King Solomon's Journey (The Dominguez Adventures) Read online

  Thankfully, they arrived at the restaurant, and Antonio was saved from burying himself any further in a mire of lies.

  Tommy opened the door for them. As Amanda got out, Antonio followed. Tommy leaned over, speaking under his breath, “Can’t ya' do any better than that? You’re crashin' man.”

  “Thanks for the warning.” Tommy was right. He was crashing, but her very existence tantalized him. Even the attention she gave each word of her sentences drove him mad.

  Amanda waited patiently. He wanted her bad, and hated how she intimidated him. Now he prepared to sit in a restaurant with health food, and pretend he liked it.

  Did real men even eat at these restaurants? He liked healthy, he liked fresh, but a restaurant for vegetables seemed extreme, and all those skinny people may be healthy, but they sure looked ill.

  Taking their seats, their eyes met for a moment in a glance. Those eyes were the blame for his present state of mind numbing confusion. Hell, they were the reason he hoped to come back to this silly vegetable boutique again. With those eyes holding him hostage, he would surely oblige.

  “Antonio, do you like wine?”

  “Yes. Do you?”

  “I do. It is fair to say that I am into wine. I have a vineyard, but I was actually asking if you wanted to drink some now.”

  “Sure, that’s a great idea. Tell me which type you like.” He wanted to drink wine with her, lots of wine, barrels of it.

  “Dark reds, Merlot, Burgundy, the darker the better,” she told him.

  Asking the waiter for a wine list, the extensive array of wines available surprised him. He chose an excellent bottle of Castello di Ama, the 2006 "L'Apparita, the waiter assured him that the lady would like his choice. He thought about telling the kid, I got a lot riding on this, it needs to be the best.

  Awaiting their wine, she kept up a running dialogue about Italian wines and their comparison to American. She was funny, and she knew a number of tidbits about wine making that were actually hilarious. He was entranced by her easy sense of humor. He surprised himself by blurting out the words; “You have beautiful eyes.” He wanted to die. If Tommy had heard that one, the giant would have been rolling on the floor.

  Startled in the midst of a story, “Thank you,” was all Amanda could say.

  “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. It’s true, yet I should not have been so rash.”

  “No, I’m flattered, really.”

  He thought, Are you flattered enough to spend the rest of your life with me?

  Having convinced her to tell him about her wine and vineyard, she entertained him with her story in fascinating animation. The temptress amused him throughout the rest of the evening. Often, his mind wondered with thoughts of touching her, only to be brought back by the sound of her voice asking him questions, including him in every topic change.

  “Antonio, I know we are eating together by accident, but would you be bothered if I was so bold as to ask you something?”

  Antonio’s mind raced. No, I don’t really want any babies, but, we could try making one anyway. Please let that have not fallen out of his mouth! She still looked like she was waiting for an answer, so Antonio felt safe.

  “Sure, Amanda, I think our dinner together was a nice coincidence. Ask me anything.” He prayed.

  “See, I have often come here alone, and I love chocolate. Would you share a chocolate soufflé with me? It is too much for me to eat alone. Besides, it should be shared by a couple.”

  Did she say couple, but, in reference to chocolate? It wasn’t exactly - Antonio, I want to have your baby.

  “I would enjoy that, Amanda. Sure.”

  “Great. It is a tragic weakness of mine, good chocolate.”

  He smiled. What a confession. Don’t get too wild and sinful, save some for when we’re alone, Sohu. As the chocolate arrived, he imagined feeding it to her. Watching her, it was apparent that she loved chocolate as she slowly placed a spoonful in her mouth. Antonio suffered another Freudian moment.

  “Do you date?”

  He knew his question made her nervous.

  “I haven’t.”

  What the hell kind of answer was that? How could he address her now?

  “Would you, go out with someone?” Damn! Where did this ‘someone’ come from? He sounded like a pimp trying to recruit her.

  “I don’t know.”

  Of course, that would be her answer. Then, she added something even more unexpected.

