By Pear
As silver sat at the craps table, waiting on his turn, the pale skinned beauty with darken hair and raven eyes slide in besides him . Her voice softly spoke, “ Good evening Sliver.”
Silver had a bottle next to him, half empty. He turned his head to Camilla. “Well this ain’t a face that approaches me every day. What seems to need fixin’?” Silver didn’t let the dice out of his hand. He’d seen the bank at this table regularly switch them out when he was rolling well, and he had just started a streak.
Camilla spoke only loud enough for him to hear, “Let us take this to a quieter place and I will buy you your next bottle.”
Silver chuckled, thinking “I’m the least likely of these thugs to get the attention of this woman. This has to be a job offer… or a hit. Hope the ‘salts’ last week weren’t important to him.” Verbally he responded, “Well I can’t argue with that.” He turned to the bank. “Eyy, crapmaster, if I’m not back in a bit you know where to put my money.”
Camilla gracefully walked from the table signaling to the bartender and picked up the bottle as they made it to the back room. The back room was a cozy little office with the addition of a couch, a chair and a coffee table. She sat on the couch and placed the bottle on the table.
Silver grabbed his bottle, taking a small swig, and headed back with Camilla. He took the chair from the desk and sat across from her. “I’d have be a lot younger to believe that something ain’t up when free booze is offered, and even younger to think that I’m the only one you’ve approached about whatever is going on.” He thought to himself, “I’d also need to be an idiot to think I could score with you.” “So, what’s the issue?”
Camilla smoothed the fabric of her dress, “Well there are many issues. I am not sure which Lucius wishes to speak with you about.” She held out an envelope with a wax seal on the flap. “He has invited a few to a private meeting to discuss the matter of his concern.”
Silver took the envelope with a raised eyebrow. “There’s more discreet ways to get a letter to someone than this.” His mind thought of a few, “Slip it in my pocket, put it under my door…”
“I am sure he has need of your special skills to be invited.” She allowed a hint of a smile, “I was asked to deliver each personally because of the importance.”
“Well, if it’s Lucius who’s lookin’ for me, I hope he knows I’m not easy pickings right now.” He added to himself, “The Italians sure would love to have some of me.” Silver switched to his knife and sliced off the wax seal before returning his prosthetic to normal. “Just details on where to meet I’d guess.” He started reading. The invite gave a time and the place is the Nox upper level.
“So I can confirm you will be there?” she inquired.
He made a mental note of the details “I’ll listen to any offer, you know me.”
“I do know you have been an asset in the past and this is just a movement up the food chain. Your work has impressed him.”
Silver chuckled, “Food chain ain’t much of my workings but…” He scratched his chin “I have a thing for bigger stakes for sure.” His mind plotted, “If he can run this entire place, it would be good to get some protection against them and my shipmates.”
She assured him. “Oh, I am sure it will be a much much bigger stake and a greater reward than normal. Lucius can be very generous with those that please him.”
Silver silently considered, “It will be good to have a crime boss on my good side… can’t become too attached though.” He then replied, “Will I be able to meet him beforehand, or is this a sorta group orientation he’s settin’ up?”
Camilla explained, “He will be meeting you all at the same time. Don’t worry it is a small gathering of handpicked men. You are but one of four.”
“A small team is good, I can work with small. He ripped up the letter thinking, “Can’t have this getting out into the real world.” He looked at her speaking frankly, “Now, I’m going to be there, but let Lucius know officially the team has three people to everyone else. I tell all my employers that if I find any record of me they have kept, I need it destroyed.” His mind raced, “I don’t want to make an enemy of him, but some things are more important than living long.”
“I will inform him of this.”
“Good.” Silver opened the other bottle and put what remained of his current drink in the new one before taking a swig.
“I guess I will see you again at the meeting. If you need to contact us for any reason, give me a call,” Camilla handed him a business card for the Nox with her name and number. “Please be on time. He tends to be displeased with tardiness.”
Silver took the card, looking at it for a second before stuffing it into his jacket. “I’ll be early.” He thought, “Hope their security lets me around.”
“Enjoy your evening.” Camilla stood up and headed for the door.
Silver nodded, following out the same door, back to the craps table. “Eyy, get 15 more dollars on my last bet.” He laid down his bet thinking, “Things might be turning a bit easier now”