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Chapter Seven
By ~ Mistico Lobo
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Jessie had spent the day at the hotel at the pool, but hadn't swum. Instead, she took her camera with her and took pictures of the laughing children and family. Something that she always regretted about working inside was that she never got the chance to take natural pictures. Not to mention wildlife. She thought that this unaffected beauty was something mankind hadn't been able to poison because, without denying it, man was a hideous creature. Too many were too cruel.
It was night now. She couldn't see the stars that well due to the city's overwhelming lights. The last time she had seen the stars clearly was on the last camping trip that she and her brother and father had gone on. She had just gotten off the phone with Justin, her brother. Like always, he did most of the talking about how well he was doing and that he might even be able to leave the dark matches. She was happy for him, even if she didn't want him to do it.
She had just put down the phone when it rang again. Knowing it was Justin who had just realized he hadn't said anything about Charlene, his girlfriend and probably soon-to-be fiancée, she laughed, picking it up. "So when are you going to propose you big log? There's some major anticipation over here, ya know."
"Last I knew, you had to actually like the person you're gonna marry."
Jessie, shocked that it wasn't her brother, quickly sat up from her slumping on the couch and frowned. She knew who it was by the pitch of his voice. "How did you get my room number?"
"Bribery goes a long way, ya know."
"Of course it does. Sorry. I guess I should have asked how long you had to fuck the receptionist," she smirked.
From the other side of the phone, Rock raised a surprised eyebrow. He wouldn't have thought her to be the vulgar kind. "Actually, he wanted some extra spending money."
"You paid for my number?"
"You think I'd waste money on a kid? I just showed him what he would get for dinner if he didn't give it to me."
She laughed. " A 'club sandwich?'"
"Yeah, somethin' like that." Wanting to cut to the chase, he put across, "I got a visitor tonight."
She became serious then and frowned slightly. "What?"
"An Egyptian Cobra snake from our friend." As he told her what happened, she was silent and tried to let it sink in. Those were obviously deadly. Weren't they supposed to help him? Why had he tried to kill him? "You still there?"
"Yeah. I guess it just took me by surprise. Are you thinking about doing this now...?"
"Only because this guy is gonna pay for sending that snake out. The police aren't even gonna bother search for it tonight. Next time I see him, I'm gonna..."
"…do nothing to him," she interrupted.
"What?" he questioned, surprised she had cut him.
"If he was able to put something like that in your car, when you were near by, don't you think that he could do something worse? He obviously knew where you were, so what makes you think that he doesn't know that you want to get him back? Not to trick you or anything, but if I were you, I would do what he wants. Ya know, get on his good side. He's probably expecting you to do something now anyway. I'd wait until he doesn't expect it."
For the first time since he met her, he actually listened to what she had to say. But when he realized that she was right, it shocked him. She had said something right for a change. And he even admitted it. After a while, he scratched the back of his hand. Dammit. "I would usually say that there would be no way in Hell I would listen to anyone and have them tell me what to do, but if it means to keep away from snakes, fine."
She grinned at his answer. "What's wrong with snakes?"
"Nothing. If they're as far away from me as they possibly can be, then everythin's fine."
She laughed again. "You're afraid of snakes?"
He scowled behind the phone. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, not at all." After a moment of trying to control her laughing, she, yet again, let loose. "First Disney and now snakes. Oh my god, what could possibly be next? Do you sleep with a fuzzy pink bunny?"
"And if I did?"
She stopped in shock. "You do?"
"Of course I don't! I ain't a freak." Instead of laughing, a short giggle took a hold of her.
"OK, OK, I'll leave you alone now. But it's not my fault if I got onto your good side."
"And what makes you think that?" It was certainly news to him.
"Well, are you pissed at me right now?"
"For the time being, no."
"I was talking to Justin earlier and I started to tell him about you and..."
"What did you tell him?"
"Oh, just that we were playing so psychopath's game. Oh, and also that I got a new note saying that you had to show up at some restaurant by eight o'clock." It was not ten-thirty. She laughed before he could blow her off; she knew he would. "I'm just kidding."
"Notice how hard I'm laughing." He wasn't.
"You really need to loosen up once in a while. Life's too short. Anyway, you just proved that you don't mind being around me."
"And how's that?"
"You say 'I' instead of 'the Rock' or 'he.' Like I was saying, I was talking to Justin and that was brought up and he said that you always refer to yourself in third person except when you're pissed. I knew that you couldn't possibly be all the time with me, so I figured that you had to be relaxed." Regardless to say, he was stunned. He had been saying 'I' instead of his alter ego – safer – side. When the Hell did he start saying that!? "I did get a letter today though..." she said after a while. "Do you want me to read it to you?"
Anything to get off the topic. "Shoot."
There was a ruffle of papers as she looked through her binder of photos. "Hear the thunder, see the lighting. Hear the lion's roar, see the stars change. Look for these and you shall see that in the giraffe with the red bow holds the next clue. Be there by eight o'clock in two days. And that's it. I'm more at a loss for this one than the last."
He frowned as he listened. Where the hell could this be? "We're supposed to go to Las Vegas next, right? It's probably one of the hotels."
"Or more. I mean, you can see and here lighting at Treasure Island, right? And the lion's roar at the MGM. But I don't know anything with a giraffe."
"Maybe, but why would he send me to different places at once? It could be a picture."
"With a giraffe in a red bow? It sounds to me that you have to go around finding crap or something. Sounds really gross."
"They don't have any zoos there, do they?"
"Not that I know, no." They were both silent as they thought about it. Finally, after a few minutes, Jessie sighed as she looked at the clock. "Look, it's getting kinda late and I'm tired. And I have to drive tomorrow so I guess I should be letting you go." He didn't respond at first because he was lost in thought. Damn these riddles! "You still there?"
"Yeah. All right, sounds good. I'm drivin' too." He smirked. "Better get up early to the buffet or it'll all be gone if you get there before."
She scoffed in reply. "That had better not be in reference to me being fat."
He gave a slight chuckle before hanging up. "See ya."
When he hung up, she only rolled her eyes and did the same. She wasn't that fat was she? Standing up, she went to the mirror to see. She didn't look it. At least not in her perspective. Maybe she shouldn't have eaten all that dessert in San Francisco? She couldn't help herself! It was all the finest cakes and pastries and... She stopped and looked at herself in shock. She looked fine to her and that's all that mattered. When did she start caring what he thought anyway?