but moved west. He sort of wants everyone in the west to know he is smarter than they are.”
“You do not seem like that, so how is it that you are friends, and for so long?”
“Well, believe it or not, he is really smart, and can be pretty funny. I would never tell him that.” Grant made a clicking sound with his tongue. “He’s been in some sort of trouble, and I haven’t seen him in a while. Just have to see how bad he is.”
“I am sure he cannot be that bad.”
“You will probably have to tell me about his trouble, because he’ll probably forget. As for how bad he is, you’ll see.”
Grant leaned back in his chair at the bar, feeling the tightness of his body. His thinking was slow. Lack of sleep the night before, combined with a car wreck, and precautionary pain medicine given at the hospital were not allowing him to function as he would like. He wanted to get out in the sun for a while, but knew Rex would come to the bar, and probably stay there until they hauled him out before he would come outside to look for him.
“Just relax here, I am sure your friend will come along, and that he will not be any trouble. I will be right back.” Isobelle said, walking away and out of sight.
Grant laughed, watching her as she left. He looked around the room. The space was so much larger than the small motel he and Annie had stayed at on their first visit to Palm Springs together. He could not remember how long ago, four years, probably more. The décor of the hotel was so ornate, it reminded him that had he stayed with being an attorney, places like this would not seem so foreign to him. He looked down at the snaps of his western shirt, at his hands resting on the knees of his blue jeans, down to his cowboy boots, then back around at the adornment of the furnishings of the room. He leaned, looking at the arms of the chair he was sitting in, then back around the room. He was clearly out of place, dressed in his cowboy attire, surrounded by luxury. It had been a long time since he had been in any place remotely this nice, and that was back when he and Annie were together. He was having a difficult time determining which was nostalgia and which was automobile accident, thinking his life not dissimilar to the wreck. He could hear a commotion around the corner that seemed to be coming his direction, just like everything else.
“You probably just called me a sonofabitch,” the commotion yelled across the hotel lobby. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Your ears burning?” Grant saw an unkempt figure with sandy dirty-colored messed up hair, just short of six feet tall, waddling briskly, which was Rex’s way. Grant stood up, slowly, carefully.
“It’s been a long time. Look at you, still dressing like a goddamn cowboy. I never thought I would say this, but it’s great to see your sorry, skinny ass!” Rex said, throwing his arms around his friend.
“Been a while. Easy there.”
“Still a talkative bastard. What’s the matter, what happened now?”
“Some bastard ran a stop light and plowed-into me.”
“Shit!”
“No, but it’s a wonder I didn’t.” Grant tried not to laugh at his own joke.
“Damn, that sucks.”
“At least I’m still above ground. And this is the first time I had ever had a police car take me somewhere I actually wanted to go.”
“Still above ground, and didn’t mess yourself … always the wit. What’s a guy got to do to get a drink around here?” Rex asked, loudly.
“I would think the usual way, though it’s a possibility that here they may they do it by telepathy.”
“That’s why I picked this place, ’cause you’re too goddamned dumb to fucking ask for stuff, so they just do it for you. Maybe we can throw everybody but the good looking women out of the place, and close the doors ’til Sunday, what’d ya’ say?”
“Might want to let somebody in later….” Grant said.
“Oh, right, food, good thinking. Man, that sucks about the wreck. How’d the other guy fare?” Rex had his arm around Grant.
“I think they hauled him in. You want to put that bag up in your room?” Grant said, motioning to Rex’s bag.
“Nah, get one of the guys,” Rex looked around for one of the staff passing by until he made eye contact, pointed at the bag, took money out of his pocket and waved it just above his waist. He pointed to the bar. “They’ll get it, they always do.”
“Still an ambitious bastard, aren’t you.”
“I love that western talk. You know how long it’s been since I heard anybody talk like you?” Rex smiled.
“Decades?”
“Seems like it. Probably a couple years, for sure. Nobody in LA talks like that. They talk like, ah, you know, ah, like totally, really—”
“Like really not like you?” Grant said.
“Precisely! Everybody should talk like me. There would be less wasted time, more time to get on with things.”
“Not to mention complete clarity.”
“Exactly!”
“You look pretty good for a hermit. Let’s get the ball rolling in this nice bar and see what they’ve got. Oh boy, and a pretty one back there to bring us the medicine!” Rex said, noticing Isobelle emerging from the back room behind the bar. “Do I know how to pick ’em, or what?”
“I might not need any medicine.” Grant scratched his head.
“Good afternoon, sir.” Isobelle approached them.
“She’s talkin to me,” Rex said, looking at Grant, then back to the woman.
“Obviously not, or she would have said ‘dipshit.’ ”
“Better let me take this one, you’ve undoubtedly been through an ordeal, so would hate to see you fuck this up from the get go.”
“Said Prince Charming.”
“Damn straight.” Rex turned to the bartender. “Hello there! You must be the owner, because someone as good looking as you are would not be working here.”
“Welcome to the Ritz. If I owned the Ritz-Carlton, I would most certainly not be working behind the bar. I see you are either looking for free drinks or a job. You must be the friend.”
“Every day of my life. The ‘free drinks’ part, anyway.”
She looked at Grant, he shrugged his shoulders.
“You are so sweet,” the woman said, still looking at Grant, talking to Rex. “I’m pretty sure we are not hiring, but the free drinks are up to me. I think I will give one to the quiet one here.” Isobelle smiled at Grant.
“What about me?” Rex pleaded.
“Can you keep quiet?”
“Yes.”
“Well then, we should run a little test and I will tell you how you do. What can I get you?”
“I’d love something with tequila, if you please, ma’am.”
“Oh, shit,” Grant said, putting his hand up to his head.
“I think that’s a good starting point, don’t you?” Rex turned to see the hotel staffer he had flagged down to get his bag. “Oh, good, here, thanks chief. Name on the room is Schmidt, Rex Schmidt.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a wad of money that looked like each bill had been wadded up individually before it was wadded up with the rest. He found a ten dollar bill and gave it to the staffer.
“Thank you, sir.”
“You got it, chief. Don’t be going through that, I think there’s dirty clothes and my pet