zhang102

@@@@@Now he looks at you like you could shit
gold belt-buckles
“Angel, you stop!” Helen Slobotnik cried,
simultaneously throwing another elbow and grabbing
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for his glass of champagneHe held it serenely
out of her reach
“Tell her it’s the truth, boss!”
“I think it sort of is,” I said
And it wasn’t only the banker I was getting that
look fromWhen my eyes met
theirs, I caught a softening, a speculation, as if
they were wondering how I might hold them with
only the one armThat was probably crazy, but -
I was grabbed from behind, almost yanked off my
feetMy own glass of champagne would have spilled,
but Angel snatched it deftlyI turned, and there
was Kathi Green, smiling at meShe’d left the
Rehab Gestapo far behind, at least for tonight;
she was wearing a short, shimmery green dress that
clung to every well-maintained inch of her, and in
her heels she stood almost to my forehead
Standing beside her, towering over her, was Kamen
His enormous eyes swam benevolently behind his
horn-rimmed glasses
“Jesus, Kathi!” I cried”What would you’ve done
if you’d knocked me over?”
“Made you give me fifty,” she said, smiling more
widely than everHer eyes were full of tears
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“Toldja that on the phoneLook at your tan, you
handsome boy The tears spilled over and she
hugged me
I hugged back, then shook hands with KamenHis
hand swallowed mine whole
“Your plane is the way for men my size to fly,” he
said, and people turned in his directionHe had
one of those deep James Earl Jones voices that can
make supermarket circulars sound like the Book of
Isaiah”I enjoyed myself to the max, Edgar
“It’s not really mine, but thank you,” I said
“Have either of you-”
“