Myron smiled and enjoyed the ride. When she finally put him back down, he said, "You remember my nephew."
"Oh, Mr. Mickey!"
Big Cyndi bear-hugged him the same way. Mickey looked a little confused--it was a wild ride for the inexperienced--but he hung in there. "Hey, Cyndi, you were great out there."
She gave Mickey a funny look. "Cyndi?"
"Sorry. Big Cyndi."
That pleased her. Big Cyndi had been Myron's receptionist when he and Esperanza had their sports agency. She preferred formalities, so Myron was always Mr. Bolitar and she had always insisted others call her Big Cyndi, not just Cyndi. She had even legally changed her name so that official documents now read, last name: Cyndi, first name: Big.
"Where's Esperanza?" Myron asked.
"Doing a VIP meet-n-greet," Big Cyndi said. "She's very popular, you know."
"Yeah, I know."
"Most of the VIPs are men, Mr. Bolitar."
"Right."
"They pay five hundred dollars per ticket. The perk is they get a photograph with Little Pocahontas. Not that I don't have my own fan base, you know."
"Oh, I know."
"I charge a thousand, Mr. Bolitar. I'm more discriminating."
"Good to know."
"Care for a green smoothie? You don't look good, Mr. Bolitar."
"No, thanks."
"Mr. Mickey?"
Mickey held up a hand. "I'm good."
Two minutes later, Esperanza entered the room wrapping a bathrobe around the suede bikini costume. Mickey quickly stood when she entered. There were no two ways about it. Esperanza had the kind of looks that made all men and boys react. She had the kind of beauty that reminded you of sunsets on the Caribbean or moonlit strolls on the beach.
"Oh, that's sweet of you to stand, Mickey."
Esperanza frowned at Myron, who remained seated just to prove his point. She gave Mickey a quick kiss on the cheek. Mickey congratulated her on a great show. Myron sat and waited. He and Esperanza had been close friends for a long time. She'd worked with him at the sports agency, going to law school at night, and ended up being his partner. He knew her. She knew him.
So he waited.
After a few minutes of chatter, Esperanza took Mickey's hand. "Do you mind if I talk to your uncle alone for a few minutes?"
"Oh, sure thing."
"Come on, Mr. Mickey," Big Cyndi said, beckoning him to follow her. "Commie Connie spotted you in the first row and said she wanted to meet you."
"Uh, okay."
"She said that you looked--and I quote her directly--'delicious.'"
Mickey blanched, but he followed her out of the room.
"He's a good kid," Esperanza said.
"He is."
"He stop hating you yet?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"And how are his parents?"
Myron lifted his hand, tipped it left, then right. "We'll see."
Esperanza closed the door. "So you were in London."
"Yep."
"You didn't tell me you were going."
"It was last-minute."
"And I saw on the news that a missing boy was found in London."
"Yep."
"But not Win's cousin."
"No," Myron said. "It was the other kid. Patrick Moore."
"I also read about some big explosion where the kid was found. It took out an entire wall."
"You know Win," Myron said. "He isn't much for subtlety."
Esperanza met his eye. "So it's true? You really saw Win?"
"Yes. He called me for help."
"Is he okay?"
"Was he ever?"
"You know what I mean."
"He seems fine."
"So all those rumors about Win losing his mind and being a recluse . . . ?"
"He started them."
Myron filled her in on everything that had happened. Esperanza sat across from him and listened. It brought him back to better days, when they were younger and starting out and they would discuss contracts and endorsement deals for hours on end. For so many years, Esperanza had been a part of Myron's everyday life. He missed that.
When he finished, Esperanza shook her head. "Something isn't right here."
"I know, right?"
"And tomorrow you meet with the boy you rescued?"
"We hope."
"Big Cyndi and I can help with this, you know."
"I can handle it. You two are busy."
"Don't do that, Myron."
"Don't do what? You have a business to run."
"A business I run. Big Chief Mama and Little Pocahontas get rotated in and out of the lineup. We can be free anytime you need us." Esperanza leaned forward. "This is Win's cousin. I want to be a part of it. So will Big Cyndi. Don't shut us out."
Myron nodded. "Okay." Then: "Where's Hector, by the way?"
Her face darkened. When she spoke again, the words came out in an angry spit. "He's with his father."
"Oh. I take it from your tone that the custody battle is not going well."
"Tom has an in with the judge. A golfing buddy, believe it or not."
"You can't get a venue change?"
"My attorney says no. Guess what Tom's claiming."
"What?"
"I lead a"--Esperanza made quote marks with her fingers--"'prurient' lifestyle."
"Because you're a wrestler?"
"Because I'm bisexual."
Myron frowned. "For real?"
"Yep."
"But bisexuality is so mainstream now."
"I know," Esperanza said.
"Practically a cliche."
"Tell me about it. I feel so passe."
She turned away.
"So it's bad?"
"I may lose him, Myron. You know Tom. He is one of those master-of-the-universe, take-no-prisoner types. It isn't about what's right or wrong or the truth. It's all about winning. It's all about beating me no matter what the cost."
"Anything I can do?"
"Answer one question."
"What?"
"You knew he was a twat waffle, didn't you?"
Myron didn't reply.
"So how did you let me marry him?"
"I didn't think it was my business to interfere," Myron said.
"Whose business was it, then?"
Boom. Drop the mic. Esperanza just stared at him for a second. She had no family. She had only Myron and Win and Big Cyndi.
"Would you have listened to me?" Myron asked.
"No more than you listened to me when I told you how awful Jessica was."
"I eventually saw the light."
"Oh yes, you saw the light. Right after she dumped you and married another man." Esperanza held up her hand. "Sorry, that was stupid. I'm just pissed off."
"Don't worry about it."
"Besides, now you have Terese."
"And you approve of her."
"I love her. If I could get her to switch sides, I'd steal her from you."
"Flattering," Myron said.
"Wait."
"What?"
"If Win is back, does this mean I'm not your best man anymore?"
"You never were," Myron said. "It's the 'man' part that gives him the edge."
"Sexist."
"But Terese and I wanted to ask you something."
"What?"
"We want you to officiate the ceremony."
Esperanza didn't often look stunned. She did now. "Really?"
"Yeah. You have to get ordained online or something, but we really want you to be the one who marries us."
Esperanza said, "Bastard."
"What?"
"I have to do another meet-n-greet and now I'm going to start crying."
"No, you won't. You're too tough."
"True." She rose and started for the door. "Myron?"
"Yeah."
"How many times has Win asked for help?"
"I think this is the first."
"We need to find Rhys," Esperanza said.
Mickey was quiet on the ride home.