  “I am not a cougar. I wouldn’t date someone younger.” Where in the hell did she come up with that?

  “Amanda, what do you mean by a cougar?”

  “A cougar is a woman that dates younger men.”

  “I know what a cougar is; I’m wondering where you got that idea.”

  “I thought, perhaps you were asking me out?”

  “You think going out with me would make you a cougar?” He laughed at her lame excuse, which earned him a look of high dungeon. “Amanda, I’m not younger than you.”

  “I am sure you are.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not.”

  The woman had the audacity to roll those damn beautiful eyes at him. She didn’t believe him. He spent the previous day searching, and found a stockpile of information about her. If he told her now that he knew exactly how old she was, he would stand accused of being a stalker. They were the same age. This was merely an excuse. How would he convince her?

  “Why do you think I’m younger than you?”

  “You have a lot of collagen, natural proof you are younger.”

  He wanted to laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Do you want to know my age?”

  “No, that would be rude.”

  “Don’t tease, go out with me.” He was baffled. Her words said, Get Lost, but the signals she gave proved her interest.

  “Why are you making a dumb excuse?”

  “I’m not trying to tease you.”

  No, go ahead. Break my heart. Force me into failing King Solomon, that’s all you're doing.

  The waiter placed the bill in the center of the table. They both tried to snatch it. She sure as hell wasn’t going to humiliate him on top of everything else. Antonio thought she would understand that he wanted to pay for dinner.

  “I’m taking care of this, Amanda.” Responding to firmly, he glanced up at her. She sat without reply.

  Unless Antonio could figure out the game she played, she would run away forever, lost from him and the King.

  “Amanda, you understand when a man wants to buy dinner, right?” He could not afford for her to be upset with him this early on their journey.

  “I do, thank you, I enjoyed dinner a lot.”

  Antonio thought, Here you daft woman - this is how you do it. Let me take you to dinner again, as a date - anywhere, just let me take you somewhere.

  While they waited for the check, Antonio knew he had blown it, the once animated woman was replaced by a statue. She pulled away from him when he took her arm as they were leaving.

  Tommy waited outside. As they approached the car, he shook his head at the obvious signs that the evening was not ending well. Anxious, Antonio looked back to see if she had noticed.

  Tommy seemed distracted, and taking too long, so he opened the car door himself. “Tommy, is something wrong?”

  Tommy stood near the car, staring into the distance.

  “Don’t worry, Antonio. It’s probably nothin'. I’m just gettin' a feelin' that man over there’s watchin' us, maybe followin' us.”

  “Which man, Tommy?”

  “See that man over there dressed in black, a wearin' a Bluetooth?”

  “Yeah, I see him Tommy.”

  "I saw him earlier outside the hotel, now here he is again. I'm not likin the way he's been watchin you and Miss. Amanda, and talkin in that Bluetooth gadget all the time. Something fishy here, and it damn sure aint that fancy no meat restaurant."

  Antonio was watching the man now, and saw him covertly turn his head and glance
at them before quickly looking away. He had seen enough third world bad guys and military covert types to recognize a tail when he saw one. Nevertheless, why the tail, and just who was the guy working for? One way to find out, go and ask him; on that thought, Antonio strode boldly across the street.

  It wasn't until he was halfway there that he realized Amanda was strolling beside him. "Go back to the car Amanda, this may get rough." Expecting his order to be obeyed he was not surprised when she left his side. He stepped confidently up onto the sidewalk in front of the watcher.

  "Hey there, couldn't help but notice you seem awfully interested in my whereabouts this evening, and I was just wondering why?" Antonio was still as he waited to see just how the guy would respond.

  The man managed a good confused look before saying, "I do not know what you are talking about. I am just here waiting for my date."

  "Really, you weren't standing outside of my hotel earlier?" Antonio pressed. The man appeared relaxed, but if you knew the signs you could see the tension in his face, and see where his smile did not reach his eyes.

  "Nah. You must have me confused, you know all us good looking guys look alike in the dark." He replied with a wink to Antonio's left, and that was when he realized Amanda was standing slightly behind him.

