Hadley's first inkling of the James Bond connection...
JLord
Posts: 35MI6 Agent
Behind the beautiful Thai, behind the nodding detective, sitting at the far end of the bar next to one of the VIP sofas and tables discreetly hidden behind plastic foliage, was the man with the ponytail.
“Hadley? You’ve gone all red.”
“It’s okay,” Hadley said. “I have to...”
What did he have to do? What had he done to warrant this attention? (Was it the trousers?) The man was stalking him day and night. Hadley said his apologies to the Thai girl and walked down the length of the bar, past the detective, to Joe’s stool. He studied the profile and the man ignored him. It was a smiling face now, self-conscious. One second there was a lot of hand movement, rubbing of the jaw and the cheeks, and then he was still. Hadley felt his heart do one of its unhealthy skips.
“Do you remember me?”
Joe, the American movie man, turned and smiled. He looked like an overweight boxer with hairs on his nose.
“No. I don’t think so.”
He turned back to the bar. Hadley stared some more and Joe was smirking again. A lot of neck movements now, like a hen, as he studied a photo of Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates on the wall in front of him.
“But I remember you. I remember you from Sotobech.”
“You don’t know me from Adam, pal.”
“No, but I do. You mustn’t mess me around. I met you in Sotobech when they were filming ‘Great Expectations’. I came to your house.”
Joe turned and looked at Hadley who, never one for reflection, thought back briefly to the Fens and remembered ‘Cadillac’ written on the wing mirror of one of the limos. Almost twenty years earlier.
“ ‘Great Expectations’? I know that movie,” Joe said, looking Hadley up and down, his eyes resting briefly on the red stain next to Hadley’s crotch. “David Lean, 1946. Class act.”
“No, not that one. They were doing a remake. And you and your friends were there. Driving Cadillacs.”
Joe drummed his fingers on the bar. He caught the eye of the Thai girl and winked. “ ‘Great Expectations’, you say. Funny, I’ve never seen it. Maybe they never got around to making it. Have you seen it?”
“No, but...”
“They say seeing is believing. I reckon they didn’t make it in the end. I reckon they came to their senses, out there on that God-forsaken swamp, and gave up the whole shooting match.”
“So you do remember?”
Joe slapped his hand on the bar and got up from his stool. He looked at Hadley and sighed. “I’ll be seeing you.” He brushed ash off Hadley’s shoulder. “We can talk more about the movies. Big James Bond fan myself.” Joe started down the aisle to the door and turned, a smile on his face. “Tip of the day: don’t be so scared. Take a risk here and there. Nice pants, by the way.”
And with that, he was out through the velvet curtains into the neon light and road-side incense. Hadley asked the mama-san if she had seen Joe before. She said he was a first-time cheap Charlie.
“Hadley? You’ve gone all red.”
“It’s okay,” Hadley said. “I have to...”
What did he have to do? What had he done to warrant this attention? (Was it the trousers?) The man was stalking him day and night. Hadley said his apologies to the Thai girl and walked down the length of the bar, past the detective, to Joe’s stool. He studied the profile and the man ignored him. It was a smiling face now, self-conscious. One second there was a lot of hand movement, rubbing of the jaw and the cheeks, and then he was still. Hadley felt his heart do one of its unhealthy skips.
“Do you remember me?”
Joe, the American movie man, turned and smiled. He looked like an overweight boxer with hairs on his nose.
“No. I don’t think so.”
He turned back to the bar. Hadley stared some more and Joe was smirking again. A lot of neck movements now, like a hen, as he studied a photo of Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates on the wall in front of him.
“But I remember you. I remember you from Sotobech.”
“You don’t know me from Adam, pal.”
“No, but I do. You mustn’t mess me around. I met you in Sotobech when they were filming ‘Great Expectations’. I came to your house.”
Joe turned and looked at Hadley who, never one for reflection, thought back briefly to the Fens and remembered ‘Cadillac’ written on the wing mirror of one of the limos. Almost twenty years earlier.
“ ‘Great Expectations’? I know that movie,” Joe said, looking Hadley up and down, his eyes resting briefly on the red stain next to Hadley’s crotch. “David Lean, 1946. Class act.”
“No, not that one. They were doing a remake. And you and your friends were there. Driving Cadillacs.”
Joe drummed his fingers on the bar. He caught the eye of the Thai girl and winked. “ ‘Great Expectations’, you say. Funny, I’ve never seen it. Maybe they never got around to making it. Have you seen it?”
“No, but...”
“They say seeing is believing. I reckon they didn’t make it in the end. I reckon they came to their senses, out there on that God-forsaken swamp, and gave up the whole shooting match.”
“So you do remember?”
Joe slapped his hand on the bar and got up from his stool. He looked at Hadley and sighed. “I’ll be seeing you.” He brushed ash off Hadley’s shoulder. “We can talk more about the movies. Big James Bond fan myself.” Joe started down the aisle to the door and turned, a smile on his face. “Tip of the day: don’t be so scared. Take a risk here and there. Nice pants, by the way.”
And with that, he was out through the velvet curtains into the neon light and road-side incense. Hadley asked the mama-san if she had seen Joe before. She said he was a first-time cheap Charlie.
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