My plans moved slower than I’d expected, and my cash funds were dwindling, so I obtained a job at the apparel store I had purchased my clothes from. Every criminal needed a respectable daytime job—though a touch of my power was needed to get it. I didn’t have the tax documents required in this day and age.
It took two weeks of searching until I finally heard the names coveted by a few loners, the rich and the powerful names of the gaming underworld in this area. After buying more respectable outfits with my staff discount—a couple of pairs of black trousers I actually liked and a few cleavage-revealing, yet respectable, silk tops—I frequented different bars, the more reputable kind, making different friends. After that, it still took me a damn month, having been there for close to three months by that point, before I was invited to an illegal poker game with the wealthy and influential of New York City, not too far from Choep.
My nice, loyal car made the trip safely. I now stood inside the back room of a swanky dance club, weird music—oldies—rocking behind the closed door. I gave my name to the Vampire bouncer with a clipboard in his hand. I waited patiently, confident about my invite as I brushed wrinkles out of my new trousers. I also straightened the red silk top I wore, its color the same as my hair—very flattering. The bouncer flipped his sheet, eyed the page, then slashed a mark on it with his pen. He nodded to the Shifter in a tux behind him.
“If you’ll come this way, ma’am.” The Shifter gestured politely for me to follow.
My gaze covertly flew across the room, taking in the scene except for anything beyond the Shifter’s broad shoulders blocking my view straight ahead. I stopped when he did, his attention scanning for an empty seat. The posh, intimately lit card room was full of both quiet and boisterous individuals. The gaming area was smoky, making it hard to see clearly to the other side, but I made do, peering past the waitresses dressed like prostitutes—because they were—and taking into account the smallest details of the place. I walked when he did, weaving our way through the tables. I hid my grin as many of the Mystical men—there were no Coms here—went quiet as I passed. This generation had a different attitude to women playing cards, which was one of the reasons it had taken me so long to earn the invite. But being damn near the only female cardplayer in the place would work in my favor.
I hoped to earn the owner’s notice and eventually his favor.
My goal here was not to win loads of cash, even though I definitely could. My goal was to earn the respect of the owner…before I unloaded all of his establishments of cash.
I had done it before. I sure as hell could do it in 1993.
The Shifter held out a chair for me, earning my gaze instantly. My smile was sweet as I nodded my thanks. I sat and pushed my chair up before peering to the other occupants of the eight-heavy table. I was damned proud I kept a completely neutral expression at what I was faced with. All of them were males, half staring at what cleavage I could muster with my smaller chest size, while the other half were calmly evaluating me.
None of that shocked me.
What did seize my thoughts was whom I saw.
Because, the half evaluating me…I knew them.
They were younger versions of themselves, in their early twenties.
I swallowed coolly, maybe a bit too largely, but I showed not one iota of recognition as I turned my attention away from Elder Nelson, Elder Kincaid, Elder Venclaire, and Elder Fergus.
Wait. No.
They were possibly the current Kings. Or even the Prodigies. The dates of their reign were not formulating in my mind. I was multi-tasking, wondering if I should leave now, or if I was supposed to be here as Elder Farrar had indicated, while also listening to the dealer tell me it was a twenty-five-dollar minimum bet with a maximum of five hundred. My contact had already told me this. I passed over two thousand dollars in cash from my small handheld purse with a steady hand and promptly received my chips.
I was going to stay. For the past month and a half I had worked toward this goal. It wasn’t as if I had to speak with them while I tried to catch the eye of the Mage owner, whom I recognized as I’d been given a decent description of him after my contact was drunk one night.
Keeping my eyes firmly off the ‘Elders’ as my first hand was dealt, I motioned to a waitress. I couldn’t help but stare at her breasts when she practically threw them in my face as she bent to ask quietly what I would like to drink. My lips curved in amusement when I saw condoms stuffed down her cleavage. I cleared my throat to keep from laughing, possibly from nerves with who was at my table. I glanced to her blue eyes, her neon yellow hair framing her pretty face in a cute bob. I lifted my brows slightly, asking, “What do you suggest?”
I was flirting in a casual way, trying to get as many connections as I could here. Befriending the staff was always a plus, my most recent predicament with the Manor staff a perfect example of why it paid to be nice.