Blurred Line

Chapter 2

Maya White

I took the day off from work, only to prepare for the events that followed. I bought a new long dress, a green one, with a tight bodice and a revealing cleavage. The black one I had procured a week ago no longer served my purpose.
I needed to become noticeable, a task in complete opposite to what I maintained for the last years. I left my contact lenses home, revealing for the first time the true color of my eyes. It was no longer necessary to hide anything. For my hair, I opted for a similar green silk bow. It became my signature and I wanted to keep something from my true self in the night that followed.

The event was held in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, in the Kaplan Penthouse. It accommodates one hundred and eighty people and I was supposed to commit a murder in a place with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, on the tenth floor. Of course, I knew where to strike to hit an important artery or to instant kill, but how was I supposed to escape without being caught by police or the security? Maybe the plan was better to make him to leave home with me. At my home? At his place? Or to a hotel? Either way, I had no real chance so I called from inside the cab, the number, from where I received a friendly reminder earlier.
After two rings, he answered.
"If I do this, you need to make sure I will not be held accountable,"
Lorenzo answered quickly. "Not if, when. I will hold my end of the bargain and you can return after that to your boring life. This means I'll make sure no authority will associate you with Mancini's death," he assured.
I closed my eyes for a second. I just talked about the most horrible thing at the phone, in a taxi, just like the subject was actually the weather. Then something clicked inside my mind.
"What about the other authority?" I choose my words carefully, not to attract unwanted attention from the driver.
He made a pause, that I interpreted as a liability.
"They will know it was us. It's up to you if his men will see you. On that matter I can't do shit."
Perfect! I had only the biggest problem on my hands. In arrest maybe I would survive, but in the hands of mafia I was already dead.
I disconnected the call, because he confirmed my worst fear.

When I entered the venue, Tania, that was already there, in a black gown spotted me in an instant.
"Wow, girl, you've exceeded yourself. And OMG, your eyes! Do you wear lens? I haven't seen such a blue color of them."
I tried to smile, even though my life was sucked in a black hole.
"Hello, you look stunning! These are for real," I gestured to my eyes.
She frowned, not understanding. I couldn't blame her.
"Why hide your beauty, you lunatic? I can't believe you fooled me."
If she knew what else I hide, she would run screaming.
"I never liked the association with my hair, but now that I became allergic to contact lenses, I had to get rid of them," I lied so naturally, that I even surprised myself.
She motioned with her hand as in to leave behind the subject and start another.
"Let me tell you about my plan. Tonight, this room will be filled with men so rich that it would be a waste to not have a little fun."
I looked at her with a worried gaze. "Tania, where is your professionalism? These are clients, not prey."
Seriously, Maya? Great choice of words, given the fact that one of them would become indeed my prey.
She smiled innocently. "Clients are still humans, you know? With penises. Big and beautiful, I hope."
She was the only person who would call male genitals beautiful. So I laughed, thanking her in my mind for the needed distraction.
Just when I was ready to make a suggestion for heading at the bar, he made his appearance. Follow by three man, that remained at the entrance, Rafael Mancini walked as if everything and everyone was at his feet. I remembered in an instant that black color of his hair, only now he looked as he was enveloped in a powerful aura. He exuded masculinity from every pore. From the contrast between his skin tone and his blue eyes to his upright and imposing posture. The muscular form he possessed all these years ago only improved in time. Even his jaw, marked by a black beard, evoked the dominance he held. His black tuxedo and white shirt made him justice.
In an instant I felt a shiver down my spine. Was it attraction? Or just fear?
I considered him beautiful and dangerous for every female with eyes.
Suddenly I felt like my dress was too tight so I excused myself from Tania to use the bathroom. Once I entered and made sure no other woman was there, I leaned on the door.
I felt it. The adrenaline pumping in my body in anticipation of what I was settled to do. I understood in that moment why people become addicted to extreme things. The feeling is similar to falling in love or so I heard. The same hallow in the stomach, the tingling sensation in the whole body and the fear of failure equal with the happiness of success.
I took the knife from its leather sheath, hidden under my long evening dress and looked in the mirror telling myself I could do it.
I needed to end his life for mine to continue. I wanted to, even if he was the Devil himself and my chances were below zero. So i put the knife back and washed my hands. A gesture made out of custom.