Chaos

Chapter One~Jez

~Jez~

Jez waved good-bye at the receptionist before pushing the heavy glass doors of the company building.
She unbuttoned her blouse and happily shoved it into her bag, bored of being so sophisticated. She despised her job, but the money was plentiful, so she suffered through it. Somewhat scandalous in her thin strap tank top, black pencil skirt and ankle boots, she welcomed the cool air that brushed her shoulders.

This day was particularly chilly, but the cold never really bothered it. Her office was too stuffy for her liking and the fresh air freed her of that dislike. Today, someone sat at the corner of the street. Perhaps he'd always been there and she'd just never noticed. Her calculating gaze focused on the man on the corner, and she couldn't help her curiosity, pausing in front of him. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the woman who stopped in front of him, a wide grin cracking across his face. He stepped forward, the deck of cards dancing impressively between his fingers. "Would the beautiful woman care for a magic trick?"

"I suppose so, if you leave the buttery compliments out of it." Her voice was smooth, cool, and only a few could detect the slight vulnerability in it. His manner humored her, a smile tugging at her lips. "I need some amusement. Enlighten me."

He flashed her a smile, a row of perfect, white teeth. "Then I'd be happy to provide." He shuffled the cards and splayed them out neatly, face down. "Pick any card you like."

Magic tricks!  Oh those sure brought back memories. Trying not to seem eager she plucked a card from the middle, being the Queen of hearts. Her nostrils flared as she released a small snort. How ironic. Nevertheless, she tucked the card into her hand and waited for further instructions. The man pulled a Sharpie out of mid-air using some fancy sleight of hand, taking an step forward to hand it to her. "Sign your name on the card, just so you know it's yours."

Jez was delighted by this handsome stranger, she kicked off her boots and sat in front of him. Taking the sharpie from his hand she wrote her name on the card with beautiful, fluid strokes. A warning flickered in the back of her mind and she narrowed her eyes. Sketchy yes, but still...even so, she kept her eyes on him, alert for any sudden movements.

He took another small step forward until he was right beside her, his green eyes sparkling. "You know, you might want to put your number on there too. Just in case." He flashed her a hopeful smile and she noticed his discreet glance into her bag for anything valuable.

She leaned past him so close her soft lips brushed his cheek, her breath warm as she spoke. "If you can keep your hands out of my things, I'll consider it," she murmured, allowing herself a satisfactory smile. It was small, but it was there. She placed the first three numbers of her phone number onto the card and placed it face down.

The magician raised an eyebrow, considering that a win. "Good enough for me." He slid the card back into the deck and began to shuffle it. "Tell me when to stop."

Her eyes flew from his face to her hands. Everything about her posture, her appearance said power, given her beautiful flawless face and graceful movements. She sat tall and proud as a leader in its pack would. The woman gazed at this mysterious magic man with considerable interest, her blue moony eyes giving away her curiosity. "Stop."

He stopped shuffling the cards, cutting them in half and then half again, finally rearranging them into one pile which he rested on the palm of his right hand. His eyes flickered back up to hers, a cocky smirk on his face. "When I snap my fingers, your card will be on the top of this deck," he promised.

"Alright then." She leaned forward, stray strands of her silvery white hair brushing past her shoulders and resting against her chest. In the Mafia, only one person did magic tricks for her and it was the one other person she cared for besides Miranda. Alejandro. He dearest Alejandro. She never dared speak his name again, but his warm face and welcoming smile always brought tears to her eyes. Even that cocky smile that this man seemed to be able to replicate brought flashes of Alejandro to her.

The man smirked at her yet again,  his lean fingers snapping. "Now take the first card out of this pile and see if it's yours." His smirk was smug, knowing full well that the card she would pick up would be the six of Spades and not whatever her real card was. The trick had only just begun.

Her delicate fingers plucked the card from the top, twisting it to face her with two fingers. She only allowed herself a bit of disappointment, knowing full well the trick wasn't over. Not for this one. He was something special.

He gave her a cheeky smile, flipping the deck over and laying out all 50 cards out on the table face up, one by one. "Oh, look at that," he mused. "Looks like your card isn't in here, huh?" He shook his head, clicking his tongue and clearly enjoying every minute of his performance.

"I wonder why ever not?" She tilted her head to the side, a small quirk she'd developed these days. What an odd sight they were, she thought suddenly. Herself, a woman with a professional job sitting with a mere street magician who, in all reality, stole when he got the chance to amaze with his tricks. Even so, this was the highlight of her day.

"I'll give you a hint: it miiiiight be because I slipped it in your wallet when you weren't looking." The man responded casually, fighting back a chuckle. He raised his eyebrows with an arrogant smile, watching her expression as he waited for her to look in her wallet.

Her eyes widened and immediately her hand flew to her wallet, where of course, the card rest safe and sound. So were her cards, receipts, and dollar bills. Half ashamed she'd let herself be distracted by a pretty face and half impressed with his sneaky skills she pulled out a fifty dollar bill. She snatched the sharpie and wrote on her card, a smirk lifting the edges of her mouth. A puzzle. Her number wouldn't be that easy. But he seemed clever enough to figure it out. 

Jez slipped on her boots and stood. "Well...you certainly made my day, I'll admit." She held out a hand. "My name is Jez."

The magician grinned, taking her hand and giving it to quick shakes. "You can call me Apollo," he responded, his eyes widening curiously as he watched her write on the card. "What's that?"

She slid the money, which wrapped around the card, over to him with a smile. "My number, just in the form of a puzzle. If you can figure it out, give me a call. Or.." She glanced around at the busy streets. It was rush hour; cars honked loudly at each other in a rush to get home to families or a comfy bed. Throngs of people crossed streets and flew down the steps to subways. "Just stay here and I'll come back tomorrow."

Apollo picked up the card and made it vanish into thin air, flashing Jez a victorious smirk. "That won't be necessary," he promised. She was such a mystery to most people, with her white hair and imposing posture and her deep, blue eyes that held secrets. Even to trained eyes, they could only guess at her profession and status.

His smile was dazzling and it finally pulled one onto her own lips. A smirk perhaps not quite a smile. But it was cocky, a little wolfish. She hailed a cab and drove away from the corner. Checking her watch, she cursed silently. It was late and she had too much to do with so little time...

~~

Ohoho, Apollo is pretty smooth and quite the charmer. *wink wink*