SFSD-X Smackdown Challenge ✔️

4.1 Gangsta (Areena)

1 - Areena

Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. Needless to say, it was never something my parents supported, to the contrary, it was kind of against family traditions. My dad used to say 'with power comes great responsibility' and since every one of my kind was very powerful, doing something illegal was frowned upon. I guess I can even see their point - when you think of superhumans, this whole guardian angel thing comes to mind and being a gangster just doesn't fit.

Over the centuries, a few of us strayed, but they were quickly silenced. Others decided to leave the family business to live ordinary lives and managed just fine - think of some outrageous stuntmen and you get the gist. For the others, it has always been law enforcement all the way and for a while, it looked like I would be following into my ancestor's footsteps.

I joined the NYPD, made detective after three years, and transferred to the homicide division. There, I solved crimes like there was no tomorrow - mostly due to my ability to read minds and detect deception - and during that time, I was even halfway happy. Yet, this need to do something different - something more gangster like - always stuck with me like fungus between my toes that I could never get rid of.

I would have probably been able to hold on to my taught values and beliefs if it hadn't been for Areena. As most people know, women have often been the downfall of men - they make us do crazy things that we often regret but would never change. In a way, they are our Achilles heel - at least those who we fall head over heels with. Areena was the perfect example; she could tell me to eat poo and I would think it was delicious. I was lost from the moment I first laid eyes on her.

It was one of those gray October days when the sun is hiding all day behind thick clouds and the city never quite wakes up, hidden under an umbrella of drizzle and fog. I was on my way to work and stopped by a coffee shop on 49th street to pick up some donuts and a latte. I know - that's totally cliché for a cop - but I just like donuts and designer coffees. Sue me!

So there she was, seated with a guy in a booth, staking out the bank across the street. I could sense she was up to no good and tuned in on their conversation - being able to pick up even the slightest whisper from three blocks away through five walls of cement is another one of my gifts, so it wasn't very hard.

"I counted two armed guards inside and there are usually another two when the armor truck arrives," she said, twirling one of her amber curls around her finger. Her voice was rich with a slight huskiness and sent a shiver down my spine.

"We need at least one extra body," her companion remarked, shooting me a dark look when I kept staring at them. "I think we should ask Harry."

"Yeah, perhaps." With a wrinkled nose I found adorable, she sipped slowly from her coffee cup. "We only have one shot at this, so we better make sure we have all angles covered."

I loved criminals who planned out their work to a T - it was a sign that they took pride in their profession. My gaze traveled to her trendy jeans before returning to the expensive suede jacket. She did not only have style but money, so had to be pretty good at her job. Her fingers which drummed softly on the table were long and slender, perfect to cup certain body parts. The thought caused a warm, tingling sensation to spread in my groin but it was her piercing green eyes which observed me under long eyelashes that stole my heart in an instant. If there was ever a prime example of love at first sight, Areena would be it.

"This guy keeps staring at us," her companion complained.

Her laugh reminded me of chimes, swaying softly in the wind. "You're just paranoid. He probably likes the way I look."

Now - for some men - this might have been the total turnoff, but I liked my women self-confident with some spunk. That made them totally sexy. I had to meet her, but had no idea how to approach her since the guy was in the way.

When the waiter placed my coffee and the bag of donuts in front of me, I automatically reached for my wallet but my fingers only grazed an empty pocket. "Fuck, I left my money at home." The words escaped me before I considered that swearing in front of a girl I tried to impress might not be the best way to get her positive attention.

She giggled and rose, approaching me like a wildcat in heat. When I took a glimpse at her thoughts, I couldn't help my body reacting. She needed an X-rated license for those and I sure wouldn't mind pursuing some of them in private.

She placed a five dollar bill on the counter. "We just have to figure out how you'll pay me back."

My eyes were fixed on her smoldering orbs who sucked me right in. "Well." I cleared my throat when my voice failed me. "How about dinner tonight?"

She tossed her long curls over her shoulder. "Sounds good." She was trying to figure out how I looked under my clothes and came to a positive conclusion. "We could just stay in and I cook for you."

I grinned, her thoughts betraying her. She couldn't cook if her life depended on it and was planning on take out.

"We could just order some Chinese," I offered, fully intending to devour her as desert.

"Yeah," she breathed. "That's a great plan."

I shifted my weight to my other foot under her impure thoughts, not sure if I could wait until the evening. "I'm at 225 West 76th Street, Apartment 6B. How does seven o'clock sound?"

"I'll be there."

I didn't have a single doubt that it would be epic - yet, little did I know that the evening would also become my first step to finally pursue my life long career goal of being a gangster.