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"Bring me the usual. You hungry, Nick?"
"Yeah, I haven’t eaten all day."
"You see anything on the menu you want? Never mind, I know you’ll eat anything," Freeze said, turning his attention to the waitresses. "Tell the cook to make whatever he’s best at for Nick, and you know what to bring me. You, get the drinks." And with that both women rushed off to carry out his orders.
"Do two waitresses always come when you call? And what’s up with the suit?"
"Hey, this is a legitimate, upscale supper club. I gotta look the part. But nevermind all that, Nick. What’s up with you?"
"I’ve been all right, man."
"Damn, it’s good to see you, Nick. You should come around more often."
"You know what’s up with that."
"That stupid shit between you and Bobby." Freeze shook his head. "You need to let that shit go."
"Has Bobby let it go?"
"Not far as I know. He doesn’t talk about it. He gets all quiet and shit when you bring it up."
"Then it’s still on."
Freeze laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is. But that shouldn’t stop you. You and me been through too much."
Knowing Freeze was right; I let it pass without comment. "How’s Black?"
"Doin’ good. Island life agrees with him."
"When’s the last time you talked to him?"
"Talked to him this morning." Freeze announced as our drinks arrived. "Black calls me every morning. He likes to keep his hand in. You know how Black is. Shit ain’t changed."
"He get up here much?"
"Every once in awhile. He don’t like bein’ away from Shy for too long."
"I can’t believe Black’s strung out like that."
"You ain’t seen Shy."
"She all that?"
"She’s worth the price of admission. You oughta go down there. Ain’t like you ain’t been invited."
"Black don’t wanna see me. I called him a few times when I got back, but we never hooked up. Then he was gone."
"Shit was crazy back then for him and Shy." The waitress returned with our food, Prime Rib. I started eating it like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. "You think Black is still mad at you ’cause you left?"
"Ain’t he?"
"Hell, no. He wasn’t mad at you, not really anyway. He understood why you felt you had to go like that. He knew that shit with you and Bobby was gonna end with one of y’all bein’ dead. What Black couldn’t understand was why you joined the army to fight for the government when your homies was fightin’ a war right here. But he respected your decision. Shit, Black respected you. Said you were the most disciplined man he ever met."
"I was a soldier even then. That’s why he made me work with you. Your ass was wide-open back then. Wanted to blast everybody."
"Damn near did."
"Black thought you needed discipline. And he was right, but look at you now."