  Glancing at her with a frown, he saw her smile at the guy, great just what he needed a woman who thought he was bothering some stranger for no reason.

  Turning back to the issue at hand, he chose to ignore her for the moment. I hope she has enough sense to get out of the way if things go wrong, he thought. "Look buddy, we both know you're not that good looking, and don't have a chance in hell of having a date even in the dark. So why are you here and who sent you?"

  The guy was good, Antonio would give him that. He merely shrugged, and said, "Look, I am just standing here waiting for someone, why don't you and the lovely lady go on about your business, and leave me to mine." That last part though, held a bit of ire, and the guy was standing straighter, like a boxer. Antonio decided to push one more time.

  Antonio snapped his fingers and pointed at the man. "I would, but somehow I think my business is your business. I don't like people sticking their nose in my business, and if you want to continue to be one of the 'good looking guys, your gonna step back and stay away from me."

  The guy dropped the act and leaned in on Antonio. "Look you, I only got one boss, and you aint him. I got a job to do. Tonight that job is tailing some poor excuse of poker player who can't even keep a woman interested enough to end the evening right." That said he turned to Amanda. "Lady you are looking in the wrong place for a man, come with me, and I guarantee by morning you'll be walking funny with a smile on your face."

  Antonio lost it; he swung at the guy, and immediately realized his mistake. He had let the man goad him into the first punch, and while off balance the guy took him down with one neat trick. Flat on his back, he watched in amazement as Amanda stopped the guy from kicking in his ribs, and performed a perfect double sweep kick and followed it with a reverse side kick combination that even Jean Claude Van Dam would have been proud of.

  Looking over at the guy laying beside him, he imagined they both wore the same stupefied expression. Looking back up at Amanda, he saw her hand reaching down. "If it is all the same to you, I believe I would like to go back to the hotel now."

  Antonio levered himself off the pavement with the help of Amanda. She took his arm and started leading him back across the street. Antonio tried to stop her, saying, "Wait a minute, I still don't have the answers to my questions."

  "Sure you do." She pertly replied.

  Confused, Antonio kept walking. "I do?"

  "He gave you one great answer."

  "Oh yeah? What was that?"

  Stopping beside the car and the astonished looking Tommy, Amanda succulently replied, "He told you just how unprepared you are to address an unknown assailant." With that flippant response, she got in the car, straightened her clothing and crossed her legs. Flipping her hair over her shoulder; she asked;"Are you boys coming?"

  Tommy looked at Antonio, Antonio looked at Tommy, and they both looked at the guy still lying across the street. Then they got in their respective doors and remained quiet.

  What they did not see, was the second man who stepped out of the shadows and stood over the man laying there. "Nice move dumbass, are you trying to get us fired? Get up, come on we have to be sure the coverage stays in place." With his help, the other man stood and limped over to the car down the street.

  CHAPTER 5

  "We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."

  C. S. Lewis

  Antonio’s thoughts were on just what had happened here tonight. He tried to be unobtrusive and rub his back, and then he turned to Amanda. Something flustered her. As they rode back to the hotel in silence, she seemed sad, distracted.

  Leaving the car as soon as she arrived at the hotel, Antonio followed. He wanted to say a couple of things to her. Running from him wouldn’t work. He could easily catch her. She may be a Yogi, but he ran every day.

  Taking off, he yelled back to Tommy. “I’ll be back to take care of you soon. Amanda!” He called out to her.

  She was already on the elevator, but he knew her room number, he saw Tommy’s fingers dial her digits earlier. Up three flights of stairs, he ran around the corner and saw.

  “Amanda, aside from the fight, you should at least tell me what I did in the restaurant to piss you off. That’s only fair.” A little hard ball couldn’t hurt. “You are not a cougar on the prowl with me. I promise. Come on. Talk to me.”

  She stopped walking. Taking this as encouragement, he went to her. “Tell me what it is. You want to. I know you do. Quite simply, I can’t let you go.” He used his most persuasive voice; he had been told he could charm birds out of the trees if he wanted to.

