Pluto Walks the Earth, Chapter 46

Bad Beet

Read Pluto Walks the Earth, Chapter 45: Bitter Magic

Fried fish with mashed beets.

Franny

I’ll tell you what, Vineeta’s madder than hell. Pretty sure that Mr. McDowell warned her he might not be able to go out with her and her friends tonight, but she’s stomping around looking pretty jilted. She says to me, “Franny,” she says. She says “Franny, I want you to get the biggest flower arrangement you can find in the city of Las Vegas, and I want you to deliver it to him personally.”

“Ain’t you mad? Why you sending him flowers if you’re mad?”

“First of all, Francis, I’m not mad. Maybe I’m a bit disappointed that I could not make the boy’s birthday extra special. Secondly, I promised my dear friend Gus that I’d look after him, and so I am. Thirdly, he’s sick in bed on his birthday. Someone should brighten it up a little. And fourthly, since when did this business become a democracy? Last I heard you worked for me.”

“Yeah, sorry, Vineeta. I wasn’t sayin’ …”

“Never mind. Just take care of it, please. Also, if you and your wife maybe want to see Cirque du Soleil tonight, I have two tickets. My treat.”