King Solomon's Journey (The Dominguez Adventures) (5 page)

            “Don’t. You just better be nice to her.”

            “Tommy, I promise - as long as her eyes don’t kill me first.”

            “I can’t believe a woman's got you like this, Antonio. You like her a lot, but I don’t know what she’ll think about you.”

            “Tommy my man, you just made my day! Now, just pretend you've taken me somewhere organic before.” Antonio suddenly felt self-conscious.

            “Yeah, okay.” The Giant cordially agreed.

Chapter 4

"Gentlemen, start your egos." 
Billy Crystal

            Tommy was due for one helluva a tip tonight. Over his shoulder, Antonio caught a glimpse of her as she approached. She had changed into a new outfit. Her legs bare, the short casual skirt revealed an awesome view from her toes to the top of her hamstring. Sculpted, definitely by yoga, he wanted those legs wrapped around him - now. She gave Tommy a wave hello, and was clearly happy, almost bouncy.

             “I hope you don’t mind sharing a ride. Maybe, we could share a table?” He stayed cool. With her entire body that close to him; it was difficult to seem nonchalant.

            “That would be nice, eating alone is no fun.” Her voice sounded cheerful.

            “I agree,” he said as they climbed into the car.

            Tommy’s face smirked at Antonio's clumsy behavior. She opened her giant purse and removed a book. Antonio thought, great, she was sitting right next to me...reading.

            “Here, Tommy. I brought you a new book. It is quite fascinating, with a few mystical surprises. You will love it. Read it to your wife. It should win you some points with her,” she smiled.

            “Good idea, Miss Amanda. She’ll enjoy that. Thank you.”

            The scene he witnessed stunned Antonio. Was she a siren in disguise? Could she be real? Suggesting that Tommy, the massively huge driver, should read a mystical storybook to his wife, Antonio couldn’t decide if he should laugh, or start worshiping her.

            “Do you eat here often, Antonio?”

            Hating to lie, he spoke by reflex, “A few times,” unaware of where they were talking about. Her scent had grabbed his senses. Trying to identify it, he couldn’t quite place it, it wasn’t perfume, no, something more pleasant. Not sugary, but still sweet, he wanted to know. He wanted to taste it.        He caught Tommy's eyes in the rearview mirror; the giant was making faces at him and Antonio was so lost in his senses; he hadn't even made polite conversation. Known to lecture students in Study Halls for endless hours, he had nothing to say. Well, he could at least make an effort. “It sounds as if you eat there a lot. Maybe, you can tell me what’s best.” He sounded stupid, she replied without missing a beat.

            “Are you a Vegan, a Kosher, or an Organic?”

             “I’m organic, and otherwise flexible.” Antonio lied without missing a beat.

            “We are similar, I am an organic, but never pork, and everything is good here. I am not sure I could choose a single favorite,” she explained.

            Thankfully, they arrived at the restaurant, and Antonio was saved from burying himself any further in a mire of lies.

            Tommy opened the door for them. As Amanda got out, Antonio followed. Tommy leaned over, speaking under his breath, “Can’t ya' do any better than that? You’re crashin' man.”

            “Thanks for the warning.” Tommy was right. He was crashing, but her very existence tantalized him. Even the attention she gave each word of her sentences drove him mad.

            Amanda waited patiently. He wanted her bad, and hated how she intimidated him. Now he prepared to sit in a restaurant with health food, and pretend he liked it.

            Did real men even eat at these restaurants? He liked healthy, he liked fresh, but a restaurant for vegetables seemed extreme, and all those skinny people may be healthy, but they sure looked ill.

            Taking their seats, their eyes met for a moment in a glance. Those eyes were the blame for his present state of mind numbing confusion. Hell, they were the reason he hoped to come back to this silly vegetable boutique again. With those eyes holding him hostage, he would surely oblige.

            “Antonio, do you like wine?”

            “Yes. Do you?”

            “I do. It is fair to say that I am into wine. I have a vineyard, but I was actually asking if you wanted to drink some now.”

