ally,” Kitty Sue put in, “it’s none of your business.”

“What do you mean it’s none of my business? Lee’s my brother, she’s my best friend.”

“She means it’s none of your business,” I told Ally, “back off.”

“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 and 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.

A yanked Free out of the case and slammed it into the 8-track. I turned on the car, rolled down the windows, 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 passed 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.

Chapter 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 decor.

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 said.

“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.”

“So creepy guy is tryin’ to buy you with diamonds,” Tex deduced.

“Yep, and a seventeen hundred dollar dress from Saks.”

“What’s Lee giving you?”

I counted and then told him, “Six of the best orgasms I’ve ever had in my life.”

“Too much information,” Tex said.

We shot forward from the light and I shifted to second.

“And I’ve been in love with him since I was five,” I went on.

Tex nodded as I shifted up to third. “No contest, then.”

I sighed.

“No contest.”

We parked and went in. The table was round and full of Marianne, Dolores, Tod, Stevie, Kitty Sue and Ally. Two seats were open between Ally and Dolores. Tex took the one by Dolores, leaving me to sit by Ally.

I turned to her.

“Are you over it?” I asked.

“Whatever you’re mad at Lee about… are you over it?” she returned.

Okay, guess we knew where we stood.

I turned to Tex.

“Are you driving home or am I?”

“Feel like gettin’ smashed?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“Go for it.”

I ordered a spiced rum and diet and told the waitress to keep ‘em coming. I didn’t think she understood, seeing as the only English she spoke was what was on the menu, but she nodded and smiled which was encouraging.

We ordered our drinks, we ordered our pu-pu platters, we ate our pu-pu platters, then we ordered more drinks.

The pu-pu platters were whisked away and the soup was being served when Tex inquired, “What next?”

“What next, what?” I returned.

“What next, tonight?” Tex explained.

“You mean, after we eat?” I asked then answered, “We go home.”