orangetoughguy | log post II

I know how to use the internet and learned how to use a cellular phone. Anything you can do [pointing at that schnoz] I can do [thick thumb pointing at himself] better.

[A friendly challenge. That's the reality. He would love to hold this man's hand out in the open. Because their wants, those kinds of wants, haven't been talked about Larry believes the kid wants the same. Sometimes he takes for granted how much distance the kid has covered in his personal journey. People say too much, too fast can leave a person not completely sorted out.]

Fine. And if you make more money at any table you owe me a drink. Something from the bar. Maybe a mojito.

[Woah. Wait. Stop. Here. Caesar's Palace.]

We'll start here.

[Pointing at his toucan-like bill gets a snort out of the kid. For all the lack of handholding this kind of exchange is just as intimate and affectionate despite the challenges laid down.]

Deal.

[Then he looks up at the chosen place. Of course, a Roman affair as the kid walks into the arena ready to play some gladiator games with the big dogs, or big dog in this case.] You first.

[He gestures for Larry to enter because age before beauty.]

We'll shake on it.

[Open paw and grinning because he's a smug sun of a gun at this game. Freddy is equally matched in that way. They're evenly matched for being so different. That's just how it goes though, ain't it?]

You wanna fly solo and we'll meet up in an hour? Maybe the bar by the pool. You gotta find your own trunks.

[Separate accounts but it always ends up that whatever is purchased is shared from flowers to comics.]

[Flappy hand to open paw is the closest they'll get to holding hands in public right now but he shakes on it gladly.]

Fine that's fair.

[He agrees because seriously White and Orange at the same table wouldn't end well, possibly for anyone else at the table. Freddy looks at his watch to double check the time then he looks up at Larry again.]

Don't stand me up if you don't got anything. [Talk about cocky.]

[Squeeze. Shake. Shake. And disengage just like any other men do.]

Don't feed me a fishing tale. I'll check your pockets.

[Thoroughly. Like that's anything out of the norm. Larry takes a few steps backward before pointing at the kid like he's got a pistol to fire to signal the start of the hour.

He's heading for the black jack table.]

[One hour later. The kid's making his way towards the bar by that big old open pool. There's actually more than one bar as it turns out so he starts with the first one nearest his wing of the casino. He's not walking with a swagger, that's the first sign of a loser ain't it?]

[The old man is at the third one. Yeah. The one in a far most corner. Shit he didn't know it'd be that big. For a minute he thinks about taking a walk but then if he don't show the kid would never let him forget it.

Oh. There he is. Larry uses his network device.]

PING!

[I can see you.]

[Watch this kid take his device out now, read his message, then look around. Nope not this bar. He moves on to the second only to look out once more as if on a hunch.]

Marco.

[He says to himself before typing back to the old man: Don't go Invisible Woman on me. Then he's marching off to the third bar.]

[I gotta be a woman first. Obviously. Though doesn't the kid dig her? Being invisible would have it's advantages. The old man could be all over the kid and no one would notice unless he gave it away.

Larry approaches slowly trying to catch Freddy by surprise from the rear.]

Well. What a coincidence I see you in Vegas of all places.

[Freddy thinks about replying, something along the lines of 'Sue Storm is more than just a woman' but he decides to let it go. He can put the fanboy down when necessary, see? His ears catch Larry before these green eyes do. Freddy turns around and cocks his head to the side. Supercool.]

Just goin' where the wind takes me.

[No jokes. No swagger. No jingle of chips. Is it obvious the kid didn't win much in terms of sweeping the house?]

[If she's more than a woman but still has her tits and no dick she can be an extraordinary woman right? The fact is that she is one of the few women (fictional women are included!) Freddy would go gaga over.]

Blowing and blowing.

[Larry takes another puff out of a...cigar.]

Aren't you gonna show me your winnings?

[In a reverent fashion of course. After all her one true love is Reed and they belong to each other. Freddy can see that, Freddy staunchly protects it, the fanboy. Ahem, anyway, when Larry asks that question Freddy is quick to divert.]

Why don't you show me first? Unless all you got is that. [He upnods at the cigar. A damn cigar. Pff.]

[Hot button words like that will get a man in trouble. That's for everywhere, not just Las Vegas.]

Okay.

[Because Freddy said show the old man turns out his pockets. One is empty the other one is sporting what would be about fifty dollars. Winner, yes. But big winner? Not so much.]

