Bad Boy or Lost Soul

Sunday…

“STOP!!!” I yelled as these two thugs came from behind a tree and grabbed at jogging wallet, “Help!” One of them pulled a knife & cut the wallet strap around my arm. His partner grabbed it & headed into the park. I continued to yell! Out of nowhere comes this tall blond guy and slams him to the ground & pulled out a gun. “Chill,” he said. He kneeled down & asked if I’m OK, “No, they have my wallet…” “Don’t worry, I’ll get him," said the stranger.

The cops arrived & grab the second guy before he could escape and I told them about this man who’s going after my wallet…

It all happened so fast, but all I could remember was the tall blond guy who saved me reminded me of a blond Aladdin. The cops took the thief & escorted us both to the station where I gave my statement. I cancelled my credit card & called the hotel. They took me across the street and bought me coffee & I just sat there and whimpered like a puppy.

“Looks like you could use a refill,” a voice from behind me - it was Aladdin. He asked if I was okay & I begrudgingly nodded. I asked if he was a criminal too, but he countered that he was an “executive salesman” who specialized in expensive commodities & always has a lot of cash. He quipped that you’ll never know when you’ll need to save a damsel in distress. “I’m David from San Diego,” he said. “Nicole, LA.” He ordered me a new coffee and dropped my wallet on the table. “How did you get this back? I’ve already cancelled my cards.” He ran the man down, got everything back but the room key. He asked why I was here, “On vacation. I teach Econ at a small college in LA, but I’m starting law school this fall. My last vacation & this happens!”

“You’re a strange man & I don’t know if I should trust you. And you don’t look like a sales executive – you look more Miami Vice than Wall Street Boy Wonder…” “Ouch,” he winced, then he pulls out this big wad of cash and places a $100 bill on the table for the barista. “Are you a drug dealer?” I asked. “Some might say so – Did you know that more Cuban cigars are sold in America than anywhere else?” “Aren’t they illegal?” He said, “Well, yes. It’s a victimless crime that doesn’t hurt anybody and it is all political BS. I sell Cuban cigars to wealthy people – bunch of frat boys lighting expensive Cuban cigars with $20 bills. They know how to make money, but sure as hell don’t know how to spend it! Wall Street! My father used to fly secret missions to wherever and he always returned with a black garbage bag full of Cuban cigars for the generals. He retired from the AF, but kept his contacts… lousy businessman though! “And you’re not,” I asked. “Exactly!’ “So you sell Cuban cigars & you make lot of money?” Wait a minute…” He takes out this little black notebook and scribbles something down. “What’s that, your little black book of broken hearts?”

Wha? Oh this. My book of Wonders, Secrets & Dreads. I carry these around and when I have a wonderful or dreadful experience or uncover a secret, I write it down and me & my therapist discuss it,” he explained. “So which was it,” I asked. “Can’t tell you, you know, client privilege & all. But it’s about you and since I’m smiling it’s either a wonder or a secret…” he grinned. Let’s get outta here & get you back to your hotel. We get up to leave & I ask, “Aren’t you forgetting something? Your change?” “Naw, that’s for the barista. It’ll make her day…”

We walked for blocks talking like none of the drama from earlier today ever happened. He was a bad boy but something about him was sincere. We talked about our families and Cuba. He told me that his mother was a retired Psychology professor. I talked about my students & why I wanted to be a lawyer and he just listened like a good friend. I talked about my dream of taking a train coast to coast and he talked about his travels in Mexico. We got to my hotel and he waited in the lobby, but I came out flustered. He could tell I was flustered when I returned. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong’” he inquired. I explained they won’t have another room until Tuesday & that’s when I leave. I can’t stay here - he knows my room number.” “Look, I have a proposition, wait, wrong choice of words. I have a 2-bedroom suite at the Ritz & you can stay in the second master. Promise I won’t try nothing & you can hold the gun,” he said. “I don’t know about that David. I just met you. You could be an ax murderer!” He smiled, “Not with this smile… Check out & I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

I cleaned up & packed. He sat there like a guard dog until I came out. He took me to a restaurant and the big tipping continued, but he was really a lot of fun. We went on the subway to Harlem and talked about gentrification & the rumor Bill Clinton was moving his office to that neighborhood. We took a selfie together right in front of the Apollo! We had a wonderful time & stopped on the street for pizza.

When we got back to his room, he showed me my room. He disappeared into his wing.

