NaNoWriMo Day 5
Word Count: 7501
Crap, Yao is out of chicken again and I absolutely refuse to believe that this other stuff he’s trying to sucker me into eating is pork. I settle for noodles with beef broth and head over to Pratima’s house to catch up on any dirt I missed while I was in the mountains. Pratima greets me warmly at the door and her two brothers come stumbling over each other into the room with goofy smiles as soon as they hear my voice. I swear, you show one 15-year old boy your tits because you feel sorry for him and you pay for it for the rest of your life. Pratima shoos the little rascals away and we sit down with some sweet tea to catch up on some long overdue girl talk. She tells me all about the excitement over the two Americans coming into town. Figures the only time something actually happens around here is when I’m gone. Apparently, they told old Raj that they were looking for the guy that disappeared not too long ago, Fred. Interesting, I was kind of curious about that myself, seeing as he owes me six hundred bucks. I might just have to keep an eye on those two in case they actually find Freaky Freddy alive and well. After a little more gossip about who’s diddling who and who knows about it, I give Pratima a hug and head back to my place so I can clean up a bit.
I’m fumbling in my bag trying to find my keys when I get off the elevator and I nearly run smack into General Xu’s chest with my forehead. How nice of him to wait for me outside of my apartment rather than just let himself in, which I’m sure he could have done without too much trouble. I give him a big friendly hello, which seems to throw him off for a second, but he settles right back into his steely coolness just as quickly as he lost it. Surprise, surprise, he wants to know about the Americans and what I have to do with their visit. Those two sure have kicked up quite a fuss already. I assure him that no, I have nothing to do with them and in fact I didn’t even know about them until half an hour ago. Xu bends down to glare into my eyes and I gotta admit he scares me just a little bit. Am I sure I haven’t offered any of my services to the foreigners? Yes sir, sure as can be, honest injun. He snorts and heads toward the elevator, telling me in no uncertain terms as he walks away to keep my nose clean. I assure him that I most definitely will but we both know that I am a filthy little liar and it’s only a matter of time before he’ll be back here again.
Word on the street is that the new folks are staying at the Palace, and I just happen to be very good friends with one of the bartenders there. Mmm, just thinking about Akil again makes me all tingly inside. Maybe I can talk him into taking a little break with me while I’m there. My scooter is almost out of gas but the old girl should have just enough to make it there and back. Hopefully, I won’t be involved in any high speed chases today. Not that the words high and speed have ever been applied to this thing in any capacity whatsoever.
Traffic is light and I make it to the Palace lickety-split. I stroll in real casual like, hoping that no one who remembers the karaoke incident from last year recognizes me. When I get to the bar my little heart is crushed because Akil isn’t working. Drag, I guess I’ll have to do what I actually came here to do and ask our new friends if they know the whereabouts of Fred. From the end of the bar, I can see the hotel entrance so I plop myself down with a club soda and wait for Mr. and Ms. New Americans to either come in or go out.
As luck would have it, they end up coming in before I’m even done with my drink. And shucks if I’m not the luckiest gal in the room today because here they come right toward the bar. At least one of them does, the woman stops in the doorway before turning around and heading toward the lobby, apparently without the man even noticing. He sits at the other end of the bar with a thump. The poor guy looks pretty flustered, he must not be having a good day. He orders a whisky rather loudly, and the bartender moves stiffly to serve him. I’m guessing these two have met before. The guy is maybe late thirties, balding a little, bit of a paunch. Nothing really remarkable about him, he looks like he works for an insurance company or something. I was kind of hoping he would be hot, but what are you gonna do.
He doesn’t see me heading over until I plop down right next to him with a smile and he looks up, startled. I give him my cutest girly act and tell him it’s nice to see a fellow countryman around these parts. He grins sheepishly and stares down into his drink, mumbling that it’s nice to see me too. Aww, the poor guy must be shy around pretty girls who come right up and introduce themselves. Candy is the name, I tell him as I shake his hand, and no, I am not a stripper. He giggles and I know I’ve got him hook, line, and sinker.
