Dex (22 page)

“I don’t believe you.” Dex felt the tears welling up in his eyes.

“Your choice, but this is the deed to the property,” Preston insisted. “Timing is everything.”

“Is that why you came here? To tell me you’re destroying my family?”

“Well, I admit that has been fun, but I’m more practical than that.”

“So what do you want? For me to beg you to give us our restaurant back?”

“Absolutely,” Preston gloated. “And one more thing, Dexy. Listen very, very carefully. You stole my show. I want it back. I’ll sell you the restaurant if you do as I say without a word to anyone. Because I promise you, one slip, any slip, and Poppy’s Kitchen becomes Poppy’s Parking Lot!”

Yvette laughed until she saw Preston glare at her in the rear view mirror.

“What do you want me to do?” Dex muttered.

#

Dex got out of the limo and watched Yvette drive off as a different limo pulled up alongside him. “You ready to go, Mr. Rossi?” the driver asked as he opened his window.

“I forgot my Eatz I.D. I’ll be right out.” Dex replied, the life draining from his voice.

CHAPTER
thirt-three

“So you can’t say a word to anyone,” Dex told his friends who were now piled on the couch. He put his Eatz I.D. tag around his neck and walked towards the front door. “But, I don’t know what to do.” He was too angry to be sad and too sad to think.

“What do you
want
to do?” Kyle asked through a puff of cotton candy.

“Don’t ask,” Dex scowled.

“You can’t let that thug boss you around,” Liza argued.

“Liza’s right, Dex.” Sarah crossed her arms. “He’s
so
not a
mensch
.”

“Say what?”Jordy asked.

“A
mensch
,” Sarah repeated. “It’s Yiddish for a decent, good person.”

“Cool. A
mensch
.” Jordy nodded. “I dig that.”

“If I were you,” Kyle warned, “I’d play along. This Preston dude sounds pretty serious. And come on, you’ve seen him with a Ginsu knife. He could turn you into a sushi roll before anyone would notice you were missing!”

“Yeah man,” Jordy agreed. “And yo grandmomma’s gonna wig out if Pop’s place gits ‘dozed down to da gee-round.”

“Guys, promise me you won’t say anything to her,” Dex pleaded.

“Don’t worry, we won’t,” Liza promised as everyone nodded in agreement.

“Good, ‘cause Geema went to the bank today thinking she was going to buy back the restaurant, but they were closed when she got there. Holiday hours. If I do what Preston wants, he’ll give me back the restaurant and she’ll never have to know what really happened.”

“Dex, is there anything we can do to help?” Sarah asked.

“No,” Dex sighed. “Just don’t hate me for doing what I have to do.”

#

Alicia stood by the M&Ms waiting for Jazz. Lola’s party was not working out exactly the way she had imagined. In her version of New Year’s Eve, Jazz had already finished what he needed to do for his film project and had gone to the party
with
her. The six-foot hero was stuffed with anything
but
ham and cheese, and everyone wanted to talk to them because they were the best-looking, most exciting couple there. And, while she was dreaming, he had given her the most original, exquisite promise ring she had ever seen.

So far, none of that was happening. Lola’s house was too small to fit all these people and every time someone went for a handful of pretzels from a snack table awkwardly placed by the loveseat, their Christmas tree would start leaning over like it was about to fall on top of the buffet table. Alicia had already pulled a Mickey Mouse ornament out of the hummus dip.

Most of the guys were milling about guzzling beer. Others were at the tables taking plates of food that smelled like gym clothes. There was one group on the couch watching some special about Amish students waiting to see the ball drop in Times Square for the first time. What was she doing here? If Jazz didn’t call soon, she would have to find an excuse to leave.

To make matters worse, Lola, her stunning, modelesque friend, parked herself in front of Alicia as she found new ways to make out with her boyfriend.

“Hey Alicia,” Lola said, coming up for a moment of air. “I can’t wait to see your brother’s show later. What’s he making anyway?”

“Not a clue.” Alicia nearly retched watching Lola lick the bridge of her boyfriend’s nose. “That sounds soooo amazing,” Lola gushed as her boyfriend kissed her eyebrows in return. “Can’t wait.”

“Me either,” Alicia said, excusing herself before heading toward the door.

Where is he
? Alicia jumped as her phone rang. Finally. She answered the phone with a desperate, “Where are you?!?”

“Oh, Liza,” she corrected herself. “Sorry. I thought you were Jazz. He’s late. Did Dex leave for the studio yet?” Alicia listened intently. “What?!” Her phone beeped signaling an incoming call. “Liza, it’s Jazz. I have to talk to him. Tell everyone to stay put. I’m on my way.”

Alicia answered Jazz’s call. “Hey, where are you?!?” She couldn’t hear him and stepped outside. “You found...what?” She was straining to hear him through the bad phone connection. “You’re breaking up. Just meet me at my house.”

#

Liza was in the family room crushing their finished pizza boxes into small squares and then pushing them into a too-small plastic garbage bag as if she were stuffing a sausage.

“Yo, I’m a dude. I can make that happen,” Jordy said, watching Liza struggle with the trash.

“Did I ask for your
manly
help?” she snapped.

“Don’t be be-otchin’ at my door, sista.” Jordy threw a mini marshmallow up in the air and caught it with his tongue. “I’m doin’ sweets. I ain’t gunnin’ for a clash.”

“Sorry,” Liza apologized. “I’m not looking to start up with you either.” She walked the bag over to Jordy. “You can help.”

