"Well hello, Ms. Faye. To what do I owe the pleasure of a personal visit?"
"Hello, Mick. Are you feeling well? You look…"
"Like a cat dunked in a vat of ice water? Just not a morning person, is all. I clean up something fierce, though."
A smile toyed with the corner of her mouth. "Well, if it's not a bother, I'd like to have a word with you."
"Still swooning over that kiss? I have that effect sometimes. Don't worry, the euphoria will wear off after a while."
"Cute. Can I come up?"
I took a backward glance at my tiny apartment. It wasn't much to brag about. Aside from a minuscule kitchenette and a bathroom, there was a mattress on the floor, a battered sofa in front of the picjector, a small corner desk, and a punching bag in the corner. My clothes were scattered wherever they would find a place to rest. Pretty sure a deodorizer was probably in order, too.
I turned back to the monitor. "Tell you what. Give me a few shakes to throw some rags on, and I'll meet you across the street at Archie's. They serve up a frittata so good it'll make you bawl like a baby."
ARCHIE'S WAS A DIVE fashioned after the pre-Cataclysm diners. It was a long, streamlined, freestanding building clad in stainless steel siding, adorned with neon lighting and art deco accents. Sure, the siding had lost some of its luster, and the parking lot was so busted up it looked like the remains of a military bombing strike, but they cooked up some of the best grub you can find in the Flats.
I dug into a sausage and potatoes frittata, while Faye went the healthy route with a spinach and feta. Her face brightened as she chewed.
"You're right, Mick. This really is something."
"Ain't it, though?" I sipped steaming java from an oversized mug. "Can't start my day without some chow from Archie's. Just wouldn't be right."
I figured she'd tell me what she wanted whenever she got ready. Wasn't in a rush. Something about Faye's company made the stretches of silence worth it. Every moment was like a coin dropped in a tin cup, slowing adding up over time.
I studied her over the rim of my mug, trying to figure out what it was about her that triggered my arousal without seemingly even trying. She sat there with an elegance that couldn't be faked; statuesque in a red rose-embroidered dress that stood out like a work of art against the rich green of the diner walls. I felt a jumble of conflicting emotions — lust, protectiveness, affection, but what topped it all was a comfort of presence, a calming effect I couldn't find with anyone else. I almost hated to consider what that actually meant.
Her dark eyes met mine. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you're considering romantic notions."
I smiled. "Am I that obvious?"
"Men always are. You are creatures of passion, enslaved to emotion because you don't understand what it truly is."
"And you're not?"
"No. I learned a long time ago never to let my emotions cloud my mind."
"So no attachments, then? No sentimentality?"
"No. Attachments are shackles. Light as a feather at first, but able to drag you down at the moment you least expect. If you want to make it as a gambler, you can have nothing you won't put on the table if the game calls for it."
"Sounds like a lonely way to live."
"Many people confuse being alone with being lonely. I am not lonely."
"I don't buy it. Everyone has someone they care about. You telling me you never caught the love bug? Never fell head over heels for that irresistible someone?"
Her eyes grew distant. "There was a man. In Singapore. He was…good to me."
I suppressed a stab of jealousy. "Did you love him?"
She remained silent for so long I thought she might have misheard my question. Her lips pursed together as if her words were too precious to release.
"I might have. Who knows such things? I thought he may have loved me. So I did the best thing for us both."
"Which was?"
"I let him go."
"Just like that?"
She took a sip of her chai tea. "A clean break heals the fastest."
A silence stretched between us, and we were content. Faye finished her meal, pausing to dab her cherry lips with a napkin before speaking again.
"About last night."
I nodded. "You need my help. Consider it yours."
"You didn't even hear my offer."
"Don't need to. You're obviously in a jam of some sort. Details don't matter. Helping people getting out of trouble is my specialty. For you, it's a pleasure."
A genuine smile brightened her face. "You're a good man, Mick."
"Don't hold it against me, darling."
Her eyes dropped downward for a second, uncomfortable for the first time since I'd known her. "My…trouble spans a long time. It has history. Follows me like some feral beast that never tires out, always trails after my scent. The man from last night is just a small part of that. He was a warning."
I heard a sound like walnuts cracking. It was my knuckles, straining against the skin in pale ridges from how tightly my fists clenched. "Yeah, I know all about warnings. What do I need to do?"
"Partner with me one last time."
"You going somewhere?"
"This will be a big score. Enough for me to disappear."
"No one disappears except the dead, Faye. And even then the bodies wash up eventually. Better to square things up once and for all."
She stared out the window, sunlight glimmering in her eyes. "What I owe can never be squared up. Will you help me?"
I leaned back in my seat and took another swig of java. "You need to ask? Count me in."
"The Pale Horse is hosting a high stakes poker tournament tonight. Buy in starts at five hundred large, with cash out possibilities as high as fifty mil. Maybe more. I have enough to buy in for myself. What about you?"
I didn't bat an eyelash. "Not even close. But no worries on that score, sweetheart. I know a guy."
DRAGO'S INCREDULOUS stare would've been comical if I'd been in a humorous state of mind. I wasn't.
He shifted his rounded shoulders, tugging at the collar that looked to be strangling his massive neck. "Mick. You have been doing so well. Tab is almost paid in full. My boss has been pleased with how things are turning. Why would you want to ruin it all now?"
The casino traffic was light. Tourists and amateurs listlessly pulled slots here and there, but the action was on hold until the regulars and high rollers showed up. Nothing is more depressing than a near-empty casino. It was practically haunted by the ghosts of broken gamblers.
I shrugged and pulled a gasper from the deck, letting it dangle between my lips without lighting it. It bobbed up and down with my reply.
"Come on, Drago. You know I'm on the ups. It's a perfect time to buy into the big league. You know — let Lady Luck work her magic. I got this down pat, I'm telling you."
He shook his head with a heavy sigh. "What is use? I have seen this time and again, Mick. It never works out the way you think it does. But it is your funeral, I suppose."
"That's right, Drago. So remember to bring flowers. Or better yet, bring me that five large."
"I have to get my boss to sign off. You understand? She will have her eye on you now. No postponements like before."
I lit my gasper, inhaling the poison with a smirk. "I'm not going anywhere, Ace. Give Madam Goryacheva my regards."
He stared like I'd hurt his feelings before stomping over to a nearby desk, where he dialed upstairs. I strolled to the barkeep and ordered a whiskey sour. I'd just taken the first sip when Drago returned, handing me a microcard.
"Five hundred grand, like you asked." He had the sorrowful look of a man handing over a death warrant.
"Much obliged, Drago." I slide the card across the holoband on my wrist and watched the display light up like New Year's fireworks. "And don't get all teary-eyed on me, Mack. You're looking at a certified winner in the flesh."