Seven Deadly Sins - BFF 209 Here I Go Again

BFF 209: Here I go Again

Seven Deadly Sins #3

“Harry…yeah it’s me again, Angela.  Thanks for the flowers, but you didn’t have to.  They are lovely!  I know you are supposed to be on vacation, but let’s get real, you don’t know how to relax. Sedate yourself with a few bolts of Scotch, but relax, I don’t think so.” Angela swiveled her chair towards the floor to ceiling windows.  The amber glow of evening, and the view was breathtaking.

“Ang, you’re a pretty girl and all, but I didn’t send you any flowers.  You sure are barkin’ up the wrong tree.”  Harry’s gruff laughter filled Angela’s ear.  Harry, too, leaned back in his office chair.  He crossed his ankles as he rested them on the corner of his desk. 

“Darn, I was sure hoping it was someone I know this time.”  Angela knotted her brows again.  Sighing. 

“What do we have this time.”  It wasn’t really a question, it was more acknowledgment that there might be a situation.  “Are you working alone again?  You know I don’t like you to be in that building alone.  It’s just not safe.  Too many crazies out there.”

 

“ I found a lovely bouquet of flowers on my desk, just after lunch.  There wasn’t actually a card per-se, but a business card with only a name type on the front, P. Ride.  A place, time and date are hand written on the back.  Not written, boldly printed.  Heavy masculine printing.  No smell to the card, but the flowers are very aromatic.” Leaning forward to inhale the aroma again, Angela smiled just a little.

“Well, here I go again. I plan to go to the meeting.  Will you case it for me?  I haven’t a clue who I am meeting or why.  However, they went to great lengths to get me there and now I am curious.” Biting her lower lip, Angela crossed her fingers and held them up to her face.  She really didn’t want to go alone.

“What time was that, again?” Harry knew full well it was ten, he wanted her to verify in her mind what time she would be there.  He fully intended to be there by eight-thirty.  He didn’t want her to blow his cover and was going to set down his rules.

“I won’t be there until five minutes after ten. Precisely.  You will naturally get there much earlier and stake out an advantageous spot to watch from. Wearing jeans and sneakers, I will walk to the bar and order a bottled beer , not a mixed drink the bartender or anybody else could slip something into, then I will take a seat at a table trying as best as I can to have the other person sitting facing you. Have I got it?” Angela smirked knowing Harry would either be grousing or glowing.  Her guess was somewhere in between.

“Oh grasshopper, I have trained you well.” Smiling also, Harry hung up the phone.

Arriving at O’Malley’s early, Harry sat at the corner stool.  He ordered a shot with a side of water.  Sipping the water, the shot went untouched.  Crowds of people came and went, it was a popular watering hole for the middle management types.  Suits and stilettos.  Martinis and margaritas. No one and nothing seemed irregular.  People watching, better than going to the zoo. 

Harry had been so engrossed in his people watching, he was a little taken aback when Angela walked in.  He checked his watch.  Time had really flown! Here it was, already 10:05pm.  Bellied up to the bar, Angela ordered a light bottled beer. Harry watched as she then found an empty table.  Clearing some of the leftover dirty glasses from in front of her seat, she sat down and looked around.  No one seemed to take notice of her.  She looked at her watch, 10:30 pm.  “I’ll wait ten more minutes, then I’m outta here.” She thought to herself. “All that only to be stood up. Unbelivable!”   

The bartender called “Last Call! It’s two o’clock and that’s all.” 

Frantically, Angela looked at her watch.  “Two o’clock!  What?  Where had the night gone?  What?”  Her eyes sought Harry.  Harry was in the act of doing the same thing.  On his face was a look of utter astonishment.  They both stood up, grabbed their things, and headed for the door.  “My place!” Angela shot at him as she climbed into her car.

White Chevrolet Camero, convertible.  It was her baby.  Her pride and joy.  Some people want their foreign cars, or the land barge luxury, but Angela grew up near the Motor City.  A sense of Michigan pride had been instilled since she was old enough to ride in a car seat.   No SUV for her, not the soccer Mom type.  Muscle car and the wind in her hair. 

As Angela quickly pulled the door shut, she talked to her baby.  “Get me home fast, get me home safe, get me home now! Crap, there’s traffic on the highway.  I’ll bet every cop from here to Indiana is waiting along that stretch.”  Without turning the key, without stepping on the gas, with her mouth wide open and her eyes as big as saucers, the car levitated.  “Holy bat crap, holy bat crap!”

After self maneuvering through the high rise forest, the Camero landed itself in front the parking garage of her condo.  Shaking, Angela steered the car through the maze of parking spaces until she found her own.  Pulling in, she wondered if she should take the keys or leave them in it.  Grabbing her keys, Angela jumped from the car and hurried to the waiting elevator.

After buzzing, Harry was soon in her condo sitting at the counter.  “Coffee.  I need coffee and I need to think.” 

“Oh my God, Harry, did you see me fly?!”  Angela’s eyes were still as round as a month old kittens.

Harry shook his head then laid it across his arms on the counter.

“Harry.  Harry, I think I remember a few things.  I know I remember that I will remember as I need to.  I know that sounds crazy.  She said I couldn’t handle everything all at once.  She said you were a good guy but short on open mindedness.  She said we have a rough road in front of us, but that they are there to help us. Oh God, Harry, what have I gotten us into?!”

The coffee was hot and reassuring.  Ordinarily when coming home at 2:30 am, Angela might have a splash Bailey’s to spice up her dreams.  She didn’t think she was going to need any help with that tonight!

“Oh, yeah, lie to me.  Harry, tell me a whopper.”

“I put money in the parking meter.” He looked straight at her, dead pan.

“You didn’t have any change so you shrugged your shoulders and didn’t put money in the meter.  After all, you know people.  They will let you off at least once.” She looked him right in the eyes. “Was that what you told me?”

“Not even close.  Although, what you said was the truth.”

“She said I would not be able to hear any lies.  I would hear only the truth from everyone.”

“Who is this SHE?”

“The Goddess, Hera, Zeus’ wife.  She is the Goddess of marriage and birth.” Angela seemed to be staring into space, reciting information. “She overheard Poseidon and a plot he was hatching against Hades and the rest of the Gods.  Because his plot is against mankind, and he is one of Zeus’ siblings, and a God, she cannot directly oppose him.  They are going to bestow us with gifts. I think Baby being able to fly is one of them. Whatever Poseidon has in mind, he has already set it in motion.  It’s up to you and I to stop him.  Good Luck!  I may have to call in sick tomorrow, stay in bed, and hide my head under the pillows.  If I hadn’t been there I would have thought us crazy.  I think I still do!”