Page 58 of Magick and Lead
Across the room, Blaize had a hand on Essa’s waist. He whispered in her ear. She laughed. I was squeezing my glass almost hard enough to crack it.
“How did Bo meet her?”
“Who?”
“The girl!”
“God, Kitty, I don’t know!” I grumbled. “Is Suzie here or not?”
Kitty gave me a suspicious glare, then pointed across the room. “She’s there. But you’d better hurry if you want to talk to her. It looks like the dance contest is?—”
Just then, the music faded and the band leader got the microphone.
“Helloooo, all you crazy dames and daddies! It’s time for the legendary Cat’s Meow dance contest! All my competitors, gather here in front of the bandstand. If you’re not competing, please clear the dance floor.”
I spotted Suzie then, making her way to the front of the bandstand. She was a vivacious young woman, all bright eyes, swaying hips, and red lips. Her dark skin was powdered with glitter, glinting against an emerald green sheath dress andmatching headband. She was tugging a fellow in a suit along by the hand, and I recognized him from past nights out as her younger brother. Apparently, they were entering the dance contest. Across the way, Essa downed what I estimated to be her third glass of wine as Carter took her hand and led her toward the dance floor.
“Goddammit,” I muttered.
“What?” Kitty asked.
“Come on,” I said. “We’re entering the dance contest.”
I took a step toward the floor, then turned back to find her glaring at me, her arms crossed.
“Please,” I said.
Her impassive expression shifted into a smile.
“Well… I was planning to keep an eye on you anyway,” she said, and she offered her hand, letting me lead her out onto the dance floor.
The couples entering the dance contest stood in two lines at one end of the dance floor while a kid in suspenders and spectacles went around pinning paper numbers on them, and the announcer explained the rules.
“Couples must remain within ten feet of each other at all times. If you stop dancing or leave the dance floor, you will be disqualified…”
I didn’t give a damn about the rules—or about the contest at all. I cared about Essa. And on the other side of the floor, she and Blaize were getting their numbers pinned on—entering the contest just to piss me off, probably. And it was working.
But I was an ace, not some jealous schoolboy. I knew how to focus on a mission. And the mission here was to make contact with Suzie and somehow get her to give up the information about Kortoi’s location.
“Come on,” I said to Kitty.
As we crossed the dance floor, I snagged a glass of sparkling wine off the tray of a passing waitress without her noticing. Together, we sidled up to Suzie and her brother.
“Hey!” Suzie said excitedly as we approached, giving Kitty a hug. When they’d pulled apart, she looked between us. “Are you two…?”
“Just dancing. As friends,” I said quickly, choking a little on the last word.
“Friends, eh?” Suzie’s brother said, looking me over from head to toe and smiling like he appreciated what he saw.
“This is my brother, Augie,” Suzie said.
I gave him a nod, then handed Suzie the glass of sparkling wine I’d snagged. She raised it in toast, then tossed it back.
“Listen, Suzie,” I said. “I’ve got a friend I’d like to introduce you to…”
But I didn’t get to finish, because the announcer shouted, “Begin!” and the band fired up their first tune.
Suzie gave a squeal, and she and her brother were off and jittering like a pair of moving picture stars. I felt a tug on my back and saw that someone was pinning a number on me, too.
