CHAPTER

Thirty

The sex with Liz had gotten a bit wild, so wild that somehow—Tony didn't know exactly how—his face had ended up running smack into the headboard, and now he had a hell of a shiner.

He'd been pissed in the beginning, but halfway into the city, he suddenly realized how that black eye could help him.

Now, sitting across from Mildred, he explained, “You see, Mildred, I made a really bad investment a few months ago.” He paused as the lie grew in his mind. “A bad real estate investment. That's why I had to go upstate a few weeks ago.”

Mildred nodded as she stared intently at his bruised eye.

“And in order to buy into the investment I had to borrow the money from some really shady guys, and now I'm overdue, and well, this,” he said, pointing to his eye, “is the first reminder of that.”

Tony watched as Mildred's face began to pulsate with terror.

He took her hand in his and said, “If I don't get them their money and soon, I'm in serious trouble.”

Mildred's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “Oh my God,” she said, clutching her chest with her free hand.

She had money saved. She would lend it to him—hell, she would give it to him.

“How much?”

Tony swallowed hard as he searched for just the right amount. “One hundred and fifty Gs.”

Mildred didn't have quite that much. “I have eighty,” she said.

Tony's eyebrow raised. “Eighty what?”

“Eighty thousand,” she said.

“Shit.”

Who knew?

“I-I can't take your money, Mildred. I just don't know what I'm going to do,” he said with a mournful look on his face.

“Yes, of course you can. Of course you can take my money,” Mildred wailed. “I love you and you love me—this is what people who love each other do for one another.”

He turned his head dramatically away. “I can't.”

Mildred flew from her seat and ran to his side. Bending over, she pressed her cheek against his and whispered, “You can and you will.”

Tony almost laughed—he felt like he'd stepped into a Harlequin romance novel. The drama was just too much.

“What can I do?” Mildred's eyes were glistening with tears now. “Tell me how I can help you. I'll do anything.”

Zebby was grinning and rubbing his chin the entire time Tony relayed the story, like some wise old teacher pleased with his student.

When Tony was done, Zebby applauded him.

“Very good, very good,” he said.

That evening Zebby and Tony met up at the Blue Water Grill for a meal of sushi and Sauvignon Blanc.

Zebby dabbed the corners of his mouth with his hand-kerchief.

“So she's totally cool with risking her job and her freedom for you?”

Tony nodded his head proudly.

“Drop your pants, man,” Zebby demanded, his voice stern.

“What?”

“I said get up and drop your goddamn pants,” Zebby barked. A few of the other diners turned and shot them a quizzical look.

Tony just stared. He didn't quite know what was going on. Then a twinkle appeared in Zebby's eyes and he began to roar with laughter.

“Tone, I figure you must have a diamond-tipped dick to make that bitch risk life and limb for you, and, shit. I ain't seen that before. Me myself, I was only blessed with a gold tip.”

Tony began to laugh, and they gave each other some dap across the table.

“You're a sick motherfucker, you know that?” Tony said before reaching for his chopsticks.