served two mugs of beer and toast.
"You don't seem like the type who frequents these clubs often. How come you're here?"
I look down at his mug, which, after the first sip, is already less than halfway full.
"A friend recommended it to me who couldn't make it and asked me to say hi to Angela."
I throw it at her. He stares at me silently in that weird way of his. He takes another sip of his beer and taps the empty mug on the bar. I try to imitate him and almost choke on it.
"Come on, I'll take you to her before she gets in the cages!"
I think he's doing it more for him than for me, so he has a good excuse to talk to her. I set down the tankard and follow him again into that torrent of people.
We arrive on a platform, under the cages. They look like freight elevators. We wait a few moments. A curtain on the wall opens and there she appears! She looks at me surprised to see me and stops; this confirms my hypothesis that she recognized me. Buba makes herself known.
"Hi, Angela!"
Like a teenager he went all red in the face, proving that even Yeti's have feelings.
"Hi, Buba." She walks up to him and greets him with two little kisses on his cheeks. That's enough to send Buba into a parallel dimension. Instead he turns his back on me, trying to ignore me.
"I came to introduce you to a friend who wanted to meet you."
She points at me. Now, my beautiful Angela, you can't pretend you didn't.
She unwillingly turns around and extends her hand to me.
"Hi Angel, I'm Davide."
First shot fired: I called her Angel. She remains silent, then detachedly looks at me mockingly.
"Nice to meet you..."
She turns back to Buba, but I notice that she keeps me under control with a wary and alarmed look.
"So? I'm still waiting for you to free up one night to go out to dinner like you promised."
Damn, he' s really marking her tight.
"You're right, I'm sorry. But you know very well that I'm messed up right now! Come on, let's talk about it calmly next time, they're waiting for me now."
Cleared as an ice cube in the oven.
"Sorry!" I tackle her.
"Before you leave, I wanted to ask you a few things about Roberto..."
"Who?" Questioning air. She sounds sincere.
"Roberto? Does Lilim ring a bell?"
Come on, don't pretend. Remember? The idiot from the ritual...
"I don't know who you're talking about, I think you've confused me with someone else. Sorry, but I really have to go."
She unwraps me like candy. I contain my pissed off and hold her arm with one hand.
"Listen to me, baby: I don't know what the hell you two have been up to, but know that Roberto is in the hospital reduced to a human larva, maybe even because of you! You're the last person who saw him in a decent condition and you know what he did to get like this! Do you have a shred of conscience?"
Buba's huge hand presses one of my shoulders.
"Hey, man! Don't you think you're overreacting?"
End of a friendship.
Hers is peaceful advice to let go. She lowers her gaze in mortification. I release my grip and calm down. Then with a sigh I turn to Buba.
"I don't hold it against her. But she's the only one who can give me answers and I know she has them!"
"What if she doesn't want to give them to you?" I could always pull her hair, like a good caveman would, until she spoke.
"No, Buba, wait. He's right, she's entitled to some answers." Oh! We finally made it!
"Anyway, I'm not the last one to see him before... before he got sick." Her voice trembles.
"Weren't you the pretty brunette from the chat room meeting?"
"No, I didn't go that night. Lilim... Roberto had told me about it and I was very worried."
"Worried about what?" If I had a nymphomaniac like that!
"I told him not to do it... but that stubborn man wouldn't listen to me!"
"Do? Do what?" I press curiously.
She almost makes to answer, when a woman's croaky voice interrupts her.
"Well? Angela, are you moving or are you going on strike tonight?"
"Yes, yes! I'll be right there, excuse me." I turn around. There's a woman in her early years who looks like an arm wrestler.
"She's the owner! I have to go or she'll fire me. Do you have a cell phone?"
"Yes..." I pull it out of my pocket and hand it to her.
She grabs it with her tapered hands and quickly types a number on the keypad. She presses enter and hangs up to memorize it.
"This is my number, call me tomorrow after 5pm! Bye."
With that said, she runs over to the open cage, locks it from the inside, and pushes a button that makes it slowly rise to the ceiling.
"Bye, Angela!" Buba, with his little hand, greets her as she climbs without deigning him a response.
I remain staring at that beautiful moving maiden as I think back to the enigmatic phrases she threw at me.
I'm watching Buba as he tries to peek at the number she has dialed on my cell phone, which I'm absent-mindedly holding with the display facing up. Realizing I'm looking at it, he turns around with an angelic look. I smile at the pathetic scene, but think that in her place, maybe I would have done the same.
"He must be something very important, to have left you his number. She's never given it to me in two years."
Maybe because she's more sane than she seems?
"Well, yes, it's a very touchy matter!"
But don't be jealous gorilla.
"Can I give you my number in case you want to go on a double date with one of her friends?"
This one is worse than a pit bull that won't let go.
"Of course, but be warned: I'm not trying to hook up with her, I just need her help."
Is he going to get in your fat head?
"Yeah, yeah, sure! I was just saying that, just saying..."
