we’re spending our two hours. Order whatever you want from the menu. It’s over and above your fee. For two hours we’re going to talk. No bullshit. No lies from either of us. You ask me whatever you wish. I’ll do the same. Straight talk for two hours. Can you handle this without going all bratty on me?”
“What do you mean, bratty?”
“You know. The attitude you gave your parents before you ran away. Shrugs. Looks at the floor. Pouts. Lies. Telling them they don’t know or don’t understand. That attitude won’t fly with me. If our relationship is gonna work, we’ll do it with straight talk. No meanness for meanness sake. We’re equals. We’ll talk that way. I hold nothing back. You hold nothing back. You game or do you want to skip lunch and hit the streets looking for a guy who only wants to get in your pants or to get you in his? That’s not me. I wanna get in your head. Decide now, before we order.”
She looked down a moment, then lifted her head and looked directly at Axel. “I’m in.”
“No rebellious teenager?”
“I don’t think you’re a very nice man, Axel. What kind of a name is Axel anyway?”
“Your name is Hildegard and you’re judging my name?” Hillie smiled. “Now that’s better,” Axel said. “And, by the way, my being a nice man was neither part of what you offered on the street nor what I accepted. I’m the boss. That means I can be a nice man or not. You’re free to form your own opinion but keep it to yourself. Last warning, if you can’t handle it, storm back out onto the street where you’ll go hungry, work harder, likely make less, and feel crummy doing it. This here’s fish or cut bait time, girly.”
Hillie opened her menu. Axel didn’t need the menu. He knew it by heart.
After a few minutes, Mackie, an average-sized man of around sixty, with a gut that allowed his belt buckle to live in the shade, came from behind the bar and stopped at their table. “What’ll it be, Axel?”
“First, say hello to my new friend. This is Hildegard. Her friends, which she has temporarily allowed me to be, call her Hillie.”
“Hi, Hillie. Welcome. My friends call me Mackie and if you’re Axel’s friend, you’re my friend.”
“Hi, Mackie. I’m pleased to know you.”
“One tip, don’t play checkers with this old scruffer. He cheats.”
“Axel,” Hillie looked shocked. “I’m getting a different impression of you now.”
“I wouldn’t cheat if Mackie played an honorable game like chess.” Hillie perked up when she heard Axel say that. “Do you play?” he asked. She nodded. “You any good?”
“Probably not any more, I used to play with my dad, after school at his office.”
“Let me turn that blind some,” Mackie said, “get the sun out of your eyes.” He walked over to the window.
“Seriously, do you like to play chess?”
“Love it. I used to anyway.”
“Wanna play now?”
“It’s your two hours, remember? You’re the boss,” Hillie said, sipping the water Mackie had brought to the table.
“No. Chess is an honorable game. Nobody is forced to play chess. At least they shouldn’t be. Only if you want to.”
“I’d love to play, Axel. It’d be like old times, but where?”
“Right here. Mackie’s got board games.” Axel looked over to Mackie who was back behind the bar and wiggled his hand in their form of visual shorthand.
A moment later, he brought over a chessboard and the pieces. “You two gonna order now or wait till after your game?”
“Now,” Axel said, “the lady is hungry. We’ll get started then finish after we eat.”
Hillie ordered a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and Axel ordered a crab louie.
“Do you want your BL&T Axel style or traditional?”
Hillie looked at both men. “What’s Axel style?”
“With chunky peanut butter,” Mackie said, “rather than mayo or any other spreads.” Hillie nodded and smiled. Mackie smiled back and then said, “Sweet tea for both of you?” Hillie
“What do you mean, bratty?”
“You know. The attitude you gave your parents before you ran away. Shrugs. Looks at the floor. Pouts. Lies. Telling them they don’t know or don’t understand. That attitude won’t fly with me. If our relationship is gonna work, we’ll do it with straight talk. No meanness for meanness sake. We’re equals. We’ll talk that way. I hold nothing back. You hold nothing back. You game or do you want to skip lunch and hit the streets looking for a guy who only wants to get in your pants or to get you in his? That’s not me. I wanna get in your head. Decide now, before we order.”
She looked down a moment, then lifted her head and looked directly at Axel. “I’m in.”
“No rebellious teenager?”
“I don’t think you’re a very nice man, Axel. What kind of a name is Axel anyway?”
“Your name is Hildegard and you’re judging my name?” Hillie smiled. “Now that’s better,” Axel said. “And, by the way, my being a nice man was neither part of what you offered on the street nor what I accepted. I’m the boss. That means I can be a nice man or not. You’re free to form your own opinion but keep it to yourself. Last warning, if you can’t handle it, storm back out onto the street where you’ll go hungry, work harder, likely make less, and feel crummy doing it. This here’s fish or cut bait time, girly.”
Hillie opened her menu. Axel didn’t need the menu. He knew it by heart.
After a few minutes, Mackie, an average-sized man of around sixty, with a gut that allowed his belt buckle to live in the shade, came from behind the bar and stopped at their table. “What’ll it be, Axel?”
“First, say hello to my new friend. This is Hildegard. Her friends, which she has temporarily allowed me to be, call her Hillie.”
“Hi, Hillie. Welcome. My friends call me Mackie and if you’re Axel’s friend, you’re my friend.”
“Hi, Mackie. I’m pleased to know you.”
“One tip, don’t play checkers with this old scruffer. He cheats.”
“Axel,” Hillie looked shocked. “I’m getting a different impression of you now.”
“I wouldn’t cheat if Mackie played an honorable game like chess.” Hillie perked up when she heard Axel say that. “Do you play?” he asked. She nodded. “You any good?”
“Probably not any more, I used to play with my dad, after school at his office.”
“Let me turn that blind some,” Mackie said, “get the sun out of your eyes.” He walked over to the window.
“Seriously, do you like to play chess?”
“Love it. I used to anyway.”
“Wanna play now?”
“It’s your two hours, remember? You’re the boss,” Hillie said, sipping the water Mackie had brought to the table.
“No. Chess is an honorable game. Nobody is forced to play chess. At least they shouldn’t be. Only if you want to.”
“I’d love to play, Axel. It’d be like old times, but where?”
“Right here. Mackie’s got board games.” Axel looked over to Mackie who was back behind the bar and wiggled his hand in their form of visual shorthand.
A moment later, he brought over a chessboard and the pieces. “You two gonna order now or wait till after your game?”
“Now,” Axel said, “the lady is hungry. We’ll get started then finish after we eat.”
Hillie ordered a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and Axel ordered a crab louie.
“Do you want your BL&T Axel style or traditional?”
Hillie looked at both men. “What’s Axel style?”
“With chunky peanut butter,” Mackie said, “rather than mayo or any other spreads.” Hillie nodded and smiled. Mackie smiled back and then said, “Sweet tea for both of you?” Hillie
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