Chapter 25
Flynn smiled. “Maybe you don’t want the trouble that comes with it.”
Drug money rarely comes without strings.
We filled our bellies, drank copious amounts, and told stories.
Flynn grinned. "Of course they’re in! This is going to be one of the greatest biopics of all time. Plus, we've got our swashbuckling adventure. We can't lose with these two films.”
Between Flynn and Mickey, their enthusiasm was contagious.
"I'm in," I said.
"Woo-hoo!" Flynn howled with joy. "I love it when a plan comes together." He smiled and lifted his glass to toast. "The power of life and death is in the tongue. Speak your reality into being. I declare this a box office hit. So shall it be! We’re going to make a movie, boys."
We clinked glasses and sipped the lethal margaritas.
The suits would handle the fine points of the deal next week.
My phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. I was hesitant to take it, but did anyway. “This is Deputy Wild.”
“Deputy?” a woman with a silky voice said.
“Yup. And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”
“It’s Crash. Remember me?”
“How could I forget?” I said. “But I can’t call you Crash. I have another friend named Crash, and that could get confusing.”
“You have a friend named Crash?” she asked, surprised.
“How about I call you Skids?”
“No.”
“Reckless?”
“No. I’m not reckless. Motivated. Aggressive. Competitive. Not reckless.”
“Well, I’ve got a bike in the shop that says otherwise, but I’ll let that slide for the moment.”
She huffed.
“Slide. I think that fits.”
“Well, the reason I was calling…” She paused. “I, uh… I wanted to apologize. It was my fault.”
“You’ve already apologized, haven’t you?”
“I reacted poorly. I watched the replay. I lost grip and came in too hot on a bad line.”
“I bet that was painful to admit.”
“It was.”
“Well, thank you. I appreciate that.”
“I’m not done. Apologies are bullshit without an offer to make the situation right. How about I pay for the repairs to your bike?”
“Not necessary. We all sign waivers before we go out there. It’s part of the risk.”
“At least let me buy you lunch.”
I lifted an intrigued eyebrow. “I could be amenable to that.”
"How about tomorrow?"
"Done.”
"Name the place, and I'll meet you there.”
"The Five Fathoms."
"Ouch!"
The restaurant didn't come cheap.
"You didn't think I was gonna let you off easy, did you?”
"Fair enough. I suppose it's cheaper than motorcycle repairs. Let's say noon."
I smiled and said, "I'll see you there."
I ended the call and slid the phone back into my pocket, feeling somewhat optimistic. It wasn't a date, but Kendra was a good-looking woman. There were possibilities.
"What's got you all so excited?” JD asked.
"Remember that girl who tried to turn me into a crash test dummy?"
"How could I forget?”
"She apologized and wants to buy me lunch."
Jack wasn't as impressed. "Be careful with that one. She looks like a handful.”
I laughed.
We hung out the rest of the night with Mickey and Flynn, hopping from bar to bar, having a great time. Everywhere we went, Flynn got us VIP access and complimentary drinks. Everybody wanted to have a movie star in their bar.
I figured the attention would probably get old after a while, but there were certain perks to being famous.
Everybody bent over backwards for you. It was the kind of thing that could mess with your head after a while.
It would be easy to become untethered from reality.
Flynn was untethered all right, but he was a lot more grounded than he used to be. I think.
Women flocked, and the drinks flowed. A good time was had by all.
At the end of the evening, we parted ways with Mickey and caught a rideshare back to the Avventura.
"I told you that guy was cool as hell," Flynn said. “I’ve got a great feeling about this. How soon do you think you can have a draft of the script?”
I shrugged.
I really hadn’t thought about it. The studio bought our pitch for the TV show based on JD’s and my life without a script—just an idea and a basic outline of how the first season would go.
The show was on hold for the moment after the fiasco with the two stars.
I figured the studio would circle back around eventually.
I'd been keeping a journal of these crazy adventures, mainly as something to look back on in my later years.
I figured if I treated Mickey's story like a journal entry, told from his perspective, it would be pretty easy. "I need to sit down with Mickey when we’re sober, and he can give me the highlights from beginning to end. We can start working out the story beats, then I can put it all together.”
"So I'll tell the studio we’ll have a first draft in a couple of months."
"Sounds reasonable to me."
Flynn grinned, full of optimism. I had to admit, it sounded fun.
We returned to the boat, and I took Buddy out for a walk before settling in for bed.
The morning came too soon, and the margaritas reminded me why I stay away from sugary drinks.
I dragged myself out of bed, took a hot shower, then headed down to the galley to fill my belly with something solid to soak up the remnants of tequila.
It still oozed from my pores. It was probably enough to kill any mosquito that tried to bite me.
I guzzled some electrolyte water, trying to rehydrate as I grilled breakfast.
Flynn bounced into the galley, looking like he suffered no ill effects from the night before. "Smells good.”
He poured himself a cup of coffee, and we sat around and shot the breeze, still talking about the project. He couldn't get it off his mind. Flynn's enthusiasm was infectious.
Jack joined us not long after, and we chowed down on the sky deck, enjoying the amber rays of morning as the marina came to life. Gulls drifted on the breeze, and waves gently lapped against hulls.
I felt much better after breakfast and took Buddy out for a walk. I forced myself to get a workout in, then took a shower, got dressed, and headed up to the Five Fathoms for lunch.
I borrowed Jack's Porsche and pulled up to the valet. I hopped out and gave the kid some money, then stepped inside. I scanned the immediate area and spotted the speed demon. She looked as delectable as ever. With a smile, I said, "Good to see you.”
"You as well. They’re pretty busy. I got us on a list. We should be able to get a table in about 15 or 20 minutes.”
"What's the reservation under?”
"Kendra,” she said.
I stepped up to the hostess and flashed my badge. "We are on the list, but I'm in the middle of an investigation. If there's any way you could get us a table earlier, I'd appreciate it."
The cute girl looked up at me and smiled. She batted her lashes. "I'll see what I can do. What's your name?”
"Wild. Tyson Wild. Thank you."