Page 6 of Dirty Filthy Boy
Chapter 3
MacKenna
TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED, I whoosh out a breath. "We're never getting in." I didn't realize how much I wanted this, needed this, until now.
"O, ye of little faith," Marigold says, dragging me to the front of the line where a mountain of a man stands, a foot taller and a mile wider than us. Parking herself in front of the behemoth, she greets him with a, "Hey, you."
A smile breaks out on the mountain's lips. "Marigold." He picks her up like she's a toy doll, and, with her feet dangling, bear hugs her.
She bops him on the shoulder. "Oomph. Put me down, Beast."
Beast? It suits him, that name.
With the greatest of care, he returns her to the ground. "How are you, Mar? Long time no see."
"Good. Graduated in June. I'm teaching second graders at Mayer Elementary now."
A wrinkle forms across his brow. "That's a dangerous area."
"Don't worry. I know how to take care of myself."
"Don't I know it." He rubs the top of his head. "I still have the bruise from the nookie you gave me when I didn't do my English homework."
Marigold knocks elbows with him. "That was just tough love, Todd. Listen, any chance we could get into the club?" She points toward me. "My friend here's just dying to see the inside of Platinum."
"Is she?" He gives me the once over. Not the leer I usually get from the men, but the look a security guy would do.
"Marigold, meet Todd Gryzinski. Todd, MacKenna Perkins."
"Nice to meet you, Todd." I stick out my hand and shake his paw.
"A pleasure, MacKenna." His grip is surprisingly gentle for such a huge man.
Unable to leave well enough alone, Marigold pipes up with, "She's a newspaper reporter, looking to do a piece on Platinum."
"Mar." I warn her beneath my breath. I don't do the street beat scene. That's Randy's job, and I'm not eager to step on his toes.
"Welcome to Platinum, ladies." Unclipping the black velvet rope holding back the masses waiting to get in, he turns to the man standing two feet away at the club's entrance. "Bruce?"
Only slightly smaller than Todd, the mini-mountain answers. "Yeah?"
"These ladies are my very special guests. Please see that they get a good table."
Bruce two-finger salutes Mar's friend. "Sure thing, boss."
"Thanks, Todd. You're the best." Marigold pulls him down for a quick kiss on his cheek.
Once he straightens out, he puts his paw size hand over his heart. "You've slain me, merry maiden."
"See, that Shakespeare homework came in handy after all."
He winks at her. "You don't know the half of it. The ladies love all that poetry mush." He nods toward the club's entrance. "Bruce will see you right. Have a great time, Mar. Nice to meet you, MacKenna."
As she waves goodbye to Todd, Mar hooks her other arm through mine. Together, we head toward the Platinum door, a black garish monstrosity with silver blinking lights. There's a momentary lull while the guard holds a conversation with yet another bouncer inside the door. Boy, this place has more security than Fort Knox. They truly don't let just anybody in.
While we wait for the go ahead, I turn to Mar. "That was pretty impressive, kiddo. I thought we wouldn't get in, not with that line. When did you tutor him?"
"My sophomore year. He was a junior and pretty well known around campus. Students fell all over themselves to talk to one of the college's star football players. So I tutored him at our apartment, rather than the library. Otherwise, we'd never get any work done. You don't remember him?"
