Too Good

Roman sat in his usual spot at the neighborhood watering-hole, a dark corner booth near the back. He nursed a gin and tonic as he thought of how to pay his bills now that the union was on strike.

As he sat thinking, he also picked-up bits and pieces of conversation from the booth near him. What he heard intrigued him.

“All ya gotta do is walk into the Bodega, buy a newspaper for a hundred bucks. The man gives you your change as he slips an envelope into the paper containing half-a-mill. That simple.”

Roman leaned back pressing his head against the divider, listening more intently, ignoring what he believed to be jus’ banter. Finally, he heard it – the address of the Bodega.

Without appearing to be in hurry, he slipped from his booth and headed out the door. Once in the street, he walked two blocks to make certain he wasn’t being followed, before hailing a cab.

Minutes later, Roman entered the Bodega and searched for the stack of newspapers he was sure would be on the counter near the register. He pulled his last 100 dollar bill from his pants pocket and laid it in front of the man behind the counter.

With a nod of his head the man reached under the counter and withdrew a thick envelop, then slipped it inside the folds of the paper, then he gave him his change. With both the paper and envelop in hand, he exited the store front and headed down the street.

Impatiently, Roman waited for the Number 54 bus. He caught it, riding for nearly 20 blocks, getting off, then flagging a cab to head yet another 20 blocks in an alternate direction.

Finally, he walked three blocks north, two block east and half a block south before catching a third cab for home, to be certain he wasn’t being followed. Less than half-an-hour later, he walked up the several flights of steps to his apartment, letting himself inside.

With the door closed, locked and bolted, he felt his heart racing as he quickly opened the envelop. Roman’s heart skipped a beat though when he pulled out the thick paperback book reading, ‘How To Make $250-thousand From Home,’ and noted the one-hundred dollar price tag.