Free Picture Perfect by Steve Elliott Page A

sneaking up on us. We still have those gangsters running around, you know.”
    “One field, not too hidden. Gotcha .” Roger grinned.
    We went down to lunch in a celebratory mood. “What are you going to do with the painting?” I asked Roger curiously as we were eating.
    “I’d like to keep it for awhile,” he mused, “but after that I’ll put it in a gallery and give everyone else a chance to admire you as well. That was the whole idea in the first place really. I’d be selfish to keep such beauty to myself.”
    I blushed at his words. “You’re such a flatterer,” I told him. “If I have any qualities at all, it’s because you painted them in.”
    “No, sweetness,” he contradicted, “I just brought them to the surface. You’ve always had them.”
    “No more talk about painting,” I commanded. “You’re embarrassing me. Let’s celebrate this afternoon. What can we do?”
    “Do fun thing,” Maria suggested. “Go see museum.”
    “What?” I cried. “Go to a museum ? Is that your idea of fun ?”
    Maria smirked. “Just kid. You so easy to fool. Go to rodeo .”
    “Rodeo, eh?” said Roger. “Lots of men on large, sweaty horses. Or vice versa, perhaps. Hmmm, not a bad idea. Lots of painting ideas there. I’m in.”
    “Sounds good to me too,” I concurred. “It’ll be something different and crowds of people to keep the baddies away. It gets my vote. Paul, what do you think?”
    “You’re asking me ?” he said, with feigned astonishment. “Why, I’m touched.” He wiped away an imaginary tear. “My little sister, actually wanting to know my thoughts on something…… I don’t know what to say.”
    I waved a fist in front of his face. “That’s enough,” I threatened. “Not another word, otherwise I’ll be forced to inflict some sort of horrible punishment on your person.”
    “Do you see how she treats me?” Paul appealed to the others, who were all grinning at our horseplay. “I’m a slave to her tyrannical whims. This is why I can’t take her anywhere.”
    So, off to the rodeo we went, despite Fluff’s disapproving yaps at being left behind. I have to admit it was fairly exciting. There’s something about sitting in safety while others risked life and limb trying to control wild animals that appealed to me. The sounds and smells added to it all. It was so unlike watching it on television where all you had to work with was the visuals. Roger was agog. I now knew his sexual proclivities were of the male persuasion, so he would have been in paradise. The cowboys were mainly rugged and muscular, although not all were handsome. A lifetime of dealing with recalcitrant horses had left its mark on some of them, but still ……
    We ran into trouble when we went searching for a drink. The drinks stall was situated around the back, behind the seating stands, and fairly isolated. It was there that our favourite three mobsters were lurking. Unfortunately, because of the noise, I didn’t hear them until they were almost breathing down our necks. This time, they had escalated the war by being all armed with knives which they waved around as if that was the ultimate deterrent. Idiots! They just don’t make mobsters the way they used to. Things were so different in the old days. Back then, when someone threatened you, you felt really threatened. Nowadays… bah ! It was all flashy poses and vulgar words. I blame Hollywood for it, you know. Too many gangster movies.
    Anyway, they rushed at us, swearing like sailors caught in a typhoon. Roger was bowled over and hit the ground in a heap. Paul adroitly skipped aside and tripped one of them as he brushed past. I slammed my fist into Paul’s thug as he stumbled towards me and followed that up with a knee to his stomach. He collapsed, wheezing like a broken accordion. I kicked him in the head for good measure as he fell. Maria was trading punches with the other two, so I jumped over to lend a hand. She smiled gratefully at my intervention