Forty-five minutes later and he is on his third tall whisky and I have learned everything he knows about Freidrich and his current whereabouts. Which is pretty much dick, unfortunately. I play things real close to the vest, I only let on that I had seen the dude around. I see no need for him to know about my dealings with Fred and the services I provided. It seems that we are at somewhat of an impasse until these nice folks are able to find out more. I am just planning to start my exit strategy before this guy Joseph inevitably asks me back to his room when I catch a bit of military green out of the corner of my eye and my heart nearly stops. Who should be strolling into the bar but the American woman and that son of a bitch General Xu. I almost spill my drink because I stand up so fast to leave and I quickly wish Joseph good luck and high-tail it as fast as I can out of the other exit and oh shit oh shit oh shit he must have seen me and it’s going to be my ass. I can just tell him that I was here to see Akil and that guy started talking to me because we are both American. That’s pretty believable and if he looks into it Akil should be smart enough to cover for me. God damn that crafty old bastard, and god damn my stupid ass for coming here in the first place.
Four days go by without any surprise visits from Darth Xu, so I’m either in the clear or he’s waiting until I do something else retarded so he can really take me down hard. Which, knowing me, the latter is probably a pretty safe bet. Just to be sure, I’ve been staying at Pratima’s, but having two horny teenage boys watch you while you’re sleeping gets real old real quick. Pratima doesn’t want me to go but I assure her that things should have blown over by now, and besides I’m sure a big important guy like Xu has more important things to worry about than little old me. I basically sneak into my apartment, sort of like Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction. Thankfully, there are no Uzis by the toaster or gangsters in the bathroom. Some Pop Tarts would hit the spot right about now though. All of this lying low has put me seriously behind on things, so after a nice long shower I am officially making this a ‘work my butt off’ day. I’ll bet Bennie is pissed, if he hasn’t panicked and swallowed the entire shipment already. I need to get Pak in touch with the buyer in Turkey, I have to pack up the LED tubes so they’ll be ready in the morning, and the database hasn’t been updated in ages. Shit, I am such a slacker.
Ugh, god my back is killing me and I’m cross eyed from staring at the computer screen for so long but everything is done and despite my gripes I am feeling pretty accomplished. It’s probably not good form to give yourself a pat on the back for doing something that you were supposed to do anyway, but what the hell I’m in a patting mood. In such a patting mood, in fact, that I do believe I will treat myself to dinner at Chen’s. Maybe there will be a handsome Saudi prince there waiting to whisk me away so I don’t have to worry about international customs laws and asthma inhalers stuffed with opium anymore. I can simply lounge all day in decadent luxury until my ass gets too fat and he sends me off to work in the kitchen with all of the other discarded wives. Ah, that’s the life for me.
Chen’s is busy, but I look pretty hot tonight and I am a semi-regular, so I don’t have to wait too long to get a table. They tuck me nicely into a corner, so as not to attract too many curious stares for being a woman eating out by herself, and I peruse the menu that I’ve already memorized a dozen times over. Out of nowhere someone is calling my name, loudly, and I get scared for just a second before I peek over my upraised menu and see that it’s just Joseph the American visitor. Jeez, I am supposed to be stalking them, not the other way around. He’s got a buzz on already and he thinks I should join him and his assistant at their table so we can continue our conversation from the hotel bar. I glance around nervously but this place is a little too chic for uptight jerkoffs like Xu. I politely accept Joseph’s invitation, mostly to get him to stop yelling at me from halfway across the restaurant and humiliating the woman he’s with. Her smile is tight and cautious when I sit next to her and begin to introduce myself, and I do believe I see her eyebrows rise just a bit when I tell her my name is Candy. Her name is Molly, according to Joseph she doesn’t say much and she’s only here because someone named Cleaver doesn’t trust him to get things done on his own, and from my brief interaction with Joseph I have deduced that she has the patience of a saint. Or a psychotic.
