Collide

Chapter 1

"You can go now" Emily orders the petite brunette, gesturing her to rise from her knees.

Bending down to retrieve her thong from the floor, Emily snickers, "Thanks for taking me to new heights so to speak... But our time is up. The boss is calling and when he calls...I answer".

Planting a forceful kiss upon the girl's cheek, she concludes, "I'll call you if I ever need your talented tongue again".

"What's up boss" Emily asks picking up the phone in a chipper tone as she watches the brunette leave the office room.

"Emma...I need you back out front with Tom. You two are part of the front operation. I need Tom's charms and your pretty face up front in center, making sure the right clientele comes and goes from the club. Have we reached an understanding" Emily's boss, Rosco Delatore, orders in his usual threatening tone.

"You got it. I'll be there in a second. I was tied up with a customer in the back. Don't worry. Tom and I will work our usual magic" Emily assures Rosco, keeping his angry temper at bay.

"Okay... as much as I love it, let's not make this club a total taco party. Gotta allow some sausage in too" Emily announces automatically as she bursts through the coveted entrance to the nightclub, Invictium.

Laughing aloud to himself, Toby smiles and shakes his head. "You're just flat out crude. But not wrong" he notes.

"Alright gentlemen. You're up next. The usual crew... Step on up! You get first dibs" Toby declares with his booming voice that echoes down the city street clear as day even in the thick night time air.

"Hey! Why do they get to cut in line" a party goer protests from near the front of the line.

"Because they've established a relationship with our boss and they contribute to the overall success of this club" Emily explains knowingly.

"Unless I am sadly mistaken, you don't strike me as the type to fulfill what he's looking for" she adds coldly, narrowing her eyes as she gives the man a disapproving once over of his external appearance.

"But your friend here" she continues while turning her attention to a curvy blonde in a skin tight, fire engine red dress, "Can make herself at home here... or in my bed whenever she likes".

"Jesus Christ Em... Keep it in your pants" Toby interjects shoving her arm slightly.

"I will not apologize for a healthy sexual appetite" Emily smirks before winking at the sexy blonde seemingly reciprocating her not so subtle advances.

"It's not healthy when it borders on sex addiction" Toby retorts as he waves a few frequent customers through the entrance.

"Agree to disagree" Emily replies ending the tit-for-tat jousting session between them.

"You know... I almost slipped today and called you Toby" Emily shares with Toby as they dramatically throw themselves down on their living room couch after a long night at Invictium.

"Well I'm glad you didn't" Toby replies as he hands Emily a hefty glass of white wine.

Sighing as he sinks further into the couch dressed in his usual tshirt and basketball shorts, Toby continues, "But I'd understand if you did. Thankfully I call you Em all the time. At least that's an understandable jump from Emma. God, living under different names is challenging at times. Plus we've known each other for years now so it's hard to change what we know".

Emily takes a sip from her wine glass and says, "It's true. You've been my family since we ran away from the group home as teens and never looked back".

"And we're going to continue to be family after we get ourselves out of this temporary life we are living" Toby clarifies, feeling the need to ground the both of them and keep their focus in the right direction.

"I know. I know" Emily groans in response to the phrase she's heard Toby chant countless times. "This job with Rosco...while it pays well, is dangerous business. We both agreed to assume different names so that when we needed to make a break for it and move along to another city, we could do so safely. It's better that they don't know our true identities".

"But it still doesn't make getting into bed with a drug dealer any easier or safer. Who knew trying to get one's bearings in life and striving to achieve a dream could be so stressful" Toby sighs worriedly as he gets up to retire to his bedroom for the night.

"Toby" Emily calls out to him, causing him to halt in the doorway and face Emily. Feeling the need to reassure her friend, she promises, "We have a future in mind and we're going to stick to our plan to accomplish it down the line. We will move on to bigger and better things. We both know that this won't be our lives forever. This was never supposed to be endgame for the story that we dreamed up in the group home".

Toby taps the rim of the doorway with his fingertips, soaking in Emily's words when he finally replies, "I know, you're right. For now, I guess we'll just embrace it... Goodnight ole friend".

"Goodnight Toby" Emily replies with a warm, closed lip smile.

The existence of this smile is quickly wiped away from her face the moment Toby disappears from sight and quietly closes his bedroom door. The eerily quiet, miniscule apartment illuminated by a single lamp on the table next to Emily quickly sucks her back into the empty place she typically resides in at night in the quiet of her living quarters and even more so in the depths of her mind.

"Screw this" she mutters to herself as she reaches in her pocket to retrieve her phone, "I refuse to be alone tonight".

Rubbing his eyes and yawning loudly, Toby shuffles out of his room, still groggy from sleeping in later than usual.

"Well look who it is" Emily teases, "The Princess has risen from her slumber".

"Shut up" Toby retorts in a slightly angry tone, "I couldn't fucking sleep having to hear all of that bullshit last night".

"What do you mean" Emily asks pretending to be clueless to his assertion.

"What do I mean? My God Emily...she wasn't just a screamer... she was a fucking howler. Do I even want to know what you were doing to her that incited such intense vocalizations" Toby asks laughing and sitting down at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal.

"Which one" Emily asks nonchalantly, "Both ladies were pretty vocal".

Spitting out a mouthful of cereal, Toby stutters, "I... I..".

"Toby, Toby, Toby" Emily laughs hysterically, "You should know by now that I prefer the company of beautiful women... Sometimes multiple at the same time".

"I suddenly lost my appetite" he responds, walking to the kitchen disapprovingly.

"Don't hate what you can't understand" Emily hollers to Toby.

"And yet you can't seem to see that you're hollow inside" Toby mumbles to himself in frustration.

"Oh shut up. You know you love me. You better get dressed" Emily yells to Toby as she waits by their front door, "We have to be on the NYU campus by noon. Let's not piss of Rosco. You know that we have our quota of potential, new clients to scope out before we have work tonight. We've gotta succeed with this part of the business if we ever hope to move up and make an impression".

Hey y'all! I'm back! So as you know, I take some time to build the story! So stick with me! I hope it will turn out well. I'm very hesitant to write again because I feel like Politico was so unique and special... but I feel like this story could address a lot of important topics and maybe even turn out okay. Who knows! Time shall tell what this brain of mine will create! Comment and let me know your thoughts. As you know, I always love reading them.