Benny sat at the bar with me on his ninth glass of bourbon while I was still sipping my second. His speech was slurred as he rambled on about the good old days. It was still early in the night, but Benny was done for the night. As much as I would have loved to get wasted with Benny, I had to meet up with Eden.
After closing out the tab I opened at the bar, Benny complained about how I was ending the night so soon. If I stayed, I knew how it was going to end, us waking up somewhere that we had no idea how we had gotten there. The night would become just a black hole in our memory.
I watched until Benny stumbled into a cab. I walked to my own car and went to meet up with Eden. I could see the neon lights in my car telling me that I was late. Shook my head. Eden should have known better than to set a time for these things.
Or at the very least she should know that I would never make it across town by then. Since it was common for Benny and me to go out for a drink after my court appearances. Breaking the speed limit, I was halfway to La Loi when my phone buzzed. I glanced down to see that it was a text message:
U R Late :'(
Eden's name and message popped up. I took another glance at the clock again, she was right. I was already forty-five minutes behind and still nowhere close to the restaurant.
It was another twenty minutes that passed before I pulled up to the high-class restaurant at the center of downtown. It was one of my favorite places to eat, and since I didn't live too far from downtown, I ate here often. Pulling up to the valet and got out of the car tossing my keys to the same freckled face kids who always park my car.
The host showed me to the table that Eden, and an older man was sitting. I walked over, and Eden stood up. She has always been an attractive girl. Her curly brown hair was to her shoulders. Her hazel eyes showed annoyance in them. I gave her a slight smile.
"Better late than never I suppose," she said kissing me on both cheeks before sitting down again. "This is Richard Brown," she paused grabbing the man's hand, "he's a friend of mine and in a bit of trouble." Richard stuck his hand out for me to shake. I frowned at the hand for a moment, not wanting to touch the strange man, but knowing that it was expected of me.
Taking his sweaty hands in mine, I shook. My body suppressed a shiver as I sat down. I take out my sanitizer and squirt out a small. I rubbed my hands together feverishly to clean off the germs. I smiled as I pat my breast pocket, happy for it as Eden rolled her eyes.
"I took the liberty to order before you came," Eden said and I unbuttoned my jacket as I got comfortable in my chair.
"Well, since you're here as well I'm assuming Eden has told you all about me," I said, using a napkin to wipe the rim of the glass before I sipped my water. Richard looked all business.
I figured he wouldn't want me to beat around the bush with him. The waitress came back over with a bottle of wine pouring each of us a glass before disappearing again.
"Sebastian Cross, Eden isn't the first person in my circle who had mentioned your name. I hear that you can make annoying problems go away." Those were his words, but the way he said it had me on the edge. I looked over him again, trying to see if I could peg him as a cop.
His suit was much too expensive for any cop I've ever met, even one pretending to be a rich man. "My wife wants half of everything I own you know. It would be much better if she were dead before she could bleed me dry."
"That's nice," I said leaning back in my chair and taking a careful sip of wine as I watched this guy. I didn't like him; I could see that already. I didn't trust his demeanor. Most of my clients were self-righteous, self-serving pricks. I grew accustomed to the way they acted, the way they thought. They earned the right to be asses to everyone. I never liked any of them, but Mr. Brown seemed as if he was going to be the most annoying one that I've dealt with in a while.
He seemed like a man used to getting whatever he wanted. As if it was expected for things to always go his way. I bet the thought of something not going his way ever crossed his mind.
"What is it you think I do?" I asked, my eyes scanning the room to make sure we weren't overheard. I knew this place though. Eden and Benny have brought clients for me to meet here before. The staff liked me well enough.
They had been my alibis more than once. I've learned that for the right price, anyone can be deaf, dumb, and blind.
When you do business in a place like this often, it was always smart to be nice to the servers, and of course leave generous tips.
"You get done what needs to be done," He spat the words out, raising an eyebrow at me as I shifted in my seat crossing my leg and folding my hands onto the table. My eyes went to Eden, she couldn't have explained my job well enough to him if he thought I was some kind of gun for hire. I had never killed anyone in my life and I wasn't going to start anytime soon. The thought of me killing someone was almost laughable.
