Hiro grunts and nods his head, lifting his glass and taking the alcohol back. Both of us grimace, putting the glasses down on the bar and shaking our heads. We quickly eat our food. The bartender walks over and lifts his eyebrows. I look at Hiro, and at my glass, and figure, fuck it, there’s nothing better to do at this point.
03
04
1E
“Xik sxng khrADng,” I call out, asking for two more.
03
04
1E
“Xik sxng khrADng?” he asks.
“Yeah!” I shout making a battle face.
The bartender laughs and pours two more, taking my money and our dishes and scurrying off. I shake my head and chuckle, thinking about the kind of service given back in the states. Here it is all about the money, and that is good and bad at the same time.
We both take back our shots, and I set the cup down, getting one more round. The bartender is laughing at us, and I think he knows that we are in for a world of hurt. Before I can even swallow the alcohol, it hits me like a ton of bricks. From the look on Hiro’s face, I am not the only one. He pats me on the shoulder and stands up, wobbling back and forth.
“I have to go to the restroom,” he says, patting my shoulder.
“You are a good one. Not like the others, but their end is coming.”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“Nothing,” he grumbles drunkenly. “I’ll be back.”
I furrow my brow and watch him stumble off to the bathroom, trying to decipher what he means. I turn and sit up to the bar, staring off into space, mouthing what Hiro said. It doesn’t make any sense to me. What does it mean that their end is coming? What end is he referring to? The biological or the forced? As I sit there pondering the ramblings of an old man, I don’t even notice the girl that is walking up and pulling out the stool next to me.
“Hey, handsome,” she says, leaning forward to show me her titties.
“Uh.” I can’t speak. Her tits are too amazing, and it has been way too long since I have had sex with anyone.
“How about a little fun tonight?” she asks with impeccable English compared to the others.
“I am flattered by your day job,” I reply with a smile. “But no thanks. I don’t need a prostitute.”
“Your loss, sweetie,” she says turning and walking away.
I pick up my glass and motion to the bartender for another. I don’t know what is wrong with me. Back home, prostitute or not, I will at least flirt with girls that come-on to me. But it just seems like a waste of energy at this point. The truth is, I no longer have any taste for girls now that I’ve met Clarissa, and definitely not ones I have to pay. From the first time I met Clarissa, I knew there was something about her, and I can’t shake my desire for her. Now, I am left wanting, waiting, and wondering if when she heals, she will pick a new mate.
Clarissa is halfway around the world right now, trying to find her husband’s killers. All the while spending more time with Theo and generally moving further and further from my grasp. I have always known I wanted a girl like her. What I didn’t know, though, was the girl that I want as my mate, was not going to fully ever be a cat. Still, I don’t care. I love her. I want to be with her. I want her to finally choose me, even if it means I am not her first choice. Kyle is no longer a sense of tension in my life, and though I never asked for his death, it did create a hole in her life I might be able to fill.
In the meantime, I’m running all over the place trying to find a group of killers that are specifically trained not to be found.
The only advantage I have or thought I had, was that they are cats. However, after meeting Penny and hearing about her husband, I now realize that anyone could be out there training with the ninjas and learning the ways of the past in a completely different setting under a diabolical leader. I lift my glass and look at the liquid, knowing this is the last drink before I become inordinately wasted.
I throw the alcohol back and put the glass on the table, nodding my head in pride as the fire flows down my throat and into my stomach. Alcohol will never solve a single problem, but at least I am having a bit of fun with the locals. I look over as Hiro shuffles back toward me, nodding his head at the bartender. I put up my hand and shake my head no, not wanting any more to drink.
I’ve had enough. I can’t even see straight.
I wander back out into the street, leaning against the wall, the day turning to evening. Hiro doesn’t seem to have a problem at all. He is just hanging out. I take a stroll, meandering through the people, wobbling at the tables, feeling like getting drunk was a terrible idea. Clarissa keeps rolling through my mind, where she is, what she is doing, who is rolling through her mind.
I want to be with her right now like we were in Japan, but I can’t because I am standing in a busy Thai street, smelling the waste, staring at the people, wondering when I am catching my flight back.