Geek Mafia: Mile Zero by Rick Dakan (reading tree txt) 📖

CHLOE stepped out of the bathroom and into the party proper, a wave of dance music rising to meet her as she made her way into the main room. It was a pretty busy night, and there were more than a few new faces scattered amongst all the usual suspects. Her eyes briefly locked with those of Jesse, the bartender/DJ. He had a headphone held to one ear, like he was preparing his next track, but Chloe knew that there was also a cell phone built into the device, and from the wink he gave her, she guessed that he’d just received his instructions from Paul. And then, apparently just to be sure, he nodded to her as well and she looked away, trying to spot Eddie and Sandee, hoping the mark hadn’t been watching Jesse’s less than subtle signaling. If Eddie was half as good as she was and he noticed the wink and the nod, he’d suspect that there was some connection between Chloe and the bartender. She’d have to remind Jesse to be more careful in the future.

But Eddie’s eyes and mind and other body parts were all focused somewhere else. He and Sandee sat close together on one of the couches, passing a joint back and forth while Eddie sipped at a beer. Fuck. He is smart. He was drinking beer from the bottle, which meant it was almost impossible to spike without him noticing. She didn’t imagine that was a coincidence. She never drank mixed drinks at strange parties, either.

Chloe went up to the bar and loudly asked Jesse for three shots. He mixed up a trio of kamikazes and handed her “one for her friend” and then the other two. Chloe, maintaining her cover, paid him $30 for the drinks and then headed over to the couch to join Sandee and Eddie.

He saw her approaching and said in a too loud voice, “Hey! Gillian! I thought I’d lost you!”

“I’m not that easy to lose,” said Chloe, as she handed Eddie his shot and gave another to Sandee. “You don’t seem too lonely though.”

“This is Mystique,” Eddie said, passing the joint back to Sandee.

“I know,” said Chloe as she sat down beside him on the couch. “We just met outside, remember.”

“Right, right. But I thought you might’ve forgotten her name.”

“Honey,” said Sandee/Mystique, her mouth close to Eddie’s ear. “No one ever forgets my name.” Sandee licked his ear slowly. “It’s just not possible.”

“I believe that…” he said with a shudder of pleasure as Sandee ran a hand across his chest and tweaked Eddie’s nipple through his shirt.

“Let’s have a shot,” Sandee said, raising the glass to Eddie.

“Damn straight,” affirmed Chloe.

All three of them downed their drinks. Eddie hesitated for just a beat, possibly weighing the risks. He made the wrong the decision and drank it down in one quick gulp.

“Aaaah!” he said. “Good stuff.”

“Nothing but good stuff here, honey,” said Sandee.

“I see that,” said Eddie as he looked around, nodding in approval. His gaze lingered on the dance floor where two women had stripped down to their bras and were gyrating against one another to the approving cheers of everyone nearby.

“So, you in town for business or pleasure?” asked Sandee, tracing the line of his chin with her index finger.

“Pleasure is my business!” he said, leaning back in his seat and letting Sandee’s finger work its way down his neck to his shoulder.

“That’s what they all say,” said Sandee. Chloe detected just the slightest hint of disappointment in Sandee’s voice - a challenge to Eddie to be more impressive and maybe reveal more about himself.

“Oh do they?” said Eddie, placing his own hand on Sandee’s smooth thigh. “But there’s a big difference.”

“What’s that?” asked Sandee.

“They’re lying.”

“And you’re not?”

“I never lie,” said Eddie and he leaned forward to kiss Sandee, his hand sliding up along the thigh toward the waist. Sandee’s head turned at the last instant and Eddie’s kiss touched cheek instead of lips.

“All men lie,” said Sandee. “It’s what makes them men.”

Eddie laughed and leaned back again, his hand over his heart as if he’d been shot. “Ohh! That hurts!”

“The truth does that,” said Sandee. “Or so I’ve heard.”

“And what about you?” asked Eddie. “Are you here for business or pleasure?”

“Me?” said Sandee, ““I’m just an observer of the human condition.”

“So pleasure isn’t your business?”

“Pleasure is my pleasure. Anything else is just business, and none of yours.”

Eddie didn’t seem to quite follow that last sentence, Chloe thought. Maybe the drugs were starting to kick in. She knew that Sandee was just leading him around by the nose for awhile until he became more pliable. “What was that?” he asked.

“Look at these two over here,” Sandee said, leaning close against his side and pointing across the room at a man and woman in their mid-50s who were swaying against one another off in a corner.

