“A bottle of your finest champagne.”
Justin’s eyes bulged. My shoulders lifted and fell.
“You heard the man. Get me whatever my heart desires.”
He nodded, chuckling. “That’ll be seventy-eight hundred dollars, ma’am.”
“He looks like he has it to spare.”
Justin said nothing more. He placed his hands in the air, surrendering.
Smart man.
I surveyed the area, taking note of everyone and everything.Bar Balgariawas no hole in the wall. Neither was it a sunken place. It was lively and vibrant, full of life and full of wealth.
Connections.
Money.
Drugs.
Illegal activity.
Bosses.
CEOs.
Leaders.
Lenders.
All in disguise. Their thousand dollar suites concealed their true identities. While eighty percent of the guests were legal, tax paying citizens, the other twenty were deep in the dirt.
Sparkles began to pop behind the bar. Fire danced on the sticks in the bartenders’ hands. A gold bucket of ice holding a gold bottle headed in my direction. Justin’s eyes found mine. I placed a hand near my neck and swiped it across my throat. Mid-stride, he halted, forcing everyone behind him to do the same.
I wasn’t interested in a light show. In fact, I wasn’t interested in lights, at all. Being seen was hardly ever my mission. I only desired to be felt, experienced, and remembered.
Quietly and now alone, Justin set the bucket on the bar and removed the bottle of champagne. He placed a champagne flute in front of me and cocked his head leftward with a smile.
“Little Miss Simplistic.”
“Nothing about me is simplistic, Justin. Enough eyes are on me, already.”
“All the eyes are on you, and I don’t blame them. You sparkle alone.”
“Mm hm.”
Pop.
Bubbles slid down Justin’s hand as he lifted the glass.
Clink.
The bottle and flute kissed. I was poured a generous amount before he retreated. I pulled the champagne toward my nose and inhaled. Small bubbles popped against my skin.
“You know,” I began, still admiring the aroma of my drink, “You should be more careful. I’ve found the same set of eyes on you since I arrived.”
Curiously, the hooded man with the glass of brown glued to his fingertips turned his head from one side to the other. As his features became more visible, I was reminded of his radiance. The darkness he possessed was consuming.
