Page 5 (1/2)

It's sweat

I wasn't sure at first I haven't been va since beco one

Drops of moisture pool between my shoulder blades, soak y mess of the blouse underneath my jacket

A new blouse

It's sweat, no doubt about it

I can't take ot a 38 clipped to my belt

Might make the natives restless Or excited

Shit

I glance over at my partner He hasn't broken a sweat, so it's not the room Even if I didn't have a constitution that is impervious to ambient temperature, the air conditioner in this due

I start to squiret out into the air Impatient to escape

Escape?

What?

What the hell is happening?

My te slowly tightened

Great

I swipe a hand across my forehead It comes aet I sneak a look across at David to see if he's noticed

He hasn't

He's busy watching for the skip, Curly Tom, the reason we're stuck in this dive

I look around, too

But not for the skip So I don't knohat

David takes a break from skip alert and peers at me over the ri swar around my head

I look up at him and bark, "What?"

"You're squir like a worm in shit You not happy to be here?"

Like I should be? I' like a Jell-O shooter Then there's Lance, tall, blond and sexy, waiting for me at home No, I don't want to be here I frown at David "You said we'd be done by ten thirty And yet, here we are"-I glance atof stale beer and ripe biker Bumfuckville, David"

He drains the bottle and motions to the barkeep for another "Eyes on the prize, Anna Twenty thou"

"So where is he?"

David swivels on the barstool, takes a slow, lazy look around "Don't worry He's co"

"So's Christo home"

It's led with frustration