Aidan and Adrian 06/21/2013

Aidan walks in to the hotel room closing the door quietly behind him. He places the steaming cup off coffee down on the desk in front of Adrian then pulls the lid off his own and sips it.

 

Aidan: Anything yet?

Adrian: Nothing! I don’t know how much longer I can listen to this idiot. (He takes off the head phones and places them on the desk)

Aidan: I feel you man! He just doesn’t shut up! (He places the bag on the table and begins to pull cups from inside and places them on the table)

Adrian: It wouldn’t be so bad if would say something useful. (He picks up the head set and places them back on his ears)

Aidan: Maybe he’s just not drunk enough. (He jokes placing a cup in front of Adrian then pops the lid and sips from his own)

Adrian: I don’t know how Sergei does it? I’ve wanted to duct tape his mouth for the last forty-five minutes. (He sighs listening to the boisterous laughter and crude remarks that Fats continued to spew like a broken water main)

Aidan: He does talk a big game. (He laughs nodding in agreement having had the pleasure of having had to listen to him the previous hour. He unwraps his sandwich and bites in to it)

Adrian: You wouldn’t happen to have a sandwich in that bag for me would you? (He smell of Aidan’s hoagie making his stomach rumble)

Aidan: Of course mate! Why don’t you eat and I’ll listen for a while. (He walks towards the desk handing him the sandwich from the bag as Adrian rises and walks towards him then sits at the desk putting the head phone on one ear)

Adrian: Thanks man! (He calls over his shoulder taking the chair across from him)

Aidan: Have you seen Tad today? (He mumbles around the wad of sandwich tucked in his cheek)

Adrian: I saw him for a few minutes this morning.

Aidan: How’s he doing?

Adrian: He’s hanging in there you know. (He takes a bite of his sandwich his mind flicking through the accident on the ridge the other night. This time he was going to nail Devereaux and it was going to stick and if he was the one behind Taylor’s murder he was going to pay but he couldn’t get ahead of himself one step at a time)

Aidan: Yeah I saw him this afternoon he seemed a little better.

Adrian: You must have seen him after he saw his new grandson.

Aidan: I don’t blame him he’s a cute little shaver.

Adrian: Yeah he is. I can’t believe it Tad’s a Grandfather (They both laugh)

 

Aidan: How are Francessca and Jaime?

Adrian: They’re great you have never seen two prouder new parents. It’s just all so weird! (His mind flashing back to the gurney pulling up Taylor’s lifeless body and a forlorn pall comes over him then to the image of his new grand nephew lying asleep in the bassinette next to his mother then to Tad’s grief carved face)

Aidan: I know what you mean.

Adrian: I still can’t believe this happened.

Aidan: Me either it’s just so serial. (He sighs loudly sitting back against the chair) Have the police heard anything else on the truck that hit them?

Adrian: Nothing yet (He says crumpling the now empty wrapper and tossing it in to the trash can) but they can’t hide it for long Anna has her people on that as we speak.

 Aidan: If anyone can find it they can. (He says over his shoulder as he walks in to the bathroom to wash up)

Adrian: You got that right! (Shouting to him over the blast of water coming from the faucet)

Aidan: And when they find them they’re going to pay and big time.

Adrian: They better hope Anna’s people get there first!

Aidan: Enough about that the more we talk about I the more it just pisses me off. How are things with Lola?

Adrian: Okay I guess. (He shrugs sounding non committal)

Aidan: You guess? What’s that mean?

Adrian: I mean she nice and all but… I don’t know I’m just not feeling it.

Aidan: Come on she’s smart, beautiful, funny. (He says reading off a check list of her attributes making Adrian chuckle)

Adrian: Yeah she all that but I just don’t feel anything more than that “good buddy” vibe. (He shakes as if repulsed making Aidan laugh) Besides with what I do I’m better off with no ties.

Aidan: I get it, but I kind of thought you two were really hitting it off?

Adrian: Like I said she’s cool and all but my gut is telling me to back off.

Aidan: Then trust your gut. (He nods in agreement)

Adrian: It hasn’t failed me yet!

Aidan: Wait, hold on (Making Adrian fall immediately silent) I think this is it!

Adrian: Let me check the computer make sure we’re getting it all. (Adrian tosses the towel down on the counter and races to the other computer. He slides in to the chair placing the headset on his head in the same motion and begins typing)

Aidan: Hurry up! (He whisper waving his hand in a rolling motion at Adrian)

Adrian I got it I got it!

Bobo: Hey you guys playing or what? (He says picking up the deck of cards and shuffling them)

Fats: We’re going to “Or what” (He and Sergei stand and turn towards the serving tables) you got a problem with dat?

Bobo: Hey! Lighten up huh? I just wanted to know who to deal in! Why don’t you go make yourself another sandwich or something? (He says waving him away from the table and laughs)

Fats: Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. (He laughs uproariously slapping Sergei on his back as they walk)

Bobo: Eh, bring me one when you come back.