[Well call Freddy Newendyke mighty surprised. Then again Larry did have only an hour to play. What would he get in three hours, something close to a hundred-fifty or fifteen hundred? Maybe now they'll never know. Okay Newendyke, it's your turn. Hands in his pockets the kid turns them out empty...except for one single key.]

I got no dough.

[He plays it off real cool because by all technicality a key is not what they bet on.]

[Do they have to say how much they spent? Because the old man spent about twenty. So in all actuality, he holds in his hands only has thirty dollars.]

So you got a key?

[Brown eyes squint as he leans on in closer to take a look at it.]

What's it to?

I got it until I need to give it back.

[Freddy clarifies without really explaining its origin or how he got it just yet. As for what it's to, there's a room number printed on one side and some kind of 4-digit code attached to the other.]

I don't know. You wanna get yourself a mojito and find out?

[So that is a room key then. Huh. Larry tries to quell a grin by taking a look around them. Hands in his pockets now. He shrugs.]

I guess I can.

[Except wasn't it that the kid would get him something? Wait. He must have got himself something good. The old man nods.]

Be back in a minute.

[Because he does want a mojito. It's more than a minute but he'll return, kid. Interests are piqued. What's in store now.]

Wait. [Come on now he didn't forget.] Here.

[Amidst some lint and a cigarette butt that falls to the ground Freddy manages to fish out a coin which he tosses Larry's way like he's Harvey Dent and the old man's someone he's decided to cut some slack.]

[That's a good, honest guy. He catches that coin and the whole Two-Faced toss is lost on him. Once in his grip he looks it over and pretends to take a bite to make sure it's real before starting to turn away.]

Thanks, sir. [Like it's a tip.] You want anything?

[Freddy shrugs.] I don't got money for two drinks.

[Not in cash anyway. He leaves that up to Larry's discretion who has a knack for knowing just what the kid likes anyway. When Larry comes back Freddy's ready to go. He's finally figured out what the 'V' stands for on the key tag.]

Come on, we don't got long.

[Yes, there's a window of time involved not to mention a walk around the pool area then up a corridor.]

[Larry does though. In fact he comes back with two mojitos. So there. Follow he does with both drinks like some older valet. Personal handler. The kid is the VIP.]

Lead the way, bucko.

[Where are they going?]

[The 'V' on the room number stands for 'villa' while the 4-digit code is the access key to the villa itself. The kid figured this part out based on plain old gumshoe work. Also maybe the girl who gave him the key told him so and Freddy figured out what she meant only now. Either way the kid knows what's up.]

Thanks.

[He takes his glass for a sip only to hand it back to Larry to make him carry it. On they go around a corner to an archway of Greco-Roman luxury. Villa 3, G for Greek. He tries the key and when prompted for the code Freddy feeds it with mental fingers crossed. Access granted. In they go, he gestures for Larry to step in first.]

[The old man figures that Freddy knows exactly what he's doing at this moment. Maybe not all the time, and that's okay. But this moment? Yep. He's got that swagger and it's a pleasure to follow him. Even as a butler, valet whatever the shit. He should have brought a whole damn tray.]

Don't mind if I do.

[Into the villa he goes. Woah. Nice digs indeed. He doesn't say anything, not while the door is open but eyebrows do lift as he waits for the kid.]

[After Larry's in the kid slides up and shuts the door. When the lock clicks these hands start flapping.]

So there was this guy, right? I mean a real high roller type, dice and chips fuckin' everywhere. Well he's got a taste for some of the girls but you know this ain't two-bit Reno or Atlantic City type shit going around.

[Freddy continues his story which more or less amounts to the kid being a dealing girl's knight in denim armor against a sleaze who happens to only look and gamble higher than what he really has in his bank account. As favors go the girl owed him one and while Freddy's not the type to collect he's not the type to say 'no' when the right kind of offer's on the table too.]

"Keep your girlfriend in for the night," she said.

[The kid repeats in her girlish tone.] Don't ask me what made her think I'm not a bachelor. [A shrug goes here.]

And all this is for real?

[He holds up a drink as if to say stop.]

Not callin' this one untrue but that's a whopper. [Believable too. The damn kid is a good guy. Larry's beaming with pride at the kid for this tale.]

And so you got us this place.

[Which is very, very nice on it's own. The old man takes a sip. Hopefully it's his drink. Oops.]

You kinda got a ladykiller thing going on. In case you didn't know. Some kind of a loyal hound dog. Too bad about the girlfriend.

[Would they insert boyfriend? Lawrence Dimick is no boy.]

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