Create A Surreptitious Move

13 || Pool party

"Hi, I'm Vanessa." Vanessa says holding out her hand.

"I'm Cassie." I say shaking her hand.

"How's your nose?" Reyna asks.

"Still hurting but it feels better than last night." I say.

"It looks like it hurts a lot." Vanessa says. "Is it broken?" She asks.

"No, it's bruised." Reyna replies.

"There's obviously a difference there I just don't know what it is." Vanessa says.

"It heals quicker when it's bruised. When it's fractured you often have to put it back in place." Reyna explains.

"Oh, like in Greys Anatomy." She replies.

Reyna shakes her head but agrees. "Yes."

"So I could've needed it to be clicked back into place?" I ask in horror.

"I know, right." Vanessa agrees.

"Your nose wasn't fractured, it was and still is in perfect place, so no you don't need that doing. Unless you plan on injuring your nose again."

"Well that just excluded ninety percent of the things on my bucket list." I jokingly say.

"Yeah, I'm with you on this one. Ain't no way that's happening to me." Vanessa agrees.

"You can fracture practically anything at any time." Reyna casually says.

"Now I know what my nightmares are going to be about." Vanessa says.

"Seriously?" She asks. "You're in a mafia," she says whispering the word so that anyone nearby can't hear. "and your nightmares are going to be about a broken bone?"

"Not just any broken bone." She reasons. "Those ones where you have to put it back in place." She shudders.

"They're horrifying." I state.

"I've seen worse." Reyna says.

"Like what?" I question.

She shrugs. "I'm also a qualified surgeon so cutting people open is probably worse."

"I can imagine it would be." I go to take another sip of my drink and realise it's empty. "Do you have a job Vanessa?" I ask.

"I work as a dancer." She says.

"What kind?"

"Uh....how about I show you tomorrow? The three of us could have a girls day."

"Sounds good." I say.

"You have to keep my secret though." She says.

"Secret?" I ask. "Well now I'm intrigued."

"It's not that interesting, I just have an overprotective big brother who wouldn't approve." She says.

"I've been there."

"I can't relate." Reyna says.

"You have an older brother too?" Vanessa asks me.

"Yeah, he died a few years back but he'll always be my big brother."

"Aw. Come here." She says bringing me in for a hug. I'm momentarily shocked at the action after not being hugged for so long but I quickly reciprocate the hug.

Sometimes there's no better comfort than a hug.

When we pull away I excuse myself to go and get another drink from the bar.

I sip on my drink as I walk back to Vincent. When I notice he's not in the spot I last saw him I feel bad for leaving him. I did take a long time, maybe he thought I was abandoning him. Well now I feel extremely bad.