Open Your Heart

Chapter 14

Thursday had taken forever and a day to get there, and he was more tired than he'd been in the last forty years, he just knew it. Char had been working non-stop and had only stopped to get a few hours of sleep and a quick shower before heading back out again. "All because of that fucking King." He murmured the words as he looked through his closet for the most acceptable outfit to wear for the game. Not knowing what he was up against, he honestly couldn't decide what would be best. Pulling out a few options, he stared at them for a long time before finally settling on a deep navy pant suit with a black turtleneck. He didn't bother doing anything fancy with his hair and instead just brushed it and left it down. He'd spent most of the day primping after waking up late, so he wasn't worried as much about his looks. It was his mental capacity that he was concerned for, since he hadn't gotten much sleep.

Once he was ready, he looked down at the time and tried to hide his excitement. A few last minute touches in the mirror and he was ready to go meet Henroin at their designated spot. Down the elevator and out onto the street, he was on his way when his phone rang. A quick glance told him who it was, but he questioned why the man was calling him now. Picking up, he prepared to repeat a few things. "Hello?"

"Hello Chardenay. I have a question." Arackniss' voice sounded a bit deeper, as though he'd just woken up or was on the brink of sleep.

"Alright, what's your question? Oh, if it's what we'll be doing with Lucifer today, I have no idea." He just wanted to get that out of the way really quickly.

"No, it's got nothing to do with that. I wanted to know if you've ever heard of a woman named Miss Seqaret." Char paused his walking and looked around him quickly.

"Seqaret you said?" The man hummed his confirmation and Char frowned.

"Yeah, I know her. She's a friend of Ruskov's. She's got a shop down on Palacinia that sells some drugs and some weird... trinkets? I don't even know what they're for."

"Do you know if she's ever sold a large stock of anything?" There was a seriousness in the curiosity, but the question itself had Char laughing.

"Seqaret? A large stock? Not hardly." He continued walking as they spoke, thinking of the woman and her odd shop. "She doesn't get the traffic for anything more than maybe a few cases a week. That's why she sells those stupid trinkets, to make up for her failure of drag sales. Honestly, she's a shitty shop owner and should just stick to what she's good at." Arackniss hummed.

"Which is?"

"At this point, being used and abused by men." He sighed before waving his hand as he turned a corner. "She's best at dancing, not perfect mind you, but she's pretty good at it. She has, in the past, done some work for some other pimps who have clubs, but I don't think she's done anything lately. I guess her shop has been doing decently enough to hold her over without the side cash." He listened for a moment and heard the clear sound of Arackniss typing furiously. Behind the arachnid, he could barely make out another voice he didn't recognize. Char couldn't tell what they were saying, but he did notice the unmistakable British accent.

"Random question; Do you know if she's ever done work for Valentino?" Char thought for a moment before frowning.

"No, I can't recall her doing anything for Valentino. It is possible, though, since I can't exactly give you a detailed recount of everyone she's ever worked with. I only know about her dealings because of Ruskov and their little... whatever the fuck that is. Sordid affair, I suppose." Arackniss hummed in acceptance before mumbling something to his partner again.

"Thank you, that was more helpful than you know. Are you on your way to meet my father right now? You do sound like you're outside." That statement took him aback a bit, since he'd assumed Arackniss always had eyes on him. Now he could confirm that he didn't.