Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Scumbag
CLIFF
On the heels of bringing two gaming lovebirds together, Cliff was feeling a swell of hope as Shannon and Kyle both came clean about their gaming habits and realized that they were, in fact, both in love with World of Warcraft and quite possibly smitten with each other.
Jamie had returned from the bar but was in conversation with one of the SWAT team guys. Cliff wandered over toward Rick, who was glumly sitting alone casting glances at Holly, who was reading a wine label and scoffing.
“What was the last insult she hurled?”
“I think she called me a gigolo con man.”
Cliff nodded. “Ouch.”
“The messed-up thing is that she’s right. I am a gigolo con man. And the thing is, I like hearing the harsh truth. It’s damn refreshing.”
“Does she know you feel this way?”
“I think I hit below the belt when I called her a penniless shrew.”
Cliff cracked his knuckles and stretched. “You know, Rick, she can only tell the truth.”
“Yeah, that’s what I like about her.”
“But, hear me out. If she can only tell the truth, even to herself, imagine how hard that can be. Just because she can tell the truth, doesn’t meant she wants to hear it.”
Rick thought on that. “But I love the truth. Maybe it’s because I spend all my time in the art of persuasion.”
“You mean bullshitting?”
“They call it marketing now, Cliff, and yes I spend all my time molding the truth to persuade. It’s an art form.
Take the American Dental Association. We made it up.
Don’t even get me started on the fallacy of bottled water.
But here’s what’s crazy: I crave the truth.
I love the truth. Radical honesty, as it turns out, is my new addiction. ”
Cliff thought about the prospect. “A guy who lies for a living falls for a girl who can only tell the truth. It’s poetic.”
The words hit Rick like Cupid slapping him in the face.
He looked over at Holly with an expression of wonder and revelation.
He headed over to her. Holly saw him coming and put down the bottle of wine.
Rick stood in front of her, and stammered, “You can only tell the truth. And it drives me crazy, but I also love it. So, here’s mine.
You are the person I never knew I always wanted. ”
Holly’s expression turned from defensive to welcoming, and she drew him in for a hug.
Cliff looked toward the other side of the room until his eyes landed on Jamie.
He suddenly wanted to tell her everything.
The whole truth. Let the chips fall where they may.
Maybe she could see the real person that he was, and not just the ex-con, the thief, the scumbag. There was only one way to find out.
Their eyes locked and Cliff beamed at her.
But Jamie wasn’t smiling.