Taking a leak, probably,” Rex said, his eyes trained on the women at the other end of the bar.
Annie was embarrassed. “Not right this minute! Gosh, Rex, you just….”
“Sorry. He is working, and he has been … you still say gosh! I always loved that. Anyway, he’s been doing this computer gig for himself. He does some pretty high powered tech support stuff. I’m not a tech head, so I’m not exactly sure how it goes, but he is in the high level of the support food chain. It needs to be a pretty bad screw up to get to him. He’s the guy the companies need to fix their big problems. Was doing that for the phone company, for some healthcare company, all big groups. Some of them lay him off, then bring him back as a private contractor. That’s how fucked … excuse me, how messed up companies are. They tell you that you are a piece of …”
“It’s Ok, say it,” Annie said.
“Shit, they tell you that you are a piece of shit, and that they don’t need you. Then, they hire you back, without benefits, and have you do the same stuff. You try to leave, they tell you they really need you now. It sucks, big time. So, I told him, screw that corporate bullshit, and we are talking about the two of us working together.”
“So he’s doing well, aside from the car wreck? That didn’t come out right,” Annie said, showing her frustration.
“He’s tough. Yes, he’s doing great, just wrapped up in his work, he needs a break.”
“Who doesn’t need a break?” Kat said. She was content to listen, but she was here to support Annie and didn’t want Rex to just roll over everyone.
“So, are you sure you are not a lawyer?” Rex asked.
“Yes, quite sure. I’m a doctor. Maybe I should explain it to you. You see, doctors make people better,” Kat said slowly.
“Is that how it works?” Rex asked
“Just think the opposite of how people feel after they deal with you,” Kat said, tilting her head.
“There any more like you at home?” Rex leaned closer.
“What?”
“Nothing. You married?” Rex backed away.
“No I am not, are you?” Kat leaned closer to Rex.
“Nope,” Rex answered.
“Previously?”
“Nope.”
“Because…?”
“Because I had better things to do. You thinking about you and me sneaking off to Vegas?” Rex smiled.
“I was thinking about what I’m going to have for dinner tonight, or what I’m going to do tomorrow, or what I’m going to do when I get back to La Jolla, or …do you want me to go on?” Kat asked, still tilting her head, not smiling.
“That’s ok, I get the picture. I—hey, La Jolla, wow! Pretty nice living. You could take me back there with you, surprise the relatives.”
“I didn’t say I had relatives there.”
“Friends maybe.”
“I could just tell them about you, which would probably be better. I know just what to say.”
Isobelle returned from serving the two women who had caught Rex’s attention at the other end of the bar. She really wanted to hear more about Grant, but the other women were making things difficult. She looked around, hoping that he had returned, but was disappointed when she saw that he had not.
“How is everyone doing down here?”
“Get my friends here another drink. Watch this one, she’s on her second water,” Rex pointed at Annie.
“And how about you?” Isobelle asked.
“I was hoping you would ask. Yes, I think another drink would be lovely,” Rex bowed.
“How about your friend, the one that left. Is he coming back?” Isobelle looked somewhat concerned.
“We never know, but we think so, so bring him another drink also. He doesn’t show, I get it,” Rex said, looking around Isobelle to the other end of the bar.
“Rex!” Annie said.
“You’re right, where are my manners? Annie, he doesn’t show, you drink it.”
“I’m fine right now,” Annie replied.
“Ok, I just want to be hospitable.” Rex said, matter-of-factly.
“You know, I thought that hula hoop I sent you was a stretch. Now after meeting Sigmund Freud here, I think I get it.” Rex looked away from the other end of the bar, and back to Kat.
Kat just grinned, not showing her teeth in her smile.
“Thought so,” Rex said.
“Good, drinks for most, water for one,” Isobelle said.
“Maybe you could spike the—” Rex began, but Annie cut him off.
“Don’t even think about it.”
A man and a woman entered the bar, getting a table off to the side. They were dressed very conservatively, rather like they did not belong here. They both had sunglasses on, which they left on when they came in. Rex noticed them immediately.
“Are those people looking over here at me?” Rex got a serious look on his face.
CHAPTER 6
As Grant walked back to his room, he noticed the interior surroundings more than when he had walked through to the bar earlier. Maybe the pain medicine was wearing off. He was still rather numb, and he was not sure if it was because of the accident, seeing Annie, or meeting Isobelle. Though they were in the desert, Grant thought the hotel opulent. It was certainly no normal desert motif. The wood was dark and ornate, and he liked the plush carpets cushioning his heavy gait.
He stopped to talk to some of the hotel staff on his way back to the room. Talking with the hotel staff and hearing (if not participating in) actual conversation with his friends made it brutally obvious that he had spent far too much time alone. He was lonely. He hadn’t had this many people to talk to in a long time, and he somehow felt he had lost the ability to converse easily with strangers—and friends. The walk back to his room took longer than it should have. The sight of the interior of the hotel made him realize that up until now, he had been on a pretty bland social diet.
More like a prison diet, he thought.
He entered his room as quickly as possible, suddenly feeling nauseated. He ran into the bathroom, where he immediately threw up.
“Great. Should have gone fishing.”
As Grant leaned on the counter in the elegant, stately bathroom, he was surprised by how much better throwing up made him feel. He went out