Indeed, Molly does not say much and the conversation is mostly one-sided as Joseph keeps rambling on about this guy Cleaver and what an asshole he is. From what I understand, this kind of assignment is way outside of Joseph’s job description, and it was thrust upon him at the last minute just because of Cleaver’s aforementioned assholishness. The bastard has been keeping Joseph down and making him look like a fool for years, but when he finds Brandt and brings him back safe and sound, old man Peterson will have to notice him then. I chew my wontons and wonder if Joseph always this intolerable, or only when he’s drinking. The bags under Molly’s eyes just might be the answer to that question. Finally, there is a lull in the conversation and I try to get a little more out of Molly, seeing how it is pretty obvious that she is the brains in this operation. She is hesitant at first, probably caught off guard by how much Joseph told me the other day, but she relaxes when I mention that I sort of knew Freidrich and I might be able to help since I know the city. She gives me a little more detail on what they’ve found so far, but it really doesn’t make much of a difference when added to what I already knew. I’m really curious about how General Xu is involved in all of this and if he saw me at the hotel bar, but I can’t think of an inconspicuous way to ask.
When the check comes Joseph insists on paying and I do not protest. Molly has loosened up enough to smile a little bit every once in a while, and she’s not a bad gal. I bet she’d be a blast with some tequila in her. Finally, I casually mention something about the military guy she came in with that day and she rolls her eyes. She tells me that the Secretary of the Interior has assigned him as their liaison in case they need any “assistance.” Though I can tell by her tone she knows as well as I that he’s just there to keep an eye on them. I’m still a little wary of being seen with these two, so I decline Joseph’s invitation to take the party somewhere else, as he so elegantly puts it, and I make my way back home. Although six hundred dollars isn’t exactly chump change, it definitely isn’t worth extra attention from the powers that be. I must admit though, there is something very odd about this whole situation. My gut tells me that things are bound to get very interesting before all is said and done. I know I won’t be able to resist keeping tabs on these two. My self-preservation instinct is severely damaged. It is really going to get me in trouble someday.
Bennie is waiting for me when I get home, hanging out by the front door looking exactly like a strung out, panicky, drug dealer is supposed to look. Moron. I invite him upstairs and we get to work wrapping up the opium bricks after I say a few words about learning how to keep a low profile. When we’re done, Bennie tries to make a move like he always does, and I shoot him down none too gently like I always do. He leaves with the shipment like a dog with its tail between its legs, and I can finally go to sleep after an exhausting day.
Crap, Yao is out of chicken again and I absolutely refuse to believe that this other stuff he’s trying to sucker me into eating is pork. I settle for noodles with beef broth and head over to Pratima’s house to catch up on any dirt I missed while I was in the mountains. Pratima greets me warmly at the door and her two brothers come stumbling over each other into the room with goofy smiles as soon as they hear my voice. I swear, you show one 15-year old boy your tits because you feel sorry for him and you pay for it for the rest of your life. Pratima shoos the little rascals away and we sit down with some sweet tea to catch up on some long overdue girl talk. She tells me all about the excitement over the two Americans coming into town. Figures the only time something actually happens around here is when I’m gone. Apparently, they told old Raj that they were looking for the guy that disappeared not too long ago, Fred. Interesting, I was kind of curious about that myself, seeing as he owes me six hundred bucks. I might just have to keep an eye on those two in case they actually find Freaky Freddy alive and well. After a little more gossip about who’s diddling who and who knows about it, I give Pratima a hug and head back to my place so I can clean up a bit.
I’m fumbling in my bag trying to find my keys when I get off the elevator and I nearly run smack into General Xu’s chest with my forehead. How nice of him to wait for me outside of my apartment rather than just let himself in, which I’m sure he could have done without too much trouble. I give him a big friendly hello, which seems to throw him off for a second, but he settles right back into his steely coolness just as quickly as he lost it. Surprise, surprise, he wants to know about the Americans and what I have to do with their visit. Those two sure have kicked up quite a fuss already. I assure him that no, I have nothing to do with them and in fact I didn’t even know about them until half an hour ago. Xu bends down to glare into my eyes and I gotta admit he scares me just a little bit. Am I sure I haven’t offered any of my services to the foreigners? Yes sir, sure as can be, honest injun. He snorts and heads toward the elevator, telling me in no uncertain terms as he walks away to keep my nose clean. I assure him that I most definitely will but we both know that I am a filthy little liar and it’s only a matter of time before he’ll be back here again.