Not saying that I would never kill anyone, I've just hadn't had the need to. Besides, I had learned over my years that some fates are worse than death. Why kill your enemies when you can torture them for all eternity?
"You couldn't be more wrong," I told him, smiling as I reached up to pick up my glass. Swirling the wine inside, I breathed in the scent of it before taking a sip. I watched him watching me as the fake smile he had on his face fell.
I was glad he wasn't putting on airs anymore. It looked like that smile hurt. I'd much rather my client be their true self.
No matter how awful that self may be. I don't judge. It's not what I'm paid to do after all. Richard Brown wasn't the type of man used to being told he was wrong. He looked at Eden as if she could do something. He leaned into her so he could whisper. I watched as his lips moved.
"Are you going to control this moron?" Richard said his tone was a hiss as Eden's eyes slid across the table to me. I could see a slight fear in Eden's eyes that I wasn't used to. She was a brave and smart woman in all the time I've known her I learned that few things scared her.
Taking in her appearance, I noticed the long sleeve that she had on. It was too hot for her to be wearing that. Frowning, my eyes went over to Richard Brown again. I would hate to tell him that she had no control over me. That she knew, there was nothing she could do if I decided to walk away from the table.
"You are failing to remember something Mr. Brown." I crossed my arms over my chest as I looked at the man. It was his turn to shift in his chair, drawing himself up to his full height. In the chair, I could tell that he was taller than me. I could see that he was trying to look down on me.
He was a fool if he thought to make himself appear bigger was going to intimidate me. I almost laughed at him, there was no way some spoiled rich boy was going to scare me. He saw someone young in a suit, and he assumed that he could bully me around. Poor foolish him, everyone heard the saying about taking the boy from the hood.
Brown's lips were pressed into a thin tight line. I almost expected him to start growling at me. It was clear that he was trying to be the alpha male. If Benny were here, he would have embarrassed the old man.He would make some impolite comment about his age or something along those lines.
It was bad business to be rude to your clients before they were even your clients. Besides, I enjoy the annoyed look on his face for a moment before I continued to speak.
"I don't need you, but you need me. You need my help, my skills, my expertise. You don't shit where you eat Mr. Brown." I warned him, my eyes narrowing as I allowed a threatening tone to slip into my voice. I gave him a slight smile to lighten the mood again.
"Sebastian at least try to play nice," Eden said, pleading tone in her voice as she looked from me to her sugar daddy.
Eden never stopped amazing me with her will to dig for gold. She was even willing to take a beating now just to get her claws on some rich man's money bag. I smiled wider. I'm always one to make nice with a client. Even one that annoyed me to no end like Richard seemed to do. Rich people always felt as if things were owed to them. That just because they had money, the rest of the world should bow at their feet.
I made myself a small empire got enough money where I could be satisfied for the rest of my life. The only reason I still worked was because I enjoy what I did. With that said I have never forgotten my roots.
I've never forgotten that one story three-bedroom house that my family lived in. That it was my brother and me in one bed and two of my cousins over in the other. That two aunts and their husbands and children all squeezed into that tiny house with us.
I won't, can't ever forget how you had to guard your plate so that you could get a full meal. How you made due with hand-me-downs and holes in your shoe. Coming from nothing just helped me appreciate everything I gained.
"In the spirit of maybe working with each other, I will play fair. Let me clear some things up first. I am not some hit man. You can't point in some direction and expect me to shoot. Next, I do not work for you. You need me more than I need you. You'll be wise to remember that one. I don't know what Eden told you about me, but it must have been wrong.
Think of me of me as someone who comes after the deed is done,"
I said my eyes shifting to Eden. I was a bit annoyed that she would bring this guy to me with half truths. Eden should have known better than that. I've known her, as long as I've known Benny. She should have known not to bring this idiot to me.
"Sebastian provides alibis." Eden grabbed Richard's hand and linked her fingers with his after her explanation. My eyes went from their hands to the smile on Eden's face. Shaking my head to myself, I wondered if it were Mr. Brown wanting his wife out the way had less to do with bleeding him dry and more to do with Eden.