            “Sure, that’s a great idea. Tell me which type you like.” He wanted to drink wine with her, lots of wine, barrels of it.

            “Dark reds, Merlot, Burgundy, the darker the better,” she told him.

            Asking the waiter for a wine list, the extensive array of wines available surprised him.  He chose an excellent bottle of Castello di Ama, the 2006 "L'Apparita, the waiter assured him that the lady would like his choice. He thought about telling the kid, I got a lot riding on this, it needs to be the best.

                        Awaiting their wine, she kept up a running dialogue about Italian wines and their comparison to American. She was funny, and she knew a number of tidbits about wine making that were actually hilarious. He was entranced by her easy sense of humor. He surprised himself by blurting out the words; “You have beautiful eyes.” He wanted to die. If Tommy had heard that one, the giant would have been rolling on the floor.

            Startled in the midst of a story, “Thank you,” was all Amanda could say.

            “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. It’s true, yet I should not have been so rash.”

            “No, I’m flattered, really.”

            He thought, Are you flattered enough to spend the rest of your life with me?

             Having convinced her to tell him about her wine and vineyard, she entertained him with her story in fascinating animation. The temptress amused him throughout the rest of the evening. Often, his mind wondered with thoughts of touching her, only to be brought back by the sound of her voice asking him questions, including him in every topic change.

            “Antonio, I know we are eating together by accident, but would you be bothered if I was so bold as to ask you something?”

            Antonio’s mind raced. No, I don’t really want any babies, but, we could try making one anyway. Please let that have not fallen out of his mouth! She still looked like she was waiting for an answer, so Antonio felt safe.

            “Sure, Amanda, I think our dinner together was a nice coincidence. Ask me anything.” He prayed.

            “See, I have often come here alone, and I love chocolate. Would you share a chocolate soufflé with me? It is too much for me to eat alone. Besides, it should be shared by a couple.”

            Did she say couple, but, in reference to chocolate? It wasn’t exactly - Antonio, I want to have your baby.

            “I would enjoy that, Amanda. Sure.”

            “Great. It is a tragic weakness of mine, good chocolate.”

            He smiled. What a confession. Don’t get too wild and sinful, save some for when we’re alone, Sohu. As the chocolate arrived, he imagined feeding it to her. Watching her, it was apparent that she loved chocolate as she slowly placed a spoonful in her mouth. Antonio suffered another Freudian moment.

            “Do you date?”

            He knew his question made her nervous.

            “I haven’t.”

            What the hell kind of answer was that? How could he address her now?

            “Would you, go out with someone?” Damn! Where did this ‘someone’ come from? He sounded like a pimp trying to recruit her.

            “I don’t know.”

            Of course, that would be her answer. Then, she added something even more unexpected.

            “I am not a cougar. I wouldn’t date someone younger.” Where in the hell did she come up with that?

            “Amanda, what do you mean by a cougar?”

            “A cougar is a woman that dates younger men.”

            “I know what a cougar is; I’m wondering where you got that idea.”

            “I thought, perhaps you were asking me out?”

            “You think going out with me would make you a cougar?” He laughed at her lame excuse, which earned him a look of high dungeon. “Amanda, I’m not younger than you.”

             “I am sure you are.”

            “Thanks, but I’m not.”

            The woman had the audacity to roll those damn beautiful eyes at him. She didn’t believe him. He spent the previous day searching, and found a stockpile of information about her. If he told her now that he knew exactly how old she was, he would stand accused of being a stalker. They were the same age. This was merely an excuse. How would he convince her?

            “Why do you think I’m younger than you?”

            “You have a lot of collagen, natural proof you are younger.”

            He wanted to laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

            “Do you want to know my age?”

            “No, that would be rude.”

            “Don’t tease, go out with me.” He was baffled. Her words said, Get Lost, but the signals she gave proved her interest.

            “Why are you making a dumb excuse?”

            “I’m not trying to tease you.”

            No, go ahead. Break my heart. Force me into failing King Solomon, that’s all you're doing.

