Page 73 of Cash

“Goose is the guy down the street?”

“Yeah. The one that was there the day I smacked Tito.”

“What’s the Friday deal?”

“It’s a deal he has every Friday. It’s not mandatory, but most of us go. It’ll be a chance for you to meet the fellas. Give ‘em an idea of why I’ve been missing for the last month.”

She looked at me and smiled. “Sure. I’d love to.”

“Goose is a good cook.”

Her eyebrows raised. “So, we’re going to eat there?”

“Yeah. That’s what it is. Barbeque. Beer. Margaritas. He smokes meats. Sometimes he fries a turkey. He’s been known to make some pretty good tamales, too.”

She chuckled.

“What?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Getting information out of you is close to impossible.”

She was right, but I didn’t agree with her. I didn’t disagree, either. There was a time and a place for arguing, and Sunset Cliffs during sunset wasn’t it.

Sitting so close to her I could taste the sweetness of her perfume, I sat and watched the sunset. As the orange sphere disappeared behind the wall of water, only to be replaced by an indigo and pink sky, I gave thanks for Kimberly’s existence – and for my ability to be in her presence without doing anything stupid.