Crushed Ice Read Online Free PDF Page A

about their rudeness. The one I knew to be Haitian gave him a business card. Penny glanced at it then looked toward the bar where I was seated. Anthony’s ability to talk that fast hadn’t occurred to me. I think it was the lack of sleep on my part.
    Oh well.
    I surveyed what was going on around me, all the while bracing myself for the rapidly approaching storm. I glanced at the woman seated to my left, then at the bartender.
    â€œThis you?” Penny asked, the cascade of pennies down his arm ending at the fake business card I’d presented to Anthony. He dropped it on the bar beside my drink glass.
    â€œExcuse me?
    â€œThis your card? Bitch-ass nigga said you gave this to him. Paid him money to disrespect Natalia. That true, boy?” His boys wanted it to be so true. It was my job to ruin the smiles on their faces.
    â€œSir, I don’t even know who you are,” I answered, choosing a disarming voice, but leaving enough bass to let them know I was a man nonetheless. The eyeglasses I wore didn’t hurt either. “And I certainly don’t have money to waste on games. Now, whose business card is this supposed to be?”
    The Haitian stepped up. “You pay that man? You play games?” he asked.
    â€œI’m trying to have a nice evening out with my fiancée here. I don’t know what that man told you, but that’s not my card. He’d been drinking a lot before you came in. Now, I do know that much.”
    I locked eyes with Penny Antnee a little longer than I preferred. My way was never to fix in someone’s memory, but to exist on the periphery. But part of me said “Fuck it” this time. Like I said, I was tired.
    â€œShe your fiancée?” he asked for confirmation.
    â€œYes,” I answered, grabbing the woman’s hand as it rested on the bar beside me. I prayed that she wouldn’t flinch when I did so. “I don’t want any part of your mess. Can you just leave us alone?”
    â€œYeah. Sorry about disturbing y’all,” Penny said, not wanting a PR nightmare with the “civilians” plastered on the front page of the papers. The thug was transitioning to a businessman.
    He and his boys backed off to gather up Natalia and her people. Other parties awaited.
    â€œExcuse me,” I called out.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œAre you one of those rappers?”
    He rolled his eyes before humoring me with a smirk and a nod of his head.
    â€œCould I have your autograph? For my niece?”
    After a few choice curse words, they walked away. No autograph for me.
    â€œYou are insane,” whispered the raven-haired Latina whose hand I still held.
    â€œYou may be right.”
    I stayed around Gibraltar for another hour, making sure no surprises awaited me when I left. With the coast clear, I escorted my new friend to her car. The rain had stopped, but the parking lot was still slick. She clicked her remote, illuminating the interior of the ebony Corvette. Long, black, powerful, American. I knew of something else that matched her tastes.
    â€œI think I owe this to you,” I said as I fished her payment from my pocket. When I first arrived at Gibraltar, I’d offered her some money just to sit there looking cute and to go along with whatever I said. If I didn’t need her, she’d still get the money.
    â€œYou don’t have to pay me anything. I don’t need the money. This was more excitement than I’ve had all year,” the attractive middle-aged woman gushed. “And I just came out to escape my kids. Whooo! Wasn’t expecting this.” I didn’t know her name and she didn’t know mine. Kept things uncomplicated—and me safe.
    â€œBut that’s how it works. I can’t just expose you to that risk without giving you something. Now, please take the money.”
    â€œMaybe we can come up with something else to set-tle this. You’re supposed to be my fiancé, right?”