Table or not, I still want to go home, Hannah repeated as the women squeezed themselves onto four short stools and Taz signaled a waitress and ordered four beers.
No beer! II want a diet cola, Hannah blurted, but the waitress had already left. Taz, this is a mistake. These guys are in lust.
We just got here, Taz said. Chill. Okay? I can handle the situation. Like you said, Im a principal. And where I grew up, girl, these guys would be pussies. Taz smiled her huge smile and began to clap and writhe along with Veronica to the jungle beat.
Since Taz, her ride, seemed hell-bent on staying, Hannah turned to Zoë. Why didnt you tell me the hotel was overrun with a motorcycle gang?
Its some kind of convention. The manager says they do this every year. Im sure theyre all dentists and doctors and lawyers. Veronica met one of them on the beach earlier. He said he was a stockbroker. She even had a beer with him and a doctor.
Veronica did not strike Hannah as a reliable judge of mens characters.
Veronica laughed. Mr. Moneybags is over there trying to be invisible. We may get togetherlater.
Veronica waved at her new friend, who was long and lean and slouching in the darkest corner of the bar.
You said you were going to writelater, Zoë reminded her.
Hannah eyed the bars denizens uneasily. Dentists? Doctors? Youre kidding.
Veronica nodded and fluffed her puffy white hair.
Right, Hannah said. The three-hundred-pound Goliath over there with the grizzled eyebrows, swollen black eye, potbelly, long red hair and the golden loop in his right ear is a dentist? Hes staring holes through my T-shirt every time I lower my purseand youre telling me the big bear does root canals for a living?
Well, maybe not him, Veronica admitted. Its your fault. You should have worn a bra.
The ape adjusted his yellow bandanna as he leered at Zoë. There was a gap in his crooked smile.
Dont encourage him, Zoë. In desperation Hannah lowered her lashes, clutched her purse tighter against her chest for coverage and sipped from her mug. The beer felt cold and tart going down, but it heated her blood and calmed her a bit. For the first time all day she relaxed a little.
Good stuff. Too good. Hannah swigged some more. Then she wet her napkin, tore off little bits, wadded them up to use as earplugs and stuffed them into her ears.
You pointed Goliath out to me, Zoë reminded Hannah.
Forget I said anything. Just quit looking at him.
Hes cute, Taz said. Lifting her beer, she smiled at him. Cheers, everybody.
I really think we should go, Hannah began again.
Relax, Taz growled. Shoot some darts or something. Drink. Hey, I brought you a target.
No way am I getting up and making a spectacle of myself before this wolf pack.
Before Hannah could stop her, Taz waved Goliath over. We want to shoot some dartserWhats your name, big boy?
The Charger, he purred. Whats yours, hot lady?
She gave him a look. Okay, Charger, can you get us some darts and pin up this target?
When he glanced at the newspaper picture, the biker looked a little startled.
You got a problem, big boy? Taz asked.
No problem, hot lady. His broad hand slapped the clipping of Joe Campbell against the dartboard, pinning it there with four darts.
Draw a circle around his crotch, Taz ordered. Hereuse my lipstick.
She handed the Charger a tube of the stuff, and he drew crude red genitals instead of a circle. The bikers roared approval.
First guy to hit the big red pickle where it hurts standing from behind me gets to dance with the Egyptian hot lady here, Taz yelled. On my table!
The men nearest Taz got off a few earsplitting yells. A squabble broke out and a table was turned over before the issue of who got to throw the first dart was resolved.
A guy in a black vest with a scorpion tattooed on his arm and a patch over one eye went first. When he hit Campbell in the eye, everybody booed. The next guy got a turn. The dart hit the mark but bounced off without even tearing the paper. Hannah hid her face in her hands and said a prayer.
MeI go for men with balls of steel, Veronica mused, winking at her friend in the dark corner. He lifted his hand and signaled her to come over. When she didnt jump up, Hannah felt his hostile gaze fix her, and she shivered. Not that she could really see him. But she could feel him. And he gave her a bad feeling like shed had in the garage.
The next biker took his turn and missed as well. The mood in the bar turned brutal.
Goliath had the deadliest aim. A few darts thrown from his meaty arm put a gaping hole where Campbells lipstick-smeared pickle had been.