Word on the street is that the new folks are staying at the Palace, and I just happen to be very good friends with one of the bartenders there. Mmm, just thinking about Akil again makes me all tingly inside. Maybe I can talk him into taking a little break with me while I’m there. My scooter is almost out of gas but the old girl should have just enough to make it there and back. Hopefully, I won’t be involved in any high speed chases today. Not that the words high and speed have ever been applied to this thing in any capacity whatsoever.
Traffic is light and I make it to the Palace lickety-split. I stroll in real casual like, hoping that no one who remembers the karaoke incident from last year recognizes me. When I get to the bar my little heart is crushed because Akil isn’t working. Drag, I guess I’ll have to do what I actually came here to do and ask our new friends if they know the whereabouts of Fred. From the end of the bar, I can see the hotel entrance so I plop myself down with a club soda and wait for Mr. and Ms. New Americans to either come in or go out.
As luck would have it, they end up coming in before I’m even done with my drink. And shucks if I’m not the luckiest gal in the room today because here they come right toward the bar. At least one of them does, the woman stops in the doorway before turning around and heading toward the lobby, apparently without the man even noticing. He sits at the other end of the bar with a thump. The poor guy looks pretty flustered, he must not be having a good day. He orders a whisky rather loudly, and the bartender moves stiffly to serve him. I’m guessing these two have met before. The guy is maybe late thirties, balding a little, bit of a paunch. Nothing really remarkable about him, he looks like he works for an insurance company or something. I was kind of hoping he would be hot, but what are you gonna do.
He doesn’t see me heading over until I plop down right next to him with a smile and he looks up, startled. I give him my cutest girly act and tell him it’s nice to see a fellow countryman around these parts. He grins sheepishly and stares down into his drink, mumbling that it’s nice to see me too. Aww, the poor guy must be shy around pretty girls who come right up and introduce themselves. Candy is the name, I tell him as I shake his hand, and no, I am not a stripper. He giggles and I know I’ve got him hook, line, and sinker.
Forty-five minutes later and he is on his third tall whisky and I have learned everything he knows about Freidrich and his current whereabouts. Which is pretty much dick, unfortunately. I play things real close to the vest, I only let on that I had seen the dude around. I see no need for him to know about my dealings with Fred and the services I provided. It seems that we are at somewhat of an impasse until these nice folks are able to find out more. I am just planning to start my exit strategy before this guy Joseph inevitably asks me back to his room when I catch a bit of military green out of the corner of my eye and my heart nearly stops. Who should be strolling into the bar but the American woman and that son of a bitch General Xu. I almost spill my drink because I stand up so fast to leave and I quickly wish Joseph good luck and high-tail it as fast as I can out of the other exit and oh shit oh shit oh shit he must have seen me and it’s going to be my ass. I can just tell him that I was here to see Akil and that guy started talking to me because we are both American. That’s pretty believable and if he looks into it Akil should be smart enough to cover for me. God damn that crafty old bastard, and god damn my stupid ass for coming here in the first place.
Four days go by without any surprise visits from Darth Xu, so I’m either in the clear or he’s waiting until I do something else retarded so he can really take me down hard. Which, knowing me, the latter is probably a pretty safe bet. Just to be sure, I’ve been staying at Pratima’s, but having two horny teenage boys watch you while you’re sleeping gets real old real quick. Pratima doesn’t want me to go but I assure her that things should have blown over by now, and besides I’m sure a big important guy like Xu has more important things to worry about than little old me. I basically sneak into my apartment, sort of like Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction. Thankfully, there are no Uzis by the toaster or gangsters in the bathroom. Some Pop Tarts would hit the spot right about now though. All of this lying low has put me seriously behind on things, so after a nice long shower I am officially making this a ‘work my butt off’ day. I’ll bet Bennie is pissed, if he hasn’t panicked and swallowed the entire shipment already. I need to get Pak in touch with the buyer in Turkey, I have to pack up the LED tubes so they’ll be ready in the morning, and the database hasn’t been updated in ages. Shit, I am such a slacker.
