Part 19 (1/2)
”Not going to sleep in the car?” Tony asked her. This seemed to amuse her.
Tony c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. ”An old girlfriend of mine looked just like you do now when I told her I stopped buying and wearing silk underwear.”
”Really?” Lucy frowned. ”Why?”
”I had to. I was feeling up my a.s.s too d.a.m.n much.”
The laugh that came from Lucy was adorable. She made it even more adorable when she clamped both hands over her mouth to quiet herself.
She sobered up then, and looked straight into Tony's eyes. ”Anthony, do you know what time it is?”
”Yeah, it's” he remembered his watch and started to look at it. Lucy reached across the table and covered its face with her hand. Her touch froze Tony. Blinking, he glanced around the bar, searching for a clock. ”Well, near eleven anyway.”
Lucy did not seem pleased with his answer. ”Yes, around there. When did you pick me up?”
”Yesterday,” Tony sipped on his beer, trying to remember. ”Maybe around nine-ish? Nine thirty?”
”And where are we now?”
Tony shrugged. ”Just into Quebec maybe...” he trailed off. He had no idea. ”Why? Do you know?”
Lucy nodded. She reached over, gently took off his watch, and placed it face down on the table. Tony did not resist. She had folded the paper pyramid up and down during their beers and now she began folding it in upon itself. ”How are you about surprises?”
”You mean if I like 'em or if I can handle 'em?”
”Both.”
”Okay, I guess. Depends on the surprise. If it's like a birthday kind of surprise, then that's fine. If it's something else, then I dunno. If it's like your mom has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer, then that's a different matter. But I can handle it. If that's what you mean. I don't freak out easy.”
Lucy digested this stoically. She took a sip of her beer and pinched-wiped her mouth with two fingers. It was obvious she was contemplating something heavy, but Tony could not guess what. Was she finally going to open up about her past? Was she a single mom on the run from the mafia and heading west to start a new life? Was she really a man? Christ, Tony hoped he was wrong on that one.
She flipped up the paper she had been folding. It was a tourist advertis.e.m.e.nt. There was the bluest river before a city with a high tower topped off with what looked like a flying saucer. Mountains glowed next to it, and tiny people were skiing down their faces. Golden words were etched brightly across the fabricated sky. ”See Calgary! See How We Live!”
Tony studied the ad for a moment. ”Where you get that?”
”It was always here.”
His eyebrows went up in an 'oh really' expression.
Lucy was not smiling anymore. ”Really.”
”So... what?” Tony shrugged.
”We're in Alberta,” she informed him.
”We're in Alberta,” he repeated, not believing her and trying hard not to grin at the ridiculous notion.
”We pa.s.sed Calgary a ways back,” Lucy told him.
”Hm,” he simply said, looking off into s.p.a.ce and wondering if the wench actually believed she was being convincing. The thought made him shake his head again.
”You don't believe me?” Lucy asked, sad.
”No,” Tony smiled. He didn't want to, but he could not help himself. At least he managed not to laugh in her face.
”I see.” She looked in the direction of the bartender. ”Excuse me!” She yelled.
The man's head bobbed up.
”Where are we exactly?”
”On highway one. Almost two hours outside of the city.”
”What city?” Lucy asked, glancing at Tony to see if he was listening. He was. Sort of.
”Calgary,” the man answered. ”You folks not from around here?”
”No,” Lucy replied. ”Thank you.” She fixed Tony with a 'you see' glare.
Tony smirked. ”So you paid the guy or something.”
”You didn't see the calendar in the lobby? The plates on the cars in the parking lot?”
”I was getting over being sick. I didn't notice,” Tony said truthfully. ”Should I have?”
”Go take a look.”
”Now?” It was cold outside. ”I'm not going outside!”
”Ask about the time, then,” she instructed him.
Tony scowled. She was going too far with this. But he did so anyway. ”Hey buddy, what time is it?”
A pause. ”11:10.”
Tony thanked the man. ”Alright Lucy. It's 11:10.”
She handed him his watch. It said 2:10. He studied it for no more than a second. ”You changed this or something?”
The man was handling it quite well thus far, but Lucy was nowhere near the drop. ”With one hand? Right in front of you? I think you'd notice.”
”I think so, too,” Tony agreed. ”So how you do it? You work in a casino once or something? Tell me. Seriously. Light up the mystery. d.a.m.n good trick so far though, I'll give you that.”
”It is something of a trick,” she admitted, ”but that part isn't really important right now. Right now, I have to convince you that we are in Alberta. On the other side of Calgary. That weird feeling you had earlier. That's part of it. And you'll feel it tomorrow when you get behind the wheel. You'll feel that way because, well,” she looked him straight in the eye, ”time is very important right now.”
”I bet. A question, though.”
”Go ahead.”
”Why aren't you feeling weird then? Feeling sick? You were in the car, too. What's up with that?”