            The waiter placed the bill in the center of the table. They both tried to snatch it. She sure as hell wasn’t going to humiliate him on top of everything else. Antonio thought she would understand that he wanted to pay for dinner.

            “I’m taking care of this, Amanda.” Responding to firmly, he glanced up at her. She sat without reply.

            Unless Antonio could figure out the game she played, she would run away forever, lost from him and the King.

            “Amanda, you understand when a man wants to buy dinner, right?” He could not afford for her to be upset with him this early on their journey.

            “I do, thank you, I enjoyed dinner a lot.”

            Antonio thought, Here you daft woman - this is how you do it. Let me take you to dinner again, as a date - anywhere, just let me take you somewhere.

            While they waited for the check, Antonio knew he had blown it, the once animated woman was replaced by a statue. She pulled away from him when he took her arm as they were leaving.

            Tommy waited outside. As they approached the car, he shook his head at the obvious signs that the evening was not ending well. Anxious, Antonio looked back to see if she had noticed.

            Tommy seemed distracted, and taking too long, so he opened the car door himself. “Tommy, is something wrong?”

            Tommy stood near the car, staring into the distance.

            “Don’t worry, Antonio. It’s probably nothin'. I’m just gettin' a feelin' that man over there’s watchin' us, maybe followin' us.”

            “Which man, Tommy?”

            “See that man over there dressed in black, a wearin' a Bluetooth?”

            “Yeah, I see him Tommy.”

             "I saw him earlier outside the hotel, now here he is again. I'm not likin the way he's been watchin you and Miss. Amanda, and talkin in that Bluetooth gadget all the time. Something fishy here, and it damn sure aint that fancy no meat restaurant."

            Antonio was watching the man now, and saw him covertly turn his head and glance at them before quickly looking away. He had seen enough third world bad guys and military covert types to recognize a tail when he saw one. Nevertheless, why the tail, and just who was the guy working for? One way to find out, go and ask him; on that thought, Antonio strode boldly across the street.

            It wasn't until he was halfway there that he realized Amanda was strolling beside him. "Go back to the car Amanda, this may get rough." Expecting his order to be obeyed he was not surprised when she left his side.  He stepped confidently up onto the sidewalk in front of the watcher.

            "Hey there, couldn't help but notice you seem awfully interested in my whereabouts this evening, and I was just wondering why?" Antonio was still as he waited to see just how the guy would respond.

            The man managed a good confused look before saying, "I do not know what you are talking about. I am just here waiting for my date."

            "Really, you weren't standing outside of my hotel earlier?" Antonio pressed. The man appeared relaxed, but if you knew the signs you could see the tension in his face, and see where his smile did not reach his eyes.

            "Nah. You must have me confused, you know all us good looking guys look alike in the dark." He replied with a wink to Antonio's left, and that was when he realized Amanda was standing slightly behind him.

            Glancing at her with a frown, he saw her smile at the guy, great just what he needed a woman who thought he was bothering some stranger for no reason.

            Turning back to the issue at hand, he chose to ignore her for the moment. I hope she has enough sense to get out of the way if things go wrong, he thought.  "Look buddy, we both know you're not that good looking, and don't have a chance in hell of having a date even in the dark. So why are you here and who sent you?"

            The guy was good, Antonio would give him that. He merely shrugged, and said, "Look, I am just standing here waiting for someone, why don't you and the lovely lady go on about your business, and leave me to mine." That last part though, held a bit of ire, and the guy was standing straighter, like a boxer. Antonio decided to push one more time.

            Antonio snapped his fingers and pointed at the man. "I would, but somehow I think my business is your business. I don't like people sticking their nose in my business, and if you want to continue to be one of the 'good looking guys, your gonna step back and stay away from me."

            The guy dropped the act and leaned in on Antonio. "Look you, I only got one boss, and you aint him. I got a job to do. Tonight that job is tailing some poor excuse of poker player who can't even keep a woman interested enough to end the evening right."  That said he turned to Amanda. "Lady you are looking in the wrong place for a man, come with me, and I guarantee by morning you'll be walking funny with a smile on your face."