Different Worlds (wlw) Editing

Five

Brie laid there in bed motionless, tormented by memories of the conversations she had with Raye from the moment they met to their last interaction hours prior. She knew she needed to sleep, but it eluded her, forcing her to reminisce on all that had happened.

Thoughts of this winsome stranger inundated her mind and kept her awake and energetic. The notion that they could have something filled Brie with excitement and hope. Sure, there was still some amount of anxiety about being involved with someone of Raye's nature, but that was mostly replaced by infatuation.

She liked Raye, and talking to her made Brie realize how much she assumed on her own regarding her lifestyle. For a moment, she was just like everyone else, assuming and condemning her without seeing who she was first.

Although she had the propensity to be dangerous it was well-controlled and regulated. Raye was composed and seemed wise beyond her years. She even appeared to be gentle and sweet and that side of her was what drew Brie in.

She couldn't help but blush thinking about how strangely the universe worked. Who would've ever thought that she'd fancy the girl that held a gun to her only a week ago? And although she wasn't looking for anything romantic with anyone somehow potential intimacy found her and it was rather interesting, to say the least.

When sleep eventually consumed her Brie couldn't quite say but she knew that she woke up the next day feeling a resurgence of enthusiasm. A cheesy smile was plastered on her face and that was a rarity by itself.

Going about doing her morning routine with a boost in energy level: brie prepared for work with images and thoughts of Raye in her mind and by the time she made it to the hospital the excitement still reflected and most of her co-workers noted the shift in her mood, especially Chris.

"Someone seems like they're in a good mood today," He said eyeing her with suspicion and curiosity. Eventually, a wicked grin appeared on Brie's face as she beamed with unusual effervescence.

Christopher sat down beside her at the lunch table, his gleaming eyes on her. 

"I'm kind of in a good mood, yeah," she replied, now trying to hide that she might've given off too much with her unusual cheeriness.

"You got laid didn't you?" Christopher asked and his question caught her off guard, causing her to almost choke on her salad.

"What? no!" She said with a slight frown.

Wiping her mouth with the paper towel, she looked up at her friend. "And pipe down will you, I'm just in a good mood today is all."

"Well, whatever has you in such a good mood I'd like to hear all about."

"It's nothing really," Brie lied and she could tell Christopher saw right through it because he persisted.

"C'mon Brie, if you didn't get laid or met someone why are you practically glowing then? It could never be this place, working sucks, adulting sucks. The only thing that keeps us going and gives us a smidge of happiness is drugs and we both know you don't do that so it has to be someone,"

"Why can't it be that I slept well?" She countered, trying to hold back the urge to admit that indeed she'd met someone.

As anticipated, Christopher did read through her bullshit lie for he shot a brow up, an amusing expression scattered across his face. "What's her name?" He unabashedly asked.

"Fine, you caught me, I did meet someone,"

"As if you could ever lie to me," opined Chris. "It's good you have though, I was beginning to worry that you'd made vows to god, thank goodness you haven't."

"How funny," Brie replied rolling her eyes.

"So who is this lucky lady that you've met and chose to keep her existence from the rest of us?"

"Honestly, I don't know much about her yet but I'm getting there. We've recently started talking to each other but from what I can see, she seems pretty okay. She's absolutely beautiful and her character is quite interesting."

"Does she have a sister?" Chris jumped right into asking and the raven head rolled her eyes at him.

"No, she doesn't have a sister, at least not that I know of yet."

"So there is a possibility she might have one,"

She saw the mischievous gleam in his eyes and she knew what he was going to insinuate. Brie was never going to play matchmaker for him ever again after what he did to the last girl she introduced him to.

"No, no, I'm not doing that again so you can get that out of your head."

"Come on, don't be like that," Chris begged.

"Can we talk about something else that doesn't have the effect of turning you into a horn dog, please?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I've been meaning to ask something." Brie began to say. "It's about the other day when we talked about what happened on my block, why didn't you tell me that the leader of the mafia was a woman?" She whispered.

Her question startled Chris, inciting him to frown slightly. "I thought you knew, after all, everyone does." He shrugged yet again. "Anyway, why does it matter?"

"No reason I just overheard some guys talking about it. How did that happen though, a woman being the leader of such a notorious gang and all? Do people even like that? I know how some guys can get with a woman in power, I'm surprised they didn't riot over this,"

"Well, I wouldn't know if they're happy about it or not, I just know that it's what's there right now. Before her uncle died, I heard he kept Raye at his side and taught her everything he knew. Everyone in the gang was familiar with her since she was basically running shit for Paul so it didn't come as a shock that she'd take over after he was gone."

"Don't get it twisted though, Raye's just as ruthless as her uncles and grandfather, I guess that's why they respect her enough to not throw a fit about her being a woman, I mean why would they anyway. From where I come from, women in gangs are just as equally feared as the men,"

"Just how dangerous is she?" Brie inquired and Chris regarded her with a solemn expression.

"Do you remember last April, that fire that burned down that abandoned warehouse but when police did their investigation they found about fifteen people were in there?" He asked and she reflected immediately. She did remember, it was horrible learning those people were trapped in there, just helpless.

"You remember, don't you? Well, that's just an example of what that girl is capable of. Those weren't just ordinary people, Brie those were men her uncle had on his hit list that went MIA for years. She traced them down and murdered them all. She's ruthless, bloodthirsty and most people don't know it," he responded and it sent chills sweeping over her.

Brie knew what being a part of the mafia meant, and she knew Raye was no different from the people she had in her circle, however, she got lost in the sweetness of what she could be outside of the violence.

The anxiety she thought dissipated started to creep up her spine again and it left her with mixed feelings. She knew what Raye was capable of but she ignored it all because of intrigue and now that she sat there, rationality coursing through her. She had second thoughts. Yes, she wanted to get to know her