Continued from previous weeks…
A blonde, driving a shiny Corvette convertible, pauses to look Ritchie over as if he were a cockroach.
Gary rolls his eyes.
Mona glares at her, hard.
Ritchie does his best to look oblivious.
The blonde flips a not-quite-empty coffee cup at Ritchie before continuing down Sunset Strip.
Mona: “Probably a comment on the coffee.”
Gary: “All that bleach must have seeped into her brain, or she’d know better than to get take-out outside of New York.”
Ritchie’s still looking after the ‘Vette that’s disappearing down The Strip amidst blinding reflections from the streetlights.
Mona puts a hand on Ritchie’s shoulder. “So… You said you have something for Gary?”
Ritchie swats at some of the blonde’s coffee that hit his sleeve. “Not so loud, Mona.”
Gary whispers, “What is it?”
Ritchie palms him something. “In your pocket, man. Quick. Strip’s crawling with narks tonight.”
Gary rolls his eyes. “That might explain why we can’t find our ‘better than acid’ dope dealer!” Then he touches what he just put in his pocket and looks confused.
Ritchie whispers, “That’s the rest of the pot you brought me from New York.”
Gary hunches his shoulders and flips his palms up, questioning.
Ritchie studies his own boots. “It’s yours. I don’t want my money back or nuthin’.”
Gary looks even more confused.
Ritchie shrugs it off, again trying to look oblivious. “Me and the wino are going to check out a liquor store down on Pico.”
Mona and Gary exchange a knowing look.
Gary puts a hand on Ritchie’s shoulder. “Your way of keeping things simple…”
Ritchie shakes Gary’s hand off. “Watch it, White Boy.”
Mona: “Ritchie, there’s more to it than reverting to a legal drug. You’ve got to help us! We’re trying to find that clothes-horse dealer who sold Gary that ‘better than acid’ so what happened to us can’t happen to others!”
But now Ritchie’s truly oblivious to Gary and Mona. He’s spotted the bleached blonde that only wanted to play her new record album on his “boss” stereo when she thought Ritchie was white.
To be continued next week…