The two of them got everything to fit and tied the bag up neatly.

“I got ‘dis.” Jordy carried the bag to the pail outside.

“Alicia should be here any minute,” Liza said walking over to the window.

“Hope so,” Sarah said turning on the TV, “’cause it’s getting late.”

“When does Dex’s show start anyway?” Kyle asked as he popped a couple of his Tums. “Feels like Geema left for the studio hours ago.”

“It just feels long,” Liza explained. “Always does when you’re waiting on something.”

Jordy walked in with his arm around Alicia. Liza looked puzzled and rolled her eyes at him.

“Wha’? Don’t be buggin’ yo’ peepas, girl,” Jordy argued. “It’s glacial out there.”

Alicia was still shivering as she took off her coat and slung it over the couch. “Thanks for trying to keep the wind away from me Jordy. You are a true gentleman.”

Jordy gave Liza a small, triumphant ‘
hmph
’ and sat down on the rug.

“Honestly, I don’t understand any of this,” Alicia admitted. “What does Preston LeTray have against Dex?” She took a handful of almonds.

“D-sizzle got dat spacewaster thrown off da island, yo,” Jordy offered.

“Huh?” Alicia asked.

“They tossed him like greens and canned his beans,” he clarified.

Alicia still looked baffled.

“Dex’s show is so good they fired Preston!” Liza explained. “But Dex can’t just cave to that sleaze. He better think of something.”

“I don’t know,” Kyle said, munching on a carrot stick. “Presto’s scary. I’d be afraid oooooot--to listen to him,” he explained as he burped.

The doorbell rang and Alicia sprinted to get it.

“Hi. I’m sorry I’m late,” Jazz said as Alicia answered the door. “I got here as soon as I could.”

Kyle, Sarah, and Liza were lined up behind the couch, their elbows resting on the top with their faces in their hands. Jordy was sprawled across the couch beneath them.

The TV was on and Alicia recognized the Amish kids standing in Times Square. They were on at Lola’s party too. Why was everyone watching them?

“Hi Jazz,” the group said almost in unison.

“Hey.” Jazz pulled a video tape out of his pocket. “Leesh, set up the VCR. I have to show you all something.”

Alicia’s heart quickened. This was the first time Jazz had called her by her nickname. She flipped on the recorder, watched the screen turn blue, and made a mental note to revisit this feeling later, after they were done saving her family from potential ruin.

“Remember when you came to the construction site and I ran out of tape?” Jazz asked.

“Of course I do.” Alicia blushed, remembering their first kiss.

“You gave me a tape of yours.”

“Yeah, I remember. So?”

“You thought it was blank. It wasn’t!” he exclaimed. “And I made a copy onto a DVD.”

Kyle, Liza, and Sarah suddenly looked up and gave Jazz their full attention. Jazz pulled out the disc from his inner coat pocket and put it on the coffee table. He handed the tape to Alicia.

“What is this?” Alicia asked.

“You’ll see,” Jazz promised. “I’m not exactly sure of what I taped over, but what’s there is incredible. Truly incredible!”

Alicia anxiously put the tape in the VCR. There was nothing but static.

“Give it a minute to get past this part.” Jazz sat down next to Jordy who was now upright and watching intently.

The tape began in a very clean, white kitchen with a middle-age man standing in front of a counter full of ingredients that suggested he was making some kind of sauce.

“Hey,” Liza said. “Isn’t that guy Poppy? I mean he looks young there, but it still looks like him.”

“Yeah,” Alicia confirmed. “It’s Poppy at the restaurant years ago. This is so cool. I don’t remember ever seeing this tape and I was pretty sure I’d seen all of them.”

As the tape continued a phone rang and Poppy excused himself to someone as he left to answer it.

“It gets way more interesting,” Jazz promised.

In the next frame, Alicia’s warm, fuzzy feeling started to fade. There he was, Preston LeTray, the creep who was terrorizing her little brother, standing alone, hovering over ingredients in Poppy’s Kitchen.

“What’s he doing there?” Kyle asked.

“Not sure yet,” Alicia answered, “but, I don’t like the look in his eyes. Something isn’t right.”

“Here it comes!” Jazz prompted.

The others stared at the TV set, transfixed by the unfolding video clip.

Preston looks to his right, then to his left, and then behind him. He looks down at a sheet
of paper with the bolded words: POPPY’S PESTO.

Preston starts hunting for something, his eyes rolling over shelves and counters. He settles on a piece of paper towel and plucks it from a roll hanging on the wall. He gives another look around and quickly grabs a pen from his pocket. He recites each ingredient as he writes it down. When he finishes he kisses the sheet of paper towel and says, “Someday, this will make me famous.” He shoves the towel into his pants and exits the screen.

“Then it goes back to the construction site,” Jazz said, ejecting the tape.  “I’m just glad I
didn’t rewind or we would have missed all this.”

“Dat fool hijacked Poppy’s recipe, yo!” Jordy squeaked.

“Sure does seem that way doesn’t it!” Alicia scowled. “No wonder Preston waited until Poppy was gone to put out Presto’s Bestos. He knew Poppy would catch on.”

“How did they even know each other?” Sarah asked.

“That’s a good question,” Alicia admitted. “I think he was friends with my mom when they were younger.”

“Some friend,” Liza squawked.

“This bloke’s been at his anger a very long time.” Jazz handed Alicia the tape. “And that was way before his beef with Dex. Begs why.”

Alicia sighed, turning the player off.