Page 118 of Fifty First Times (Sharing You 0.40)
“I pay rent, too, and I want to party. Woo!” she shouts, flashing two “hang ten” signs, and gets a chorus of “Woo!” in return. “Third and Lindsey. The big brick building! Number seven!”
A mass exodus of bodies leaves the bar, headed for my apartment.
Ben
“TELL ME THE truth,” I say to Spinelli. “You knew Rosie was Liza’s roommate, didn’t you?”
“So what if I did?” Instead of putting his shirt on, he uses it to wipe down his saliva-covered chest, then flexes a couple of times for good measure. “I didn’t know she was going to ask all of us to go to her place to party.”
“You thought you’d be the only one?”
“Of course. After I was done with the redhead, I was going to pay a little visit to your girl.” He winks over my shoulder. “Talk my way in. All the way in, if you feel me.”
I don’t want to touch his skin, but he’s not wearing a shirt. Feeling like a girl, I grab him by the hair. “Don’t talk about her like that. Don’t talk about her at all.”
“Screw you, man.”
I twist.
“Ow!” At least he’s screaming in soprano.
“You aren’t worth ten of her, and if you even think about touching her again, I’ll grab and twist elsewhere.”
Rosie’s voice cuts into the argument. She issues an invitation to party. Everyone around us starts picking up belongings and settling tabs. I’m seeing red, and I’m ready to go head to head with Spinelli, when someone grabs his shoulder.
“Come on, Spinelli.” It’s Taye. “Both of you need to knock this asinine behavior off. See the cops over there?”
Two, in the corner. I’ve never seen them before. They aren’t regulars at the ballpark. A fight could cause all kinds of problems for the team and the office staff, so I deny myself the pleasure of slamming Spinelli’s head against the bar and let him go.
He pulls on his shirt and jerks his head toward Liza. “Good luck with the ice queen. Maybe she’ll hold your balls, help take the swelling down.”
I make another lunge for Spinelli, but Taye steps in front of me. “Stop.”
“He is such an asshole.” I slam my hand down on the bar.
“Hopefully karma will repay him in VD.” He brushes off my shoulders, straightens up my shirt, and gestures across the room. “Are you here with her? Liza?”
“She didn’t have a key and her car broke down.”
“How about that.” Taye smiles.
“What did you do?”
He fishes in his pocket and then flashes a distributor cap. “Tomorrow morning, this will be back where it belongs. Make tonight count. You’re welcome.”
When he’s gone, I look around for Liza. She’s sitting on a bar stool with her chin on her hand.
“You okay?” I ask.
“With the exception of not being able to go home, I’m fine.” Sighing, she picks up a full bottle of beer. “Rosie didn’t even drink this. Said Caesar had abs like a speed bump. I’d like to run over them.”
“That’s my girl.”
“I’m going to have to set off a disinfectant bomb in my apartment.” Liza turns up the beer and takes a long swig.
“And dip your toilet in bleach,” I say. “Unless Rosie really does hook up with Spinelli. Then you should burn it and buy a new one.”
She snorts, and beer shoots out of her nose.