Ugh, god my back is killing me and I’m cross eyed from staring at the computer screen for so long but everything is done and despite my gripes I am feeling pretty accomplished. It’s probably not good form to give yourself a pat on the back for doing something that you were supposed to do anyway, but what the hell I’m in a patting mood. In such a patting mood, in fact, that I do believe I will treat myself to dinner at Chen’s. Maybe there will be a handsome Saudi prince there waiting to whisk me away so I don’t have to worry about international customs laws and asthma inhalers stuffed with opium anymore. I can simply lounge all day in decadent luxury until my ass gets too fat and he sends me off to work in the kitchen with all of the other discarded wives. Ah, that’s the life for me.
Chen’s is busy, but I look pretty hot tonight and I am a semi-regular, so I don’t have to wait too long to get a table. They tuck me nicely into a corner, so as not to attract too many curious stares for being a woman eating out by herself, and I peruse the menu that I’ve already memorized a dozen times over. Out of nowhere someone is calling my name, loudly, and I get scared for just a second before I peek over my upraised menu and see that it’s just Joseph the American visitor. Jeez, I am supposed to be stalking them, not the other way around. He’s got a buzz on already and he thinks I should join him and his assistant at their table so we can continue our conversation from the hotel bar. I glance around nervously but this place is a little too chic for uptight jerkoffs like Xu. I politely accept Joseph’s invitation, mostly to get him to stop yelling at me from halfway across the restaurant and humiliating the woman he’s with. Her smile is tight and cautious when I sit next to her and begin to introduce myself, and I do believe I see her eyebrows rise just a bit when I tell her my name is Candy. Her name is Molly, according to Joseph she doesn’t say much and she’s only here because someone named Cleaver doesn’t trust him to get things done on his own, and from my brief interaction with Joseph I have deduced that she has the patience of a saint. Or a psychotic.
Indeed, Molly does not say much and the conversation is mostly one-sided as Joseph keeps rambling on about this guy Cleaver and what an asshole he is. From what I understand, this kind of assignment is way outside of Joseph’s job description, and it was thrust upon him at the last minute just because of Cleaver’s aforementioned assholishness. The bastard has been keeping Joseph down and making him look like a fool for years, but when he finds Brandt and brings him back safe and sound, old man Peterson will have to notice him then. I chew my wontons and wonder if Joseph always this intolerable, or only when he’s drinking. The bags under Molly’s eyes just might be the answer to that question. Finally, there is a lull in the conversation and I try to get a little more out of Molly, seeing how it is pretty obvious that she is the brains in this operation. She is hesitant at first, probably caught off guard by how much Joseph told me the other day, but she relaxes when I mention that I sort of knew Freidrich and I might be able to help since I know the city. She gives me a little more detail on what they’ve found so far, but it really doesn’t make much of a difference when added to what I already knew. I’m really curious about how General Xu is involved in all of this and if he saw me at the hotel bar, but I can’t think of an inconspicuous way to ask.
When the check comes Joseph insists on paying and I do not protest. Molly has loosened up enough to smile a little bit every once in a while, and she’s not a bad gal. I bet she’d be a blast with some tequila in her. Finally, I casually mention something about the military guy she came in with that day and she rolls her eyes. She tells me that the Secretary of the Interior has assigned him as their liaison in case they need any “assistance.” Though I can tell by her tone she knows as well as I that he’s just there to keep an eye on them. I’m still a little wary of being seen with these two, so I decline Joseph’s invitation to take the party somewhere else, as he so elegantly puts it, and I make my way back home. Although six hundred dollars isn’t exactly chump change, it definitely isn’t worth extra attention from the powers that be. I must admit though, there is something very odd about this whole situation. My gut tells me that things are bound to get very interesting before all is said and done. I know I won’t be able to resist keeping tabs on these two. My self-preservation instinct is severely damaged. It is really going to get me in trouble someday.
Bennie is waiting for me when I get home, hanging out by the front door looking exactly like a strung out, panicky, drug dealer is supposed to look. Moron. I invite him upstairs and we get to work wrapping up the opium bricks after I say a few words about learning how to keep a low profile. When we’re done, Bennie tries to make a move like he always does, and I shoot him down none too gently like I always do. He leaves with the shipment like a dog with its tail between its legs, and I can finally go to sleep after an exhausting day.
Labels: NaNoWriMo
posted by B at Monday, November 05, 2007
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