Fats: You got it! (He laughs as he and Sergei walk toward the bar and serving table. Sergei pours vodka from the bottle in to a glass drains it slamming it down on the tabletop then refills it)

Fats: You and your friend drink that stuff like it’s water.

Sergei: This stuff you get in America may as well be water. (He laughs downing the drink and slapping the empty glass back down on the bar top)  

Sergei: Okay enough talk lets get down to business Fats!

(Aidan: Here we go!)

Fats: I thought we were just playing cards? (Sergei glares up at him his eyes narrowed his expression making Fats swallow hard)

Sergei: And I thought you told me you’d get back to me yesterday what happened? (Adrian checks the computer again making sure every word was being recorded)

Fats: My supplier experienced how shall, we say some complications.

Sergei: It’s a complicated business (He shrugs his mouth twisted in a smirk of indifference) the bottom line is I need what you promised me.

Fats: And you’ll have it. You got my word it’s just going to be a few more days.

Sergei: A few more days? (He inhales swiftly and shakes his head) Perhaps we should start looking for other partners.

Fats: No, no need pal. (He says with a wave of his hand then pats his chest proudly) I have it all under control.

Sergei: If you had it under control I’d have my product. (He pours more vodka in to his glass and sips it eyeing Fats as little beads of sweat begin to pop up on his ample forehead and run down his temple as panic flashes across his face. Good, he had him exactly where he needed him. A flustered Fats was a talkative Fats)

Fats: I promise you’ll have it in a couple of days. (He slathers mayonnaise on the bread licking the excess from his fingers then flips the slice on top places it on a plate then prepares another)

Sergei: So what’s the hold up?

Fats: Things got a little hot when it was being delivered last night.

Sergei: How hot? (Feigning worry in his voice and mild agitation)

Fats: Lets just say if it weren’t for some fancy maneuvering he’d have been on the front-page of yesterday’s morning paper instead of that other poor schmuck! (His lips turn down in to a grim smile) Now that, was a hell of a thing! (He crosses his self)

Sergei: What happened?

Fats: Between you and me the wheelman he hired to do deliveries don’t drive so good and almost ended up at the bottom of a ravine. (Aidan and Adrian look at each other nodding to each other their hunch was right but it still wouldn’t be enough but they were on the right trail)

Sergei: So who is this guy?

Fats: Some Euro bigwig. (He reaches for the tray of cold cuts lying slapping a stack of ham slices on the bread)  I hear, and this is just rumor mind you (Moving over to the tray of sliced vegetables and stacking them on top of the meat) that this guy runs a multi-billion dollar legit business.

Sergei: Does the big man have a name? (He pulls a roll from the tray and bites in to it)

Fats: Come on Sergei you know better then to ask me to kiss and tell. (He plops the other sandwich on to a clean pate and begins to garnish both with an assortment of salad and other condiments giving Sergei indigestion just looking at it)

Sergei: What you do in your bedroom is your business (They both laugh) but if this guy is as big as you keep saying he is (He looks back at the other men still playing around the table then back to Fats lowering his voice) then perhaps we could maybe go bigger.

Fats: How big we talkin? (His voice lowering in the same conspiratorial tone)

Sergei: Huge the only problem is my guy doesn’t like dealing with mystery men or middlemen. (He shrugs )

Fats: So what, you think you can just cut me out completely? (His tone raising slightly catching the attention of the others for a moment. Sergei grins then laughs clapping him on the back)

Sergei: Of course not you’ll get a very nice finders fee all I need you to do is arrange a meeting. You know make the introductions) 

Fats: I don’t know if I can do that. (His voice lowers again as he stares at Sergei his obvious greed practically had him salivating but still hesitant) This guy really likes his privacy I don’t know if he’s going to want to set up a meeting with you?

Sergei: If this guy likes money as much as you say he does he’s going to be begging to meet with us. (He laughs pulling a leg off the roasted chicken and biting in to it)

Fats: So how much we talkin about? (Sergei knew he had his pigeon in a cage, He just had to make it a little sweeter)

Sergei: How about enough to take the permanent vacation you’re always talking about.

Fats: That’s much huh? (He rubs his chin a moment his mental calculator clicking away)  You know what they say money talks. I will definitely be making a few calls and getting back to you give me twenty-four hours to get something together and I’ll be in touch. (He grin jovially his mind already picturing his new boat cursing down the Atlantic. This could be the ticket he was waiting for finally get free of all the filth and be free. He picks up his plate and the two walk back towards the gaming table)

Sergei: I’ll be waiting don’t disappoint me.

Fats: If this thing goes good none of us will be disappointed! (He jokes making them both laugh)

Aidan: the hook is baited.

Adrian: Now we just have to reel him in. (They high five each other grinning like Cheshire cats)