Her foot is on the pedal and her head is in the stars. Joy was a Bettie Page styled hottie on a mission. After a chance encounter with Nick Joy finds a kindred spirit but is she just too much for him to handle?
Hang on tight, this girl drives as...
Joy had parked in the pay as you stay parking deck on the same block as the Atlanta Four Season's Hotel. She was nervous, and that was a trait I had yet to see. She insisted we stop at a bar for a drink. I couldn't believe it.
"You sure that's a good idea, you don't hold your liquor so well."
She flashed me those angst filled brown eyes.
"I'm sure. You know of a place close by?"
"Sure, There's a place a couple of blocks south. We'll park and walk."
She still wouldn't tell me much more about the phone call, only that it could put her back on track, whatever that meant. She was visibly shaken but doing her best to cover it. At the first crosswalk we darted across busy Peachtree Street and were at the spot in a few minutes. The evening traffic was starting to build adding to the noise and tension. I held the door for her as we went inside and sat at the bar.
"I'll have a Tanqueray and tonic please, make it a double," I said to the bartender.
"Joy, what do you want?"
She looked into space for a moment. The bartender waited patiently.
"What did we have the other night?"
"We had Margaritas."
"Yeah, that's what I want, that was good."
I nodded and the bartender was off.
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"You want me to join you for this or just wait in the car?"
She turned to me suddenly.
"No, I want you there, so yes you need to be there."
She patted my arm maybe because the look on my face was disbelief after her unusual reaction. Suddenly I was the cool one.
"I'm just nervous," she said smiling, then rested her head on her arms she folded on the bar.
"No shit, I'd just like to know what you're so nervous about. Do you have to repo the governor's car or something?" I said trying to break her mood with my usual stupid levity.
"I wish. Look Nick," she said lifting her head just in time for the drinks to arrive.
"Just stick with me on this. If this pans out I may actually get my life back on track. I need this opportunity and I can't blow it."
Her eyes, her faraway eyes, always staring into deep space were suddenly focused on me as if waiting for me to come out with some lyrical truth to soothe her racing mind. She took a sip of her drink, squinted and swallowed. She lifter her glass again and took another sip and spun around on her stool looking out the tinted front windows.
"Holy shit!" She said, reaching behind her and putting her glass clumsily on the bar.
