One shots

Wild card

"You really need to learn to shut the fuck up."

Not wanting to hit his friend, he closed his eyes, letting his mask slip back on before, smoothing out the side of the shirt he bunched up and walking to leave. Lincoln's parting words rang in his head, tearing his heart further apart, bringing him back to his reality, making his hand tighten around the door knob as he slammed the door close, startling passers.

She looked up the clock again, if she didn't leave in fifteen minutes for her shift she would be late. She hadn't even got dressed yet. She zoned back into the conversation, startled by the cry of a child.

"Not long now Trina. It's all on lock and hoping that in the next few moves it'll be done it means you guys will be safe."

She could feel heat unease through the phone. The exasperation and tiredness that has been their life the past years. It felt like there was no end in sight. A games of fucking endless cat and mouse.

"It's a fucking power play Trin, they're under estimating me and what I'm capable." She felt the tears that threatened to fall, heavy on her lash line.

"Just look after my baby girl okay? She's the last I have of him." The words came out a soft plead, barely over a whisper.

And with that she cut the phone without waiting for a response. Shaking the feeling off, like routine she looked through the small gap of the curtain to see if there was anything that should have her in alert. She almost laughed out loud at the man trying to be inconspicuous standing around. She recognised his face. The smile that drew to her face was daring. She pulled the curtain open, facing her back to him.

Painfully slow she pulled a pair of black jean shorts over her legs and up her ass, hiding away the burgundy silk panties she wore underneath. She turned around, aware of the startled man from her show. Her smile grew wider as she reached for the wrap cardigan she wore as a top. Looking at the time she realised she had minutes before having to leave. Rushing she threw on her combat boots and grabbed her bag before leaving.

The walk through the mid heat of New Orleans was something she hated as a child growing up here. Now returning as a woman she realised that her hatred for it hasn't disappeared in the slightest. Although her discontent didn't show through her facial expressions, it showed in the way it made her pace slower. Yet somehow, the noise, colours and smells managed to tug at her heartstrings taking her back to a place within herself that she was fearful she had lost. She knew if she closed her eyes she could still picture the carefree Nia as a teenager running through the streets after school in the evenings, completely unaware of the realities of her world.

"What a world." She whispered to herself.

She made it to Tease. Took a deep breath bracing herself for what was going to be a long and tiring evening in front of her.  She flashed her staff card at the bouncer. Taking the stairs on the right she ran up to the first floor back room. Getting her card scanned to punch in she was here and in time, she took the back elevator up to her dressing floor. A gruelling session that lasted an hour and a half would have her prim and proper to start work.

The drive to his building wasn't long. Within twenty minutes he was pulled up to the curb, thanking his driver taking a deep breath in. The skyscraper loomed over him, and being on the edge of the city skyscrapers he saw the whole of New Orleans, making him feel like a king. He buttoned his suit jacket taking brisk steps through the foyer to the elevators. His assistant hot in his heels as he pressed the button for the elevator to take him up to the twenty fifth floor. His assistant was right behind him, letting him know everything he had to do before heading back to Tease that was closer to the other end of the city.