“What about them?” he asked, pressing back against Sandee, his hand creeping back up the host’s leg.

“Oh, you’d never believe me if I told you,” Sandee smiled.

“Try me.”

“He’s one of the biggest drug dealers in Southwest Florida. And she’s his boss.”

“Those two? You’re shitting me,” said Eddie as he rubbed Sandee’s thigh.

“Never without being asked first,” Sandee replied. “No, I’m telling you the absolute truth. Well, the truth as I’ve heard it, anyway. But I’ve not only heard it from them. Others have confirmed it.”

“And they’re dealers?”

“I suppose ‘suppliers’ is the word. I’m not up on all the prim and proper drug business lingo.”

“They import or something?” Eddie asked.

“Yes, importers. That sounds right.”

“And why would they tell you something like that?”

“Oh, people say the most personal things during intimate moments,” Sandee purred, running a hand across his chest and tweaking Eddie’s left nipple.

“You and him?” said Eddie, looking back at the middle-aged couple. “Or was it you and her?”

“Why would it be one or the other?” Sandee’s hand moved down to Eddie’s stomach, rubbing him gently.

“Ooh, you kinky bitch!” he said, leaning back and spreading his legs. He obviously hoped the friendly hand would keep heading south, but no such luck. Sandee’s touch worked its way back to his other nipple. “Are you sure he wasn’t just trying to impress you. Talking big.”

“Oh, he was quite big without having to talk about it.”

Apparently not liking to talk about the size of other men, Eddie seemed to tense at this remark, but he played it off with a smile. “Viagra sure does work fucking wonders,” he said.

“Maybe that was it. He is a drug dealer after all,” Sandee said in soothing tones.

“Drug importer,” Eddie corrected.

“If you say so.”

“Do you think you could introduce us?” Eddie asked.

“Now who’s being a kinky bitch?” Sandee teased. “Do you want both of them to join us or just the ‘big’ man?”

“No, no, no…” said Eddie. His voice had been slowing down and slurring as Chloe watched from the far end of the couch. The drugs were definitely kicking in, she thought. “I don’t want to fuck him or his ugly-ass old wife. I want…” He leaned forward and groped at Sandee. “I want to…”

“Oh, I know what you want, tiger,” said Sandee, shifting position just deftly enough to move a breast out of Eddie’s reach. “But if that’s what you want, why do you want those two?”

Eddie shook his head for a few seconds, as if to clear his thoughts. “Well, if they’re the big drug dealers you say they are…”

“Importers,” Sandee corrected.

“Yeah. If they’re the big importers you say they are, then maybe I can do some business with them…”

“If it’s drugs you need, honey, just go see Bernie by the bar. He’s got anything you want. Well, anything I don’t have anyway. And trust me darling,” Sandee said as she kissed him on the cheek. “I’ve got everything else you need.”

“Damn straight,” slurred Eddie, pulling Sandee close for a kiss.

His hands slipped around Sandee’s waist, grabbing ass. Sandee broke the kiss and gently pushed Eddie back into his seat. “I thought you wanted to see the big man.”

“Well maybe later…”

Sandee glanced over at the older couple. “I don’t know if there’ll be a later. They look like they’re getting ready to leave. And I’d hate to disappoint you…”

Eddie bore down and concentrated for a moment, staring at the pair. “Maybe I can get their card or something. Leave my number maybe…”

Sandee laughed. “Oh, sweetie, you’re a funny one.”

“What?” said Eddie, confused and growing angry.

“Did you not hear me when I told you he’s one of the biggest drug importers in the state?”

“Yeah, that’s why I wanna…”

“And you think he’s going to take your card? Or give you his number? Sweetie, he’s not going to give you the time of day!”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Because he doesn’t know you. You could be a cop. Or, more likely, some drunk tourist looking to make a buy, which would, I’m sure, annoy him even more.”

Eddie scowled. “I’m not a cop. Not a tourist either. I’m not looking to buy shit from him. I could help him is all.”

“Well how would he know that?”

“You could tell him for me!”

“And why would I do that?”

“Why would…?” Eddie looked confused. Chloe suspected that the conversation in his head might be going very differently than the one the rest of them were hearing.

“He’s a friend, I’m not going to bother him with nonsense. He’s here to have fun.” Sandee gave Eddie’s thigh a squeeze. “Just like you. Don’t you wanna have some fun?”

“It’s not