Vitale's End

Celebrate...but not too hard

I awoke to the loud sound of my phone ringing. My eyes squinted while I tried to see who was calling at seven in the morning.

"Hello," I mumbled.

"So, are you going to tell me if you got that fancy job?"

A huff of annoyance left my mouth, "Lorelei, do you realize that it is seven-thirty in the morning?"

"Yes, I do. I'm on my way to the gym and remembered you said you had an important interview yesterday. So, did you get the job?"

Lorelei was a friend I met at a club after I left my family. She doesn't know all of the details about them, and that's how I'd like to keep it. The fewer people that know, the easier it will be to stay in hiding while still living an everyday life. "Yeah, my boss called me late last night. I start Monday."

"You're kidding! Oh, we are so going out tonight. Put on a hot dress, get ready. I'll pick you up at ten. Oh, and by hot, I mean like top ten on the slutty scale." Her excitement basically buzzed in my ear.

A smile pulled on my lips as I shook my head, "I'll be ready."

-

Running my hands through my hair, I gave myself one last look in the mirror. Per Lorelei's request, I wore a skin-tight red dress that stopped just above my mid-thighs and showed a little cleavage. I curled my hair loosely, making sure to carry a hair-tie on my wrist for when I start getting hot. I only put on a minimal amount of makeup, knowing I'd most likely sweat it off anyway, except for a bright red lip.

A buzz sounded at my door.

"I'll be down in a minute," I spoke into the speaker, slipping on my heels as I did.

"Okay, hurry up! I'm ready to start celebrating," Lorelei's excited voice sounded from the speaker.

Just as I grabbed my keys, I realized I forgot one thing. My knife. Running back to my room, I lifted my dress, strapping my thigh strap and throwing knife to my thigh. By this point, I knew the exact spot I needed to place it to remain invisible in a dress like this.

I hurried down the lobby, finding Lorelei sitting impatiently. Her blonde hair fell straight down her back, reaching the middle of her dark blue dress. An excited smile coated her lips when she saw me in the lobby.

"Ah, this is so exciting. You have a big girl job now," She grinned, hugging me tightly.

"Lor, I'm only an assistant."

"Yeah, only to one of the fastest building business empires in the country. Not to mention the city's newest bachelor," she teased.

"Yeah, yeah, can we go now?"

"As you wish," she grinned splendidly.

I felt the warm night air of the city hit my body as we embarked on our journey to the club we chose tonight. The city was so alive at night. From a distance, when you got to see so many people from different walks of life just living their day to day around each other, things didn't seem so scary. But I was the first to know that an outside appearance has nothing to do with who someone truly is. After all, the devil has many masks.

By the time Lorelei and I climbed out of our ride, the line to get in the club was outrageously long. But it was always like this at Rosa di Mezzanotte. It was one of the hottest places in the city right now.

"Ugh, why are there so many people here already?" Lorelei groaned.

"Maybe because it's a Saturday night," I chuckled, falling into line behind Lorelei.

We waited for thirty minutes, barely moving any closer to the door before a black Cadillac sped towards the club, braking hard to stop just at the door. I stood on my toes, trying hard to see who it was and why there was a sudden commotion further up in the line. I felt my eyes narrow, and my annoyance rose when I saw that whoever was in the Cadillac was given automatic entrance into the club.