  “Antonio, if you’re looking for a roll in the sheets...I’m just not your gal. Even though I imagine it would be an experience far beyond the average.”

  Antonio gave her a grin, gently squeezing her elbow, “So, you want more?”

  “I didn’t say that,” she muttered.

  “Okay then, why would you think that? Listen, I don’t stand a chance at infiltrating your invisible force field, and, at the risk of sounding like an egomaniac, I think I could probably score better than average, especially in Vegas.” He knew how to play this game.

  “I can’t, that's all. I can’t,” she stated.

  “You’re making me crazy. I want a date, a real date. Something exists between us. I know you feel it too. I’m trustworthy, ask Max. You know Tommy would never have let you eat with me if he thought I wasn’t reputable.

  Her smile was apologetic, and her hand on his cheek only made what she said next all the harder to deal with.

  "Antonio, thank you for a memorable evening, it will stay with me for a long time. Yes, I feel our connection, and in another place and time, we might have stood a chance. My life, me, I come with far more baggage than a casual relationship could stand. There is one more thing to add; I am not an easy lay, nor am I woman who enjoys the usual egotistical ramblings of men."

  Thunderstruck, Antonio stood there as she entered her room and closed the door in his face. Nothing would have surprised him more than the end to this evening. Antonio walked away and returned to tip Tommy. “Here, thanks man.”

  “What did ya' do, Antonio?”

  “That’s it Tommy, nothing. Something is up with her. She said she had too much baggage. You know, I think she’s scared of something, and I don’t know what.”

  “Amanda...scared?” Tommy looked skeptical.

  Antonio left Tommy with his car, and went to his room.

  Kicking off his shoes, Antonio loosened his shirt, and mentally kicked himself for tonight's performance. He was suppose to be holding his dream woman right th
is minute, they were supposed to be forming this team the Scrolls Legacy spoke of. Instead here he was, alone, had his ass kicked by who knows who, embarrassed in front of Tommy…by many things, saved by his sprite, and then told he was egotistical cougar bait.

  Dropping into a chair, Antonio thought about her remark concerning her baggage. If Antonio knew anything about women, he knew they all had baggage. Just how her baggage was, or what in the hell she was making such a big deal out of, he didn't know, but surely he could handle it.

  A knock at the door broke his concentration. Answering, Antonio greeted a hotel employee delivering a small bag. Upon tipping the young man, he closed the door and opened the package. Inside, a note attached to a small bottle of oil.

  Dear Antonio,

  Rub this onto your bruise and laceration tonight. It will be well tomorrow. I am sorry for everything else.

  Thank you for dinner.

  Sincerely,

  Amanda

  Rolling his eyes, at least now she kept her word. He walked to the mirror and applied the witch’s voodoo to his injury. At the very least, he’d received something from her. After several days of work, it was something, and tomorrow was another day.

  ***

  Retreating to the desk, he removed his copy of the Scrolls, along with his notes for translation. Determined to use his time wisely, he would continue translating.

  His thoughts returned to her and the note, proof she felt the connection. Amanda exhibited no signs of experiencing a similar hallucination involving him. He thought he was going crazy.

  He began studying the Ancient texts. The ‘13’ suddenly intrigued him, ahava echad, ‘love one’. The multilevel structure of the Ancient Hebrew fascinated Antonio. There was always more than one possible meaning. This one really captured his attention, and he didn’t know why.

  America, a diverse nation, is home to people from all 13 Tribes, predominated by the 13th , Manasseh. America was Manasseh. Hell, America started with 13 colonies. The original flag reflected 13 stars, and 13 stripes. Regardless, many people feared the number 13. Hotels and other high-rise buildings omitted the 13th floors number on their elevators. In Hebrew, it meant ‘love one’ yet, half the people in the world lived in fear of it. He wondered if Amanda feared the number 13. She was sure-as-hell afraid of the translation ‘love one’. Her assertions made it clear, if a hint or possibility of love was out there, she did not intend to get close to it.