bullsheet.” His eyes were still on her, but his
thoughts were churning through scenarios someplace else. “Thank you. I want no
criminal element here. Is bad for business and I won’t tolerate it. I run a
clean place.” He gave her hand a squeeze.
“I’ll be on my way.”
Smiling, Sam stood and brushed imaginary wrinkles from her dress. “Thanks for
listening Fedya. It feels good to know you are on our side. You’re the best.”
Sam leaned down and squeezed his neck, giving him a peck on the cheek.
He chuckled and patted
her back. “Don’t mention it. You deserve nothing less. Thank you for coming to
me. Is taken care of. No worry.”
Sam slipped through the
door and onto the balcony feeling recharged. Fedya’s political power and social
connections opened doors. He was firmly on board and she felt lighter as she
pranced along the balcony railing, glaring at Nikki as she went.
Sam scurried past VIP
nineteen, hoping to avoid the celebrity and his manager on her way to the main
stairs.
“Saaamm!” Pietra’s
shrill cry cut the air like a laser through steel.
Frozen, Sam’s eyes searched,
trying to get a fix on Pietra’s location.
“Sam, ovah here!”
Turning around, Sam saw
Pietra a few steps behind her. She was planted at the railing just outside VIP
21. Too close to room nineteen for Sam’s taste.
“Pietra! Come here and
let me take a look at you, you gorgeous thing!” Sam sang, feeling the beads of
sweat squeeze through her pores.
Strutting toward her,
Pietra planted her hands on her hips. She looked like an aged cheerleader
readying herself for a performance. Sam pictured Pietra yelling OKAY and launching into a rhythmic clap
with gold bangles jangling.
“What are you doin’ up
here, Sam? Do you have a room?” Pietra looked pleased with herself.
“No, I was just
chatting with Fedya and it’s back to work for me.”
“You know who’s in
nineteen? Oh, of course not. I’m sure he’s trying to keep a low profile and
only the best girls are in the know.” Pietra smirked. “Well, it’s that musician
who’s been at the top of the charts for the last month! You didn’t hear that
from me though.”
Sam dug her nails into
her palms, trying not to give into the urge to tell Pietra that she’d turned
down the invitation. Struggles with her own ego were
the hardest battles.
“Oh, really?” Sam took
Pietra by the shoulders and gently turned her so their positions were swapped,
directing Pietra’s line of sight toward the VIP room, and Sam’s back to it.
“Let’s swap then, and you can tell me if he comes out.”
Pleased with this plan,
Pietra fluffed her hair and mashed her lips together. “So what did Fedya want?”
“Oh, nothing. We were
just talking about Lena a little. Nothing big, just chit chat.” Sam hoped she
wasn’t divulging too much.
“Is that the girl who
got herself killed?” Pietra had the tact of a platypus.
Tic. Sam felt her face flush. Tic. “Um, I wouldn’t say she got herself killed, but yes, she was murdered, if
that’s what you are asking.”
“Right. Right.
Whatever. I’ll nevah forget the weekend that happened! Oh Gawd it was awful!”
Pietra slid effortlessly into her victim role.
“What? I didn’t realize
you knew Lena.” Sam was shocked.
“No! Gawd NO! I didn’t
know her. I don’t usually associate myself with you girls, Sam! You know that!”
She paused as if collecting herself as Sam’s nails went deeper into her palms. Tic . “No, it was horrible because that
weekend I was with Gio. My poor boy.”
“What? I don’t get what
you mean. I thought Gio was off that weekend.” Sam thought about Gio’s
disappearance that Friday. He hadn’t reappeared until the following Tuesday
with no explanation. If he was taking a long weekend for a vacation, everybody
knew about it. He was a bit of a bragger. The absence had raised suspicions for
Sam.
“Off? No Sam, he wasn’t off anywhere. Especially the toilet!
I nursed him that whole
thoughts were churning through scenarios someplace else. “Thank you. I want no
criminal element here. Is bad for business and I won’t tolerate it. I run a
clean place.” He gave her hand a squeeze.
“I’ll be on my way.”
Smiling, Sam stood and brushed imaginary wrinkles from her dress. “Thanks for
listening Fedya. It feels good to know you are on our side. You’re the best.”
Sam leaned down and squeezed his neck, giving him a peck on the cheek.
He chuckled and patted
her back. “Don’t mention it. You deserve nothing less. Thank you for coming to
me. Is taken care of. No worry.”
Sam slipped through the
door and onto the balcony feeling recharged. Fedya’s political power and social
connections opened doors. He was firmly on board and she felt lighter as she
pranced along the balcony railing, glaring at Nikki as she went.
Sam scurried past VIP
nineteen, hoping to avoid the celebrity and his manager on her way to the main
stairs.
“Saaamm!” Pietra’s
shrill cry cut the air like a laser through steel.
Frozen, Sam’s eyes searched,
trying to get a fix on Pietra’s location.
“Sam, ovah here!”
Turning around, Sam saw
Pietra a few steps behind her. She was planted at the railing just outside VIP
21. Too close to room nineteen for Sam’s taste.
“Pietra! Come here and
let me take a look at you, you gorgeous thing!” Sam sang, feeling the beads of
sweat squeeze through her pores.
Strutting toward her,
Pietra planted her hands on her hips. She looked like an aged cheerleader
readying herself for a performance. Sam pictured Pietra yelling OKAY and launching into a rhythmic clap
with gold bangles jangling.
“What are you doin’ up
here, Sam? Do you have a room?” Pietra looked pleased with herself.
“No, I was just
chatting with Fedya and it’s back to work for me.”
“You know who’s in
nineteen? Oh, of course not. I’m sure he’s trying to keep a low profile and
only the best girls are in the know.” Pietra smirked. “Well, it’s that musician
who’s been at the top of the charts for the last month! You didn’t hear that
from me though.”
Sam dug her nails into
her palms, trying not to give into the urge to tell Pietra that she’d turned
down the invitation. Struggles with her own ego were
the hardest battles.
“Oh, really?” Sam took
Pietra by the shoulders and gently turned her so their positions were swapped,
directing Pietra’s line of sight toward the VIP room, and Sam’s back to it.
“Let’s swap then, and you can tell me if he comes out.”
Pleased with this plan,
Pietra fluffed her hair and mashed her lips together. “So what did Fedya want?”
“Oh, nothing. We were
just talking about Lena a little. Nothing big, just chit chat.” Sam hoped she
wasn’t divulging too much.
“Is that the girl who
got herself killed?” Pietra had the tact of a platypus.
Tic. Sam felt her face flush. Tic. “Um, I wouldn’t say she got herself killed, but yes, she was murdered, if
that’s what you are asking.”
“Right. Right.
Whatever. I’ll nevah forget the weekend that happened! Oh Gawd it was awful!”
Pietra slid effortlessly into her victim role.
“What? I didn’t realize
you knew Lena.” Sam was shocked.
“No! Gawd NO! I didn’t
know her. I don’t usually associate myself with you girls, Sam! You know that!”
She paused as if collecting herself as Sam’s nails went deeper into her palms. Tic . “No, it was horrible because that
weekend I was with Gio. My poor boy.”
“What? I don’t get what
you mean. I thought Gio was off that weekend.” Sam thought about Gio’s
disappearance that Friday. He hadn’t reappeared until the following Tuesday
with no explanation. If he was taking a long weekend for a vacation, everybody
knew about it. He was a bit of a bragger. The absence had raised suspicions for
Sam.
“Off? No Sam, he wasn’t off anywhere. Especially the toilet!
I nursed him that whole
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