Page 4 of Matteo

My mother’s voice became a disapproving echo inside of my head. She would have turned up her nose at me playing with my tarot cards.

“It’s witchcraft,” she would have rolled her eyes.

Getting to my feet from where I’d been sitting on the floor, I gave a slight stretch raising my arms above my head, this way and that. I had a date tonight that I needed to get ready for. Judging by the message coming from my tarot cards, my love life was going to shit no matter what I did anyway.

Once I was dressed in the skintight leather dress and the boots that rode up over my knees, I found myself staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Reaching for the brightest red lipstick that I owned, I painted my lips. The red was so deep, my lips looked bloody, and I loved it.

I would get the desired attention I was seeking.

Grabbing a big wide tooth comb, I pulled out the bobby pins and slowly unfurled my silk pressed hair. With gold hoops decorating my ears, I finally felt ready.

I skipped applying any foundation to my face; I was confident that my deep bronzed skin was rather flawless. Right above my red lips sat one tiny dark dot that offered a little characteristic to my otherwise normal looking face.

Picking up the keys out of my dish, I turned off the lights to my house and stepped outside into crisp spring air. Earlier in the day the apartment complex had mowed the grass. The freshly cut scent dragged me back to the days in my childhood when my parents made me and all my siblings take turns getting the lawn into tip top shape.

Tapping the key fob, I unlocked my black Audi that I’d purchased nearly a month ago. The Siren, my business was really starting to pick up. Even the mayor of Seattle had stopped by to get her hair done. She was an older black woman who had to go toe to toe with some of the most elite people in the city.

She’d told me having her hair laid by a goddess was the best armor there was for dealing with the shitty ass city council.

Slipping behind the seat of my car, I pushed the button to start. Everything started up and while the car was idling, a message hit the navigation screen.

Cassie Ito’s name showed up and immediately I found my finger hitting the screen instead of searching my clutch for my cellphone.

Change of plans.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the new car scent as Cassie sent another message.

It was the address of an unknown location.

Rolling my eyes, I reached for the clutch, and pulled the phone out. I’d known Cassie for a long time. We liked to party together, even though I was starting to pull myself out of the lifestyle because it really wasn’t for me anymore.

Slowly, my fingers moved over the smooth glass screen of the cellphone. The temptation to go back into my apartment and shuffle my tarot cards was just about overwhelming.

Cass, what the fuck?

She called me then and there. “Don’t be a fucking sour puss.”

Those were the first words out of her mouth. “This shit is starting to get old. I thought you said we were going to the Hellfire club for drinks with these guys.”

There was shuffling in the background. “They are big ballers.”

“NBA players?”

“I don’t know what they do for a living, they know my father though. And they have a yacht. And they have some good coke. I sampled…it’s fire. Think they called it Columbian Honey.”

“Cassie, you know I don’t like changing plans,” I sighed.

“Hey,” she said suddenly. “Come, it’ll be fun. You’re overdue for the fun part! I haven’t seen you in weeks, you’ve been working your butt off.”

I sighed. “I am already dressed, so that’s working in your favor.”

“Meet me there or be square,” Cassie ended the call.

Leaning forward, I saw that her last text message was still on the console. I turned on the navigation system and put in the address. From my apartment complex to the Olympus Marina was going to be a twenty-minute drive.

I hoped tonight was just going to be what Cassie had promised.

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