Tears on a Sunday Afternoon - Michael Presley [23]
Donna smiled. “I paid cash for the room so, as always, you can stay the night or go home. I’m sure you’ll be spending the night.” Donna pulled the hotel room door open. I slumped down onto the bed, the knife wrapped in the plastic bag in one hand and the gloves in the other.
The Japanese sushi chef used a long knife to cut the salmon into one-inch pieces, then wrapped it around white flaky dough. He sprinkled a few things over it, then poured a sauce in a small bowl and laid it down in front of Julie.
“Doesn’t this look beautiful?” she asked.
I waited for the waiter to arrive with my Shrimp Tempura rolls. After he placed the plate in front of me, I stretched my hands out, palms up, presenting the rolls to Julie.
“Now that’s food.” I used chopsticks, picked up a slice of the roll and dipped it into the sauce. I savored the taste of the shrimp combined with the other unknown ingredients. I chased that down with some hot tea.
“There’s nothing like salmon sushi.” Julie devoured the last of her very pink sushi. Her facial expression mimicked that of Tyra Banks’ in an explosion of joy as she welcomed one of her guests. “You were saying that Donna gets ten million dollars. Why does that bitch have to get half, when you’re taking all the risks?”
“Donna was the one who set up the entire deal. Either way, I walk away a wealthy man.”
“Five million maybe, but not ten million.” There was a serious tone in Julie’s voice that was totally unexpected. The fact that I was actually sitting down and talking to her about the robbery was totally unexpected; for that matter. Initially, when I had told her about it, she was totally against it until I told her the amount of money that was involved. Her change in direction was as swift as a fish swimming into the mouth of a shark. I was surprised but happy that she understood what I was doing and why I was doing it. She prodded me until I told her the complete plan and today I was about to update her on what Donna had told me yesterday.
“And you said that all this goes down in fifteen days?”
“Yes, starting from tomorrow.”
“Who will pick you up after the robbery?”
I looked around the room. The nearest table was about fifteen feet away and Julie was talking in a very low voice. “Can you stop repeating robbery?”
“Yeah, you’re right. We have to be more careful.”
“We? Since when are you a part of this?”
Julie held my hands and looked me straight in the eyes. “Donald, you are about to rob a man of twenty million dollars and your partners are two women. Women are the most vicious and evil things that God ever made. There are only two people who could think like a woman; another woman or God. And guess what? God is not an option.”
Her hands felt gentle and warm and her words wrapped around me like a warm blanket on a chilly morning. Her hair, combed with a bang at the side of her left eye, gave her an angelic appearance. As I squeezed her hand, I realized that my body was sliding into hers.
She quickly jerked her hand away from mine as if sensing our intermingling spirits. “We are not gonna go there.”
“Go where?” I asked innocently. “Do you want to go to the ball game this weekend with me and Emerald?”
“No, sorry; Brian and I are going to the Poconos.”
She shot the knife right through my chest. I didn’t want to hear that now. “Oh, I forgot to ask how you and Brian are doing.”
“It’s been great. We’re having a ball. Brian’s a really good guy. I think he might propose to me over the weekend.” She motioned the waiter over.
Not only had she plunged the knife into my chest, she was now turning it.
“But you love the ball game,” I said weakly, appealing to a time long gone.
“Yeah, but I love a honeymoon Jacuzzi suite much better than seeing men run around in tights. Even though Derek Jeter could relieve any sore eyes.”
“Well, you’ll have to explain it to Emerald. I already told him you were coming.” I was desperate.
“Stop this right now, Donald. Do not let our friendship go down that road. You will explain to Emerald that I couldn’t make it this weekend and I’ll