Page 59 of Russian Roulette
“Check out the traffic, Seven,” Leroy says calmly. “We’ve moved all of two blocks in forty-five minutes. Does it look like you’ll be eating soon? No, it does not. You should be a gentleman and ask her if she wants something to eat from this fine dining establishment. Just to tide her over until you get to the raw fish place. Sushi isn’t real food, anyway. Thin little slivers of fish scales is not food.”
“Jade doesn’t want French fries and a greasy hamburger. She’s all dressed up to go out.” His voice drops even lower where he thinks I can’t hear him. “This is important. I wanted to take her someplace nice.”
“If I’d known you would be so damn picky tonight, I would’ve packed a cooler with food,” Leroy argues back. “I get hungry on the job. You should buy me one of those little refrigerators that you’ve promised me for the last six months. I want one that can go up front with me, not back there with you. Then we wouldn’t be having these arguments.”
Seven lets out a long, exasperated breath and pulls his head back through the window. He shoots me an apologetic smile.
“Sorry,” he says, tilting his head toward Leroy. “Leroy has blood sugar issues and apparently can’t miss a meal or he might go into a coma. Would you like something to eat? According to him, we’ll be stuck in traffic a little longer before we can get to the restaurant. We’re in the drive-thru lane of the famous Vegas Burger Crown.”
“I didn’t realize the Burger Crown here was famous,” I say, leaning over to peer out the window. “It looks the same as any other. What’s special with this one?”
“Not a damn thing,” he admits. He grins at me, and for a rare moment, I glimpse the true man inside. The man I’m interested in learning more about. “We can make it into something special now that we’re here. I have to warn you,” he continues. “Always expect the unexpected from me. This detour is all part of my big master plan.”
“To do what?”
He waves a tattooed hand at the dingy burger shack outside the limo windows. “To seduce you first with onion rings and a big, juicy, dripping hamburger.” His voice drops to a low, sexy whisper, and I’m mesmerized. By the time he says the word ‘dripping’, I’m soaking wet between my legs.
Damn, he’s good.
Is he trying to hypnotize me with his deep voice? If so, it might be working. I always believed the volunteers magicians hypnotize were plants in the audience. Now I’m not so sure because I’m quickly falling under his spell, captivated by his voice. I blink and shake my head to snap out of it.
“You don’t want anything to eat then?” he asks, thinking I’m shaking my head ‘no.’ “I didn’t think so. Leroy thought I should ask.”
The aroma of greasy fast-food wafts in through Leroy’s open window. It smells absolutely delicious. I’m starving and am getting a little shaky myself. I slide up beside Seven and nudge him out of the way so I can stick my head through the window to talk to Leroy. “Please order me one of whatever you’re having,” I say to him. “I’m starving.”
Leroy turns around and a big, wide grin splits his face before he bursts out laughing.
“I knew you were hungry back there,” he says. “I love a girl that’s not afraid to eat. That’s why you and me get along. What do you want? You like onion rings? The onion rings here are so good they’ll make you want to slap your momma.” He moves his head from side-to-side. “Hmm… hmm… hmm.”
“Love them,” I reply. “Order an extra-large for me too.”
“Hey guys!” Seven says in a slightly pitiful voice from the back of the limo. “Have you two forgotten me?”
Leroy lets out another loud belly laugh. “You’re slow, Seven,” he says. “You snooze, you lose. Here is what’s happening. Me and your girl will get our food, pull over into a parking spot, and eat. We don’t give a shit what you’re doing back there with your expensive suit and crystal champagne flutes acting all fancy.” He winks at me. “Do we?” He’s getting a big kick out of teasing Seven.
The drive-thru speaker crackles again. “Sir? Are you still there? Is there anything else?” the woman asks in an irritated voice.
Leroy sticks his head back out the window and leans closer to the box. “Let me give it all to you again,” he says. “I got distracted for a minute there. We want four, no make that five specials, three orders of onion rings and three chocolate shakes.”
“No shakes!” Seven and I both yell out at the same time. A thick, creamy shake on top of champagne can’t be a good idea.
“Make that one chocolate shake,” Leroy adds. “And a bunch of napkins.” He leans out the window. “Hey, you got any of those little apple pies?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Add three of those. That’ll do it.”
He pulls the limo around to the second window to pay. Turning around in his seat, he sticks a long arm back toward Seven. “Give me your credit card,” he says. “I’m running low on cash.”
Seven rolls his eyes, and after pulling his wallet out of his pocket, hands Leroy his card. “No big surprise there,” Seven says. “Why are you out of money already? I paid you two days ago.”
“Baby needs shoes,” Leroy says, pointing to his new, freshly shined shoes. “And I’m a baby.”
I feel sorry for Seven. Whatever he had planned is quickly being turned upside down. He strikes me as a man who doesn’t enjoy relinquishing control of anything in his life over to someone else. The crazy turn of events must be making his blood pressure rise. A thorough shakeup might be exactly what Seven needs in his life. I’m having a blast watching him squirm.
Leroy pays for the order and acts as if it’s Christmas morning when the woman starts handing him the bags of food through the window. He piles them on the seat beside him, then pulls the limo crossways into two parking spots facing the traffic.
“Okay, now where do I start?” he says, rubbing his hands together. He digs through the white bags and divides the food between us.
