a deal proposed (15)

Matter of fact, there is.

and something I believe, I can help you out with.

Oh yeah? who are you?

They call me Bobby Flash. Esquire.

I see. I’m Henry Nalbandian.

That’s my car you’re leanin’ on.

Bobby unfolds from his studied slouch.

Oh no offense, looks like you can’t afford no fenders or paint.

Looks real fast though. I bet you like fast everything, am I right?

Well Henry, I think I can help you get what you’re after.

fast. fast as you want it to be.

and what’s that?

That lil girl you met last night.

Ruthie?

That’s the one.

What do you have to do with her?

Well you could say, I’m kind of her manager.

Manager……….

Yeah. And I suspect, you’d like to get a little better acquainted?

Intimate like. Say...... in the back of this here car?

Or I got a crib you could use, get real comfortable like.

And that would be your business, how?

Well actually, that is my business.

And hers? I don’t get that impression.

No sir, not yet. But I can make sure that it is.

You give me the dough and I’ll make sure she come through.

You think you got me all figured out?

Well son, it don’t take a genius to see you wanna

git in her britches. Am I right?

So you want me to pay you to make that happen?

Now you seein’ the picture.

Give me twenty dollars and I guarantee

that sweet lil peach be yours for a week.

with no interference from me.

Whatever you convince her to do, thats down to you.

This arrangement strictly confidential

between me an’ you, see?

So you wanna make your fiance’s cousin into a whore?

She don’t seem like the type.

And I don’t want any part of changing that.

Anything that happens between us is gonna be from mutual interest.

Yeah well, I can make sure that she show you

a whole lotta interest. Thinka me as an expediter.

But I don’t think you’re seein’ the whole situation.

Which is?

Ruthie livin’ with me an’ Loretta, she get taxi service to her job,

so she gotta make a contribution to overhead.

And she ain’t coverin’ near enough of that.

So you think she oughta turn tricks?

Depends on how you look at it.

You give me twenty dollars a week an’ she be yours exclusive, see?

Be your main squeeze. You’d be helpin’ her out that’s all.

Why should I do that?

I don’t need your permission, she’s a grown woman.

Well like I say, she ain’t contributing enough to overhead, expenses and all.

That piss ant job at the hospital don’t pay shit.

She gotta come up with more. And you can be her man on a white horse.

Yeah, her white man on a white horse, how’s  ‘at sound?

She don’t even need to know about it.

Strictly between you and me.

Smells like whoring to me. Sorry pal, no deal.

I’m real sorry to hear that, I was hoping we could do business.

Be a sweet deal for alla us, specially for Ruthie

‘cuz she won’ hafta fuck nobody else, see what I’m sayin?

She gonna have to put it out for somebody willing to pay if you don’t.

You think you’re in a position to make her to do that?

I don’t have to make her do anything, she got a choice

of using her most valuable assets, or going back up to

Teviston and choppin’ cotton.

Uh huh. And where does Loretta fit into this?

I got the impression she is real protective of her cousin.

Loretta do what I say. She knows who the boss is.

She may not dig it, but I’m the one who wear the pants.

I see. So if I were to tell her about this little conversation,

she’d just go along with what you say.

Listen here, Sam. I been tryin’ to be reasonable here.

Just between two gentlemen. Business, see?

But you go try an’ stick your nose in Cottonwood business,

this here bucket of bolts make a real ugly coffin.

You hear what I’m sayin’?

Loud and clear. I think we got nothing more to discuss.

Sorry to hear that, so I’ll give you one last piece of friendly advice,

keep away from Ruthie. You come sniffin’ around her,

you’re gonna be payin’ in red  ‘stead of green.

I see. Now if you’ll excuse me and get off my car,

I got better things to do than standing around here half the night

in a pissing contest with you.

Bobby straightens up all pained like his dog died,

takes a monogrammed handkerchief

out of the breast pocket of his sharp suit,

makes a show of wiping off the door of the coupe.

Saunters ever so slowly over to his gleaming black Buick.

Aims a forefinger out the window before pulling away.

Bang bang, sucker.