Ouch, Taz said as she climbed up onto a table to dance and beckoned the Charger.
Hips undulating, the Egyptian hot lady and her gap-toothed Hun from Hell put on a show to a loud song with a wild beat. He stomped; she wiggled and twisted and ate him with her dark eyes, showing caramel-colored legs every time she twirled. Their dance was pure raw sex, and she stirred the men to a frenzy. When they were done, every man in the bar rushed over to help Taz down from the table. They were all clamoring to dance with her when the Charger told them she was his and asked her to dance with her again.
I aint nobodys, Taz said.
He was climbing back onto the table, when she crossed her arms and said no in her loud, school principal voice. He glared down at her in surprise. Since he was on the table, and she was short, she barely came to the tops of his muddy motorcycle boots.
The silence grew tense. His bottom lip bloated sullenly, and he flushed purple. Hannah half expected Charger to grab Taz and tear her apart, or to at least kiss her to thrill their gaping audience, but he merely growled good-naturedly, You heard her. The lady, she said no.
Hannah couldnt believe it when he jumped off the table with a resounding thud and swaggered heavily to the dartboard and ripped Campbells picture off the wall. Then he yelled, No more dancing. No cussin, either. We got ladies present. Then his eyes locked on Tazs face with respect and shy affection.
Taz beamed at him.
There were grumbles as the men sat and resumed their drinking, but the Charger hovered nearby their table, a silent hulk making sure the other beasts left his lady friends alone.
Heck, maybe the Charger did do root canals for a living. During the table dance, Hannah had drained her mug, and when another was placed in front of her, she sipped from it, too. Maybe it was the beer that eased the tension in her. Instead of pleading to go, she relaxed and began to chat with her friends in their dark corner.
So, youre Veronica Holiday, Tasmania said. Hannah was telling me you were here. Ive read your books.
If Id known I was going to meet a fan, I would have worn my glasses and tried to look intelligent.
Taz laughed. Im not disappointed.
Veronica didnt look like the sophisticated woman in her publicity stills. In those photographs, she wore power suits and demure shades of makeup.
Zoë said you were being sued, too, Tasmania said.
Hannah frowned as she sipped more beer. So, whos suing you, Veronica?
The music was so loud they had to yell to be heard.
Hannah frowned as she sipped more beer. So, whos suing you, Veronica?
The music was so loud they had to yell to be heard.
This thief, this idiot from my hometown, whos been jealous of me since I sold my first book. Her names Camille. She married my old boyfriend right out from under me when we were kids. Then she ran me out of town. Now she has the gall to say I stole her body and wrote the story of her life. Her life! In her dreams.
Tasmanias black eyes gleamed. Stole her body?
I had a boob job. Were the same bra size now.
Tasmania snorted. Give me a break. Did Zoë tell you Im being sued because of damage to a mans eenie weenie done by a pickle I nuked?
This could be your next novel, Zoë said.
If I wrote about it, Camille would really sue.
Hannah looked up. So how can we stop these frivolous lawsuits? In this city, all the judges are bought off.
Its calledcampaign contributions, Zoë screamed over the music. It costs a lot to run for office. Politicians and judges dont make much.
Under the table they do, Taz said.
You dont know that for sure, Zoë countered.
What planet do you live on? Holding her mug up, Taz eyed the waitress and tapped her mug and held up four fingers. They make huge contributions to political action committees, PACs they call them. Wouldnt it be fun to turn the tables on these jerks?
But how? Hannah asked.
When more beers arrived, the four women were about to raise their mugs and clink them when the fight started.
But I want to dance with a hot lady! a biker yelled. You danced with her! Why the hell cant
This is why the hell why, you son of a
The Charger let a beefy fist fly, and it landed smack, square in the loudmouths jaw. As if a bomb had gone off, the bar erupted. Cigarettes were squashed out on the floor. Everybody started shouting and ramming one another with their heads. Tables and chairs crashed to the floor. Beer bottles smashed as they rolled off tables.
Lets go! Hannah screamed, ducking.
We could do room service in my suite, Veronica yelled.
Sounds like a winner, Taz agreed, keeping low, running after them.
Why cant we just go home? Hannah pleaded.
Not that Taz or anybody else paid the least bit of attention to her.