I could hear the shower running… “What to do Nikki,” I thought… I opened the door to his bathroom and dropped my towel. He looked at me a bit surprised, but that Bad Boy grin. I got into the shower with him. We kissed. We made love. Then we both drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms…

“Nooooo!” David sat straight up in the bed in a cold sweat. “David, what wrong?”

“Nothing, just a bad dream. These guys were looking mean and one of them said, ‘Let’s roll,’ and I couldn’t tell if they were coming for me or if I was part of the mob. So real. I need to write this down. You go back to sleep. I’ll only be a minute…” I drifted back to sleep, but David never returned to bed. Something wasn’t right and what was really in those little black books he carried around?

Monday…

I was awakened by my 11am wake-up call. David was gone, but there was a manila envelope on the pillow & a little black book:

“When you get this, I will be out trying to figure out what’s going on. I need to be on the move. I’m meeting my clients, but the 4th has pulled out for some strange reason. Don’t worry, you’re fine, but as a precaution I’ve booked a suite at the Conrad by the World Trade Center. At 3pm, be downstairs and meet a driver named Raul. He’s cool & he’ll drive you to the hotel. Please trust me Nikki. Something isn’t right so I want to get you away from me until I see what’s going on. If you’re not ready for this, here’s enough money to get another room & get home. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. You know, I think I love you… D”

I was overwhelmed & didn’t know what to think, but so far he had always been a man of his word. Blindly, I followed his instructions and left the hotel with Raul. He was friendly enough and laughed a lot. He handed me an envelope with another little black book:

“Here’s the room key. If anybody asks you’re Mrs. David Summers and leave it at that. Indulge me please because it’s important. Ciao! D”

Another adventure, but something tells me to keep on going even though these little black books are a bit sinister. Leaving Raul said, “I’ll pick you up in the morning.” I asked about David, but he said he didn’t know where he was.

I relaxed & ordered room service. I laid on the bed and fell asleep. Someone knocked on the door! It was Raul with another envelope & a briefcase. “Mr. David left this at the yard,” he said. It was locked so I opened the envelope. A combination. I opened the briefcase. Two manila envelopes – one addressed to me & one to his mother and it was full of money piled up & bundled like from a bank. Another little black book & a ticket:

“Sorry Nikki - change in plans. Can’t go with you tomorrow. Flying outta Newark to Frisco. My competitors are trying to muscle me & I think they’re either going to get me at the airport or set me up to the Feds. You don’t need to be in this. Yes the money is real & it’s legal. It’s the money I got from my clients. There’s $20,000.

I bought you a ticket on the cross-country train back to LA. Sleeping car and all the bells & whistles like you said. I’m not asking you to be my mule. If I don’t contact you within three days of your arrival in LA, the money is yours. No BS. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I really need you to do me this favor. Hope you can trust me one more time! It’s yours! My mom’s envelope has the key to our safety deposit box. It contains way more money than what’s in this case so she’ll be well taken care of if anything happens to me. Wait another 3 days & if you haven’t heard from me, call my mother & go meet her. She’ll know what to do & she knows who you are. I sent the picture from the Apollo. Just don’t put it in the bank, but it’s clean. We can discuss later. Don’t worry, I can handle a couple fat old men with thick moustaches and ill-fitting suits! See you in about a week, if not… I know I love you now! Ciao! D”

Tuesday…

Wow, I didn’t know what to think - the Coast to Coast Express, but no David! I slept intermittently and was wide awake when he knocked on the door. We got into the car. I asked, “No new messages from David?” he said no. I asked him questions about David, but he feigned ignorance stating all he knew was that David came to NY every other month & he was his exclusive driver. David was always a big tipper & he gave him extra to take care of me. We arrived at Union Station & Raul whisked me into the station where my bags were taken to my private car. As the train pulled out of the station I ordered breakfast and fell asleep as my body began to sync with the motion of the train. Suddenly there was a ruckus & I could hear people crying & screaming – I poked my head outside and asked the conductor what was going on. He said two planes had just been flown into the World Trade Center and told me to turn on the radio.

It was horrifying to think I was just a block or two away from there just a couple hours ago! My gosh, what happened to all those people?

BREAKING NEWS – Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco was also hijacked & was headed back to crash into the Capitol, but a group of passengers attacked the hijackers and forced the plane to go down in a field in Pennsylvania just under 200 miles from the Capitol. It is assumed there are no survivors…

“David, can't stop being a hero…”