"Now apologize to the lady," Bones said, tugging the kid's face up to see me.
"Sorry, ma'am. No disrespect meant. To any of you. Sorry. Sorry."
"I'm gonna take this, because you make piss-poor decisions and you don't deserve it." Bones shifted his weight, and I couldn't see what he took from the kid. "Now, get out of here before I roll you out like a rug for Mr. Mariani to walk on."
He released the kid and stood.
The entire group of teens pulled a vanishing act that would have landed them a show on any Vegas stage.
I looked from Angel to Bones, trying to figure out how I felt about what had just happened. It would probably be polite to thank Bones, but I wasn't one hundred percent thankful he'd ground some kid's face into the pavement for me.
Angel released Ariana and she ran to me, grabbing my hand. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Of course I'm okay. I just need a second to--"
"What were you thinking? That kid had a knife or a gun or something, and you just... You could be dead right now!" she shouted.
A knife? Or a gun?I let that sink in for a moment, remembering the kid's hand in his pocket.Is that what Bones took from him?
Ariana thanked Bones, that look of hunger--maybe even adoration--back in her eyes.
I stepped away from them to check on the old man. He wasn't hurt, but asked me for something to eat. This was something I could help with, so I asked my companions if he could join us for lunch.
The three of them looked at each other, then at the old man, then back at each other.
Desperate to remind them he was a human being, I added, "His name is--" Then realized I didn't know it. I nudged him and waited.
"Max," he replied, leaning against his cane to hold out his hand to Angel. Angel, whose suit probably cost more than first-class airfare back to Zambia, shifted his gaze to Max's outstretched hand. Time froze. I looked into Angel's eyes and saw a battle raging. I'd made a big mistake. Guys like Angel clearly didn't eat with guys like Max. What did Bones call Angel? A Mariani. What did that even mean? The kids seemed to know, and it spooked them.
Awkward tension mounted, and I needed to diffuse it. I grabbed Max's shoulders and braced, preparing to angle him in the opposite direction. We'd walk a few steps away, have a little chat, and then I'd go order him some takeout. Then he'd sit on the curb and eat, like some sort of abandoned animal, while we lounged in nice, comfy chairs.
Because that's the way the world works. And it sucks.
I shouldn't have expected more, but I wanted Angel to be different. Heck, he'd invited me to pizza when I didn't have a place to sit. He was a nice guy, just not nice enough to draw attention by sitting with a homeless man. I got it, but I was still disappointed. I tugged on Max's shoulder. Only I couldn't move him, because his hand was connected to Angel's.
"Nice to meet you, Max." Angel smiled at the man. It wasn't fake or forced, condescending or pitying. It was real and heartwarming. It made my eyes burn and my breath catch. "Please join us for lunch."
They broke apart, and before Angel could reconsider, I swooped in to link arms with Max. Angel held the door open and I helped Max into the restaurant with Ariana and Bones following. A smile tugged at my lips and I couldn't contain it. Max wouldn't have to eat on the curb, and that made my heart soar.
I pointed out a restroom sign to Max. "Would you like to go wash up?"
He started to nod, but lost his balance. I tightened my grip on his arm, wondering how he would make the walk on his own.
"Here, I'll take him," Angel said, appearing on the other side of Max. He put a hand on Max's back and another under his arm. Then he leaned in, dirtying the front of his nice suit against Max's filthy shirt.
It was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen.
Bones headed for the restroom ahead of Angel and Max. A waitress showed me and Ariana to a circular corner while I tried to come to grips with everything that had happened. Angel was a good guy for helping Max, but the way those kids had looked at him...
As soon as the waitress was out of earshot, I asked Ariana, "What's a Mariani?"
Her eyes widened.
"What?" I asked.
"Where did you hear that name?"
"Bones called Angel a Mariani."
