Page 14 of Queen Of WildCards

"MaybeI'dtell you to wear something sexy.Slaytedis playing live tonight."

SlaytedwasGemma'sfavorite band, and she never missed an opportunity to see them in person.Andif we were being honest, the band members weren't bad looking in the least.

Icould suffer through a night of loud music and drunk idiots forGemma.AndIhadn't been out in forever, so it might do me good to leave this apartment and cut loose for a night.

"Youknow what?I'min,Gem.Justtell me when and where to meet you."

Herexcited squeal on the other end was ear-splitting, butIsimply winced and smiled.Itmade me happy to hear her excited to spend time together.Tobe honest, there was a solid ball of anticipation building in me, too.Ihad a feeling tonight was going to be wild, andIwanted to enjoy the ride.

Afterexchanging details, we hung up, andIset to work clearing the dreaded laundry task off my schedule.Ifthere was one thing on the planetIhated more than laundry, it was dishes, and at leastIhad a machine that did most of the work for me there.Thewasher and dryer cleaned clothing, sure, but that left folding and putting it all away, andIdreaded the constant back and forth.

Iskipped dinner sinceI'dhad a late lunch and made a promise to myself to grab food after the concert.ThenIdove headfirst into my closet untilIfound an outfit suitable for a grunge bar featuring a rock band.

Theminiskirt barely hit mid-thigh, but the zipper that ran up the front of it was a nice touch, and the chains that draped the waist made me feel likeI'dstand out less, ironically, considering the company.Thefishnet stockingsIslipped on underneath just made me feel more badass.Ipaired it with a sheer black top and a sexy lace bra and yanked on a pair of combat bootsIhadn't used since college.Ialmost felt a bit ridiculous, wearing all the metal and dark colors asIslipped on a few chains, but black had been my best friend once upon a time, so it was like slipping into the embrace of an old friend.

Itwas worlds apart from the nice lavender blouse and beige pantsIwore for my therapy sessions with clients.Butthere was the professional me, and there was the real me.Ijust wished society would catch up sooner rather than later soIcould merge the two and be comfortable asIwas.

Ifelt powerful in the outfit, regardless of the skin it showed off, andIknewIcould defend myself against a grabby guy if necessary.

Toreinforce the point,Idouble-checked my purse for the trusty bottle of mace and found the thin pink tube exactly where it should be.Itwasn't much, butIcould run in combat boots ifIhad to, andIcould throw down if cornered.Momand some solid self-defense courses had guaranteed that.

Thesun began to set outside my apartment windows, andIbasked in the glow of the evening for a moment in my kitchen, just taking a moment to enjoy the quiet calm of the onset of dusk.Thebirds had begun to calm on the power lines and windowsills, the street was mostly quiet, save for a car here and there, and the apartment above mine was thankfully empty of the tenants who had harbored a pet elephant last month.

Allwas right in the world.

Tonightwould be a good night.

Icould feel it in the air.

Theauto feeder for the cats was freshly filled, their litter changed, and the water nice and cool, ice cubes topping it off like the spoiled bastards they were.Still, they stared at me as ifIwere about to abandon them to the wilds and never return.

Justlike they did every timeIleft to go out somewhere.

Ireached down and pattedAlpineon his furry white head, smiling when he turned and abandoned me for the comfort of his window seat. "Okay, asshole, you knowI'llbe back tomorrow."Hedidn't respond except to twitch the tip of his tail, soIturned to his brother. "You'llmiss me, won't you,Rocky?"

Thetwo of them were the only steady thing in my life.Iadopted them whenIgot my first apartment and realizedIdidn't like living entirely alone.Theywere just enough of a presence to remind meIwasn't wandering alone in a void, but not enough of a presence to cause me any annoyance.Theywouldn't ever leave their socks ten miles from the laundry basket; they wouldn't piss all over the toilet seat and leave the fucker up in the middle of the night.Theynever ate the last of my leftovers and never put a swallow of milk in the carton back in the fridge for me to find.Allin all,I'dhad worse roommates.

Igrabbed my purse as the first strings of the nighttime symphony of the city started up, closed my open window beside the kitchen sink, and grabbed my house keys.Asa last thought,Istuck my trusty butterfly knife in the inside liner of my right boot and nodded to myself.

Lastline of defense, if the mace wasn't enough.Agirl could never be too safe.

Thehall light of my floor flickered ominously asIslid the deadbolt into place and checked my doorknob, satisfied when it didn't budge.Monthsof abuse reflected itself in the sticky, dark, mottled pattern of stains that painted the hall carpet like a camouflage.Itmade me cringe, andImade another mental note—call the leasing agent about having a cleaner come up here and take care of it.

Iwouldn't set a bag of groceries on the floor whileIunlocked the door, it was so disgusting.Icould only imagine the things that had coagulated between the threads of the ragged, thin excuse for flooring.

Thewalk down the stairs was no better.Therailing had lost its old glossy finish, and the wood was fractured in places, peeling in others, the user as likely to get several splinters as they were to slip and fall on the moist metal surface of the stairs.Therewas no rhyme or reason to why the steps were wet all the time, but it was as if there was a leak somewhere in the wall that just seeped out into the carpet and the walls and leaked down the side of each step until you got to the bottom, where the water just . . . disappeared.

Itwas one of the many mysteriesIdidn't get paid to answer, soIshook it off and walked away.

Thecool evening air made the skin on my arms and legs pebble with goosebumps, butIshook it off and steeled myself against the sudden gust, waiting it out.Sureenough, the wind ebbed away, and the residual heat of the summer night was once again stifling.

Ipulled my phone out of my purse asIbegan the short trek to the bar whereIwas supposed to meetGemmaand one of our other friends, a girl namedSacha, whom we'd gone to school with once upon a time.

AsIwove in and out of the rest of the bodies on the sidewalk, some dressed like they'd just left work, others looking somewhat like me—dressed up for a night on the town in one form or another.Ipaid them little mind except to move between pairs here and there.Thewind kicked up again, and couples leaned into one another for body heat.

Honestly, it made my heart give a little pang of longing.

Ihadn't the best track record with men, butIwasn't bad off.Ijust had some standards.Thelast guyIdated was a realA-1Asshole, capitalAand all.Buthe was great in bed and had what my mom called a 'sustainable job.'Hewanted kids, too, somewhere down the road, so there was a mutual understanding of a future plan.

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