Stone In Love

Chapter 15

Dungeon Masters wasn't the fanciest joint in New York City, or the kind of place I would choose to meet a potential client, and the quandary of what to wear had me standing in front of my closet longer than usual. I didn't want to go too professional and scare the girl off, but I didn't want to grunge it up either. 

In the end, I opted for low-key bohemian; a red gauze shirt with floral embroidery paired with nice jeans and fringed ankle boots. I left my hair loose, adding a few curls to give it bounce, and applied a subdued winged look to my eyes. Tonight, I wouldn't worry about smearing the viewfinder, since I didn't expect to get paid.

I prepped my camera with a fresh SD card and made sure Mr. Pearlman knew where I was headed. Then I left the building to meet my bodyguard, Rizzo. As I locked the downstairs door, a well-dressed man with a rather prominent nose approached me, and my heart rate ratcheted up a notch. I knew nothing about my contact besides his French ancestry. I did a double take when I recognized the guy's navy blue military jacket. It was the crazy from the subway.

"Bonjour, Reese. I am Rizzo. Vincent Valentino's amicus...er, friend." He said this with a thick accent and a guilty smile, while my brain immediately switched into suspicious mode. Had he been following me, too?

"Hi, Rizzo. We meet again." Apart from the jacket, Rizzo looked like an average citizen. He'd even ditched the combat boots for a pair of burgundy Doc Martens. "I have to ask. Were you keeping an eye on me that day we met on the subway?"

His gaze flicked to the sidewalk, as if he'd been caught doing something wrong, but he met my gaze when he answered. "No. That meeting was a lucky coincidence."

I decided he was being genuine. Despite my initial wariness on the subway, he had behaved himself. Maybe his crazy persona was just an act. Surely, Vincent wouldn't leave me in the hands of a fruitcake. "Are we taking a cab together?"

"No. I have transportation. Just this way."

As he led me down the sidewalk, he scanned the alley thoroughly, and his eyes darted between every car and stoop we passed. Vincent must have threatened him with bodily harm if he let anything happen to me. He pulled a key fob from his pocket as we approached a black Escalade, and the passenger door clicked open. 

Rizzo gestured me inside, and I felt a touch apprehensive about getting into a car with someone I previously thought to be a nut job. But it only took a few minutes to get used to the idea that Rizzo was a regular guy with a driver's license and fashion sense. Within the close confines of the car, I caught a good whiff of his cologne. I remembered it from the subway, but there was something else about it. A subtle familiarity. Did he share a bathroom with Colin and Vincent? 

It turned out Rizzo's driving skills were superb. He anticipated the bonehead moves of pedestrians and other drivers before they made them, never once cursing at them, and we took turns making predictions of what each one would do. It wasn't until we were on the bridge that the conversation turned personal.

"So, you like Vincent, eh?"

The way Rizzo asked the question made it seem like he wanted to know why I liked Vincent rather than whether I liked him. It also had me stumped for an immediate answer.

"We're in the early stages of a potential relationship." My response sounded just as lame coming out of my mouth as it did in my head, and I felt compelled to amend it. "I think it would be easier to like him if he wasn't so...um..."

"Imperiosi?"

More Latin?

"Yes, bossy works. He's also super paranoid. He hasn't given me a moment of peace since we met."