Her break would be over soon, she thought. Leonard did this sometimes—making and breaking appointments as if they meant nothing to him, and perhaps they didn’t. Well, he wasn’t her husband anymore. It didn’t matter if he asked to see her and then didn’t care enough to call to tell her he was going to be late or couldn’t make it after all, or, who cared? She didn’t. She just didn’t. Well…
She ordered a diet Pepsi and watched the rowdy people jammed into the smoky cocktail lounge. This wasn’t the end of the line for her, oh no. She was headed for Vegas someday. She had standards, she had dreams–she was hoping for bigger things. If Leonard thought she was a nobody, then she had news for him, that two-timing windbag.
There he was.
Whatever the man had, he still had it. She saw the way the other women ogled him when he entered, strutting his stuff in that fine suit with those fine shoes, a tasteful gold ring or two on his slender fingers, polished shoes. It was the way he moved, she decided, that gave him that certain appeal, that edgy allure; he was something of a cross between Denzel and Samuel L. Sitting here, watching him approach her table, Kimmy took a deep breath and simply remembered—remembered the good times, because there were a lot of them. In the end, that’s why she still loved Leonard the way she did. It was those good times, baby.
“Kimmy! My lady.” Leonard kissed her and it seemed like old times, for just a moment.
“Have a drink with me Leonard? I don’t have much time, so let’s talk fast.”
“Okay. Let’s talk fast. No drink, then. You know, I’m a little late because I was looking for your dressing room, next to the kitchen like you said, and they laughed at me when I asked about it. What gives?”
“I’m the one that calls it my dressing room, Leonard, no one else. The Lounge by Maurice is just a paycheck for me right now, but someday, you’ll see, I’ll dance in Vegas. So what’s the occasion?”
Leonard leaned over the ashtray on the Formica table and lowered his voice. “This guy came to see me the other day. Said you referred him to me. I have to know if you did before I go any further.”
“Why?
“Because he’s in big trouble.”
“So, don’t take the case.”
“I might, if you referred him. There’s a lot of money involved, see, and one of my favorite ex-wives needs a loan.”
“Look, if you don’t want to loan me the money…”
“I’m kidding. The guy kind of intrigues me, actually. But, he says he was your boyfriend, for a few months, which frankly Kimmy, disgusts me.”
“Who is this guy?”
“Does the name Eddie McPhee mean anything to you? I hope you’re going to say it doesn’t.”
Kimmy sipped her soda and sighed. Eddie was like a bad rash, she decided. Easily as irritating, and every time she
turned around, there he was. At least, it sure seemed that way. It was confession time. “Look Leonard, there was a stretch of time after our divorce when I got into drugs. Don’t look at me like that. I don’t do them anymore. Eddie was, well, I got them from Eddie.”
“So, how did you pay for them?”
“Look Leonard, I don’t care to discuss the details. You asked how I knew Eddie, that’s how. He’s in trouble, he comes to me for advice, and so, I guess maybe I told him you were my ex. For that, I suppose I owe you an apology. Now, what did he do?”
“He says he didn’t do anything.” Leonard laughed. “They all do, don’t they? But, he’s a murder suspect in the death of that old beauty queen, Charlene Chix. Personally, I think the cops are looking to lock him up, period, and this would give them a reason.”
“So, are you going to take the case?”
“Barb wants me to get him off, and if you tell me you referred him, I guess I’ll try. But, Barb didn’t tell me that he was a drug dealer.”
“Leonard, look at me. Eddie McPhee is absolutely a drug dealer. He’s a ruthless businessman. Ask anyone, they’ll tell you. He would slit his mother’s throat for fifty bucks. If you take the case, don’t trust him or anything he says.”
“He’s willing to pay whatever I ask for. I assume he has the ability to do that, considering his line of work.”
“Look Leonard, I’ve got to get back to work now. I heard that two people died at the Humboldt Inn last Saturday. Do you think Eddie killed them both?”
“Do you? I don’t know what he did. My job is to defend Eddie, not attack him. For a price, of course. Musn’t forget the price. You’re looking good, babe.”
“Thanks. Oh, whatever happened with Dr. Morton and Helena? Are they getting married after all?”
“We’re back doing a pre-nup, that’s all I’m at liberty to say. That, and Dr. Morton is a brave man. That woman actually bit him!”
“No, Leonard. It must have been Jorge.”
“Does Jorge wear lipstick? Look, I’ve got to go, and you’ve got work to do. I just wanted to check out this Eddie character, and I did. I’ll stay in touch, babe.”
“Yeah.” Kimmy smiled. “Can you stay for the show?”
Leonard turned and hesitated before he finally spoke. “Can’t, babe. I’ve got a date, you know. With Barb. I’ll call you about the loan.”
Well, I’ll be, thought Kimmy. She watched her ex hustle through the maze of bodies and into the frosty night with a sense of wonder. He really did want to ask me something.
“Chang! Five minutes!”
It was Maurice Long, the owner, the bartender and the bouncer reminding her that she was hired to dance—not sit.
“Coming, Maurice.” She stood up on her platform heels and fluffed her puffy hair. She couldn’t get Dr. Morton out of her mind. “I love you, Kimmy,” he’d said. Hadn’t Leonard said the same thing, once upon a time?
She supposed she would call Bari over at People’s Hospital and profess Dr. Morton’s innocence, just like she’d promised him. After what Leonard had just told her, Eddie McPhee was the murder suspect. Which made her wonder all the more, why was Dr. Morton so worried?