Paranoia (Michael Bennett #17)

CHAPTER 34

ROB TRILLING TRIED not to be obvious when he turned in his seat to get a view of Mariah’s ex-boyfriend, but he didn’t want to give the guy the chance to smack him in the head when he wasn’t looking. Mariah’s eyes stayed on the ex as he stopped right next to their table. He wore an expensive-looking sport coat over a T-shirt and jeans. Rob wondered if he was trying to dress up the casual clothes or dress down the sport coat.

The ex eyed Rob a little longer than necessary. Then he put on a fake smile and said, “Hey, Mariah. What’s going on?”

“Hi, Timmy. This is Rob.”

Timmy didn’t say anything, so Rob stood up and offered his hand. Timmy took it hesitantly. He mumbled, “Nice to meet you.” He was a couple of inches taller than Rob, maybe six foot two, and a good thirty pounds heavier. All of it muscle. Timmy started to squeeze Rob’s hand a little tighter in a show of dominance.

Just as the pressure started to get intense, Rob subtly twisted his hand, so he didn’t have to jerk it away in pain. He didn’t like where this confrontation was going.

Timmy said, “What do you do, Rob?” Something about his tone hit Rob wrong.

He said, “I’m a trust-fund baby.” That seemed to take Timmy by surprise.

“That must suit Mariah fine.” Timmy took some time to assess him. For his part, Rob had stepped away from his chair just in case he needed to use his fists or feet.

Then Timmy looked down at Mariah but kept speaking to Rob. “I hope she treats you better than she treated me.”

Without thinking, Rob said, “I hope I treat her so well she doesn’t need to treat me badly.”

Mariah said, “Timmy’s a bouncer at the Sixth Floor Club.” It was an awkward warning. Rob had already realized this guy would be a handful.

“Never heard of it,” he said.

Timmy said, “Maybe you should get out more. But not with her.” He tried to stare Rob down. When that didn’t work, Timmy made a show of removing his coat.

Before he had the coat off his shoulders, Rob tripped him and shoved him into a chair. He took another chair, slipped it off the ground, and wedged it down Timmy’s back so he could neither get the coat off nor remove the chair. He floundered like a turtle on his back.

Rob looked at Mariah and said, “We should go.”

As they hurried down the sidewalk together, they could hear Timmy yelling, “You mother …”

Rob had to laugh out loud. Mariah was giggling as well.

Mariah said, “You have a nice laugh.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been told that before.” As he said it, Rob realized it was because not many people had ever even heard him laugh.