Hold Me Closer, Necromancer - Lish McBride [6]
“Is there a problem?” Lesser Kevin had finally come out of his office.
I didn’t look at him, thinking it best to keep my eyes firmly on whatever threat this man represented. My body still wanted to run screaming in the other direction, but I held it there anyway. I couldn’t quite figure out which would be the safer choice.
“No, sir,” I said, “no problem.”
A moment passed as the man stood, eyes still locked on me, face unreadable. Then he grinned; the smile unfurling slowly on his face reminded me suddenly of the old Grinch cartoon they show on TV every year during Christmas. It’s much creepier on a human face than on an animated one. He reached over and restraightened my shirt.
“No,” he said, “just a misunderstanding.” As the man turned toward Lesser Kevin, his face lit up, changing the smile to something lighthearted and normal. “A case of mistaken identity. You know how it is.”
Kevin looked confused. “My employee tells me you had a complaint about your car?”
Behind Kevin, Frank cowered, his eyes wide, broom still firmly in hand. He gave me a little wave.
The stranger shook his head in dismissal. “No, no. It’s not a big deal. Again, a simple misunderstanding.” He walked over and shook Lesser Kevin’s hand. Kevin still looked sort of apprehensive, but he didn’t seem to be having the same problem touching the stranger as I did. In fact, the contact seemed to relax him. “Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.”
He turned to leave but nodded in my direction on his way out. “Sam,” he said, like he was my friend, but it wasn’t friendly. It was ominous, like when my mom spoke my name in public with that tone that meant I was going to get an earful once we were alone.
2
Well, Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?
I leaned my skateboard against the wall so I could zip up my hoodie. After the weird events earlier, closing time had seemed a little anticlimactic. Ramon still did his usual tricks to try to get a laugh out of me, and I forced a few smiles, but I felt too distracted to really pay attention to any of it. We made Frank do most of the actual cleanup. He didn’t complain, just went about wiping, stocking, and mopping until the place was ready to go.
What the hell had crazy Classic Shiny car guy been talking about? What Council? I’d have marked him off as nuts, or eccentric since he drove an old Mercedes, except for the memory of cold electricity running up my arms. He’d asked about my birth. Well, where I’d been born. Maybe I should call my mom.
Ramon flicked off the lights, and Frank, Brooke, and I filed out. “Anything going on tonight?” Ramon asked.
Frank cleared his throat and pulled out a stack of DVDs from his messenger bag.
Ramon grabbed them. “The Beastmaster, Dragonslayer, Conan the Barbarian. Frank, I’m sensing a theme.”
“Sweaty guys in loincloths?” Brooke asked.
“I’m secure enough in my sexuality to enjoy a good barbarian movie,” Ramon said, holding up the Conan DVD so Brooke could see the glistening Arnold on the front. “It’s Frank I’m worried about.”
“You’re so funny. Just funny, funny, funny all the time,” Frank said. “You should be a comedian.” He held his hands out as if he was envisioning a marquee. “Ladies and gentlemen, Ramon the Obnoxious.”
“That’s redundant,” Ramon said, handing the movies back to Frank. “All comedians are obnoxious.”
“Well,” I said, “I know what we’re doing tonight.”
Brooke scoffed. “Huh-uh, count me out, boys.”
“Really?” I asked. “These are the most girl-friendly movies we’ve watched in weeks.”
“Please,” she said, “I’ve seen Conan. He throws a chick into a fire.”
“Yeah,” Ramon said, “but she was asking for it.”
“Nice.” She huddled into her jacket and pushed her purse toward her hip. “I’ll see you guys later, okay?” She flashed a grin at us and waved before walking to her car.
Frank watched her, looking like he might drool. I just wanted to make sure she got to her car okay. Tonight had made me a little paranoid. But she climbed into her blue VW Beetle and drove away, honking and waving as she left.
We all turned and walked