�You really put it away, don�t you?� said Wil.
�Huh?� said Gloria, sliding out of her mules and crossing her ankles under her chair.
�You eat like this all the time or you just really hungry today?�
Gloria swallowed a mouthful of steak before speaking. �I�m hungry, but I�m always hungry. This is how I normally eat.�
�Damn. You got a fucking tapeworm or something?�
�No,� Gloria laughed. �I got a high metabolism.� She uncrossed her ankles, and then re-crossed them in the opposite direction. Don�t worry. I�m not gonna get fat. I been eating like this my whole life.�
�You better not get fat�or you�re fired.�
Gloria laughed and inhaled a mouthful of potatoes. For a moment, they ate in silence. Gloria�s bare feet continued to fiddle with her shoes, using her toes to occasionally tip the fronts into the air.
�What�s you relationship with Marisa?� Gloria asked, finally.
�What do you mean? Like are we fucking?�
�Okay, if you wanna put it like that.�
�Or was fucking. I really couldn�t fuck her now. But anyway, nah. Me and Marisa were never, uhm, intimate, if you prefer that term. We kept it, you know, strictly professional. Why do you ask?�
�I�m just curious,� said Gloria, taking another bite of her steak.
�Yeah, sure,� Wil smiled, stroking his head (meaning his scalp, you perverts!).
�Nah, I�m just saying. �Cause, Marisa seemed upset when you asked me to go to dinner with you.� Gloria rubbed her feet together briskly.
�She been unstable since her legs got stolen,� said Wil. �That�s all that is. One minute she laughing, the next minute, she crying. She all crazy, now.�
�Really", chuckled Gloria. �I guess I would be unstable too, if my legs got stolen, though.�
�I guess.�
Gloria gulped down some of her soda as she crossed her ankles again, sweeping the toes of her top foot back and forth against the side of the other. �Wil, my feet hurt,� she said, setting her glass back down on the table.
�Yeah?�
�You gonna give me a foot rub?�
Wil just looked at her. �No.�
�Why not?�
�Do I look like a slave to you?�
�A slave?� Gloria laughed. �What a foot rub got to do with being a slave?�
�That�s work for slaves.�
Gloria laughed again. �Okay, whatever. You an interesting motherfucker.�
�Marisa!� he bellowed. Still no answer. He was confused. Where would she go, considering she was in a wheelchair?
Marisa, through no fault of her own, was indeed absent from Wil�s house. In fact, she was presently handcuffed to the headboard of Kawan�s bed while sleeping with a blindfold on. Kawan and Ren stood at the foot of the bed watching her, while Marisa�s legs rested soles up in front of Kawan.
�How the fuck did you do this?� asked Ren.
�The internet is an amazing invention.�
�You just went to her house and got her?�
�Actually, she was at Baldini�s house.�
�For the record, I had nothing to do with this.�
�Aw, calm down, B. You so fucking paranoid.�
�I had nothing to do with this.� Ren repeated. Kawan laughed. �You think the cuffs gonna hold her?�
�They should.�
�She is a magician�s assistant. She could have tricks up her sleeve.�
�Naaah. Not without no legs.�
�Shall we wake her?� grinned Kawan, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
�Psss. Sure.�
�Remember, though. No names, man. I�m Plug One, you Plug Two.�
�Right, man.�
�WIL!� Marisa chortled. �WIL!�
�Who�s Wil?� Ren asked Kawan.
�Baldini. Marisa, chill,� said Kawan, stopping the tickling to rub one of her feet in an attempt to calm her. �Chill.�
�How do you know my name?� Marisa croaked.
�That�s not important. What is important is that we have your legs.�
�You got my legs?�
�Yeah, and If you cooperate, we�ll put you back together.�
Marisa was quiet.
�She�s intrigued,� said Ren, with a slight chuckle.
�What do I have to do?� Marisa asked.
�Nothing,� said Kawan.
�Nothing?�
�Your job is just to sit here and not bug out.�
Marisa paused. �For how long?�
�I don�t know.