She was like a leech in that way, attaching herself to some man and sucking all that she could from him until she was fat and happy enough to just fall off. Seemed like her gold digging was coming at a higher price this time. I noted, my eyes going to her covered arms again.
"An alibi," Richard mused over her words looking at me as he gulped down his wine. "What good will that do me?" He asked it would seem that I greatly misjudged his intelligence when I first sat down with them.
"It will be the only line of defense when the police come after you.I told him, shaking my head as to why he didn't know this. "Do you know who cops look at first when the wife ends up dead?" I paused for a moment so that I could look at him and watch as my words sank in.
"Once they've found out about the divorce and that you have," pointing my finger at Eden's arms his eyes followed, "anger problems." Brown opened his mouth to speak, but I held my hand up to stop him. "Don't bother saying you don't. If you marked up a girlfriend, I shiver at the thoughts of what your wife has been through."
Grinding his teeth together I could see the annoyance back on his face. I went on with what I had to say since he became quiet after I told him to. "That's what police like to call a pattern and motive. So you see Mr. Brown. When they have you in that room, and the bars are slamming up around you.
You're going to wish you can say 'No, I was at La Loi with my good friend Sebastian. On that day at that hour, and when they come to me, I will tell them all about how the waitress spilled wine on your pants. How the check was over three thousand dollars. Then when they come to La Loi to check all the staff will remember us. So that's the good of having an alibi."
I took a sip of my wine as he sat there looking at me. "Yes I am that good." I added when I could see doubt coloring his eyes.
"You're an arrogant one," Richard said, and I shook my head before I finished off the rest. It's not being conceited if it's all true.
"I'm not cocky Mr. Brown. I'm just that good." I ended shifting in my seat so that my other leg was the one I had crossed now. "So then let's talk payment." I smiled and watched as his face frowned up. I wanted to laugh at him, but I held it back. Did he think I was going to do all of this for free?
"If you plan on killing her that will be a million," I said. Brown laughed leaning back in his chair. I raised an eyebrow and waited for his laughing fit to end. "Did I say anything funny?" Richard shook his head.
"Why would I pay you that much?" Brown asked. I yawned bored with this meeting already. I started to gather up my things. I wasn't going to haggle over the price with him or anyone else. My prices were what I saw they were. He should be happy that I haven't raised the price because he was an ass.
"That's my fee Mr. Brown; you can take it or leave it." I told him walking away from the table after peeling off some bills from my wallet and throwing it on the table. "Have a nice evening Mr. Brown."
I already had my keys about to get in the car when Eden ran out and grabbed my arm. I looked at her then back at the building as she opened my door and got in the passenger seat.
It was rude to leave Brown, but knowing Eden she was working an angle. Knowing better than to waste time questioning her, I got in and made the drive home. The ride was filled with silence. After arriving, Eden followed me up to my house.
Walking towards my kitchen, Eden followed behind me. I grabbed out two glasses as I passed. My hands poured her a glass of scotch before I poured and drank my own. Leaning against the counter, Eden jumped up so that she could sit down. Pointing at her arms, she shook her head as if not to ask about it.
"Ms. Wilks is there a reason you followed me all the way home." I asked as Eden grabbed my hand pulling me over to her, so I was standing between her legs. She had pushed her skirt up, and I could feel her pushing herself closer to me.
"Maybe because I missed you." Eden said the words while pressing her lips to mine. I parted them under hers so that our tongue could tangle together. Pulling her from the counter, I unzipped my pants as I held her to me. Her nails' bit into my skin, her soft moans were at my ears. Moving from the kitchen to my bedroom, it was nearly dawn when we finished up.
As we lay in bed, I watched as Eden she put her clothes back to leave. Once her clothes were in place, she crawled across the bed to me and kissed me again.
"So how about lowering the price for Richard." Eden smiled down at me. I smiled back reaching up to pull her head to me. I kissed her once more.
"Not on your life," I whispered. She yanked away, punching me in the arm.
"You know what fuck you Sebastian." Eden stormed out.
"You already have." I laughed at her outrage and idiocy. Eden should have known me well enough to know that sex wasn't going to make me change my mind or lower my price. Turning over I enjoyed my rest wondering how last night's misadventure would affect me today.