Page 78 of Ransom
"I'm real happy for you."
"Out, Mateo."
He grinned, and shut the barn door behind him.
I turned back to Winston. He had his hat low over his eyes, his hands in his back pockets, the kind of look on his face that told me he was working hard not to laugh.
"He's never going to let me live that down, you know."
"Well, good for him," Winston agreed.
My phone started going off in my back pocket. Once, twice, then a sustained rolling buzz like a rattlesnake had taken up residence against my ass. I ignored it. It kept going. I ignored it harder. Winston's eyes flicked down to my pocket and back up to my face, and his mouth started doing something I didn't like.
"Mateo's typing fast," he said.
"Mateo is dead to me."
The buzzing didn't stop. I pulled the phone out and held it at my hip without looking. It kept buzzing.
"You gonna look at it?"
"No."
"Could be important."
"It isn't."
"Could be a hostage situation."
"It isn't."
"Could be the boys reportin' a fire."
"Winston."
"I'm just sayin'. Lotta buzzin' for nothin'."
I gave up and looked.
mateo:boys
mateo:BOYS
cruz:what
mateo:I just walked in on the boss kissing the ranger. in the barn. against galahad's stall.
cruz:STOP
cruz:MATEO I S2G
cruz:TONGUE??
mateo:I didn't stay to find out
cruz:WHY NOT
mateo:because I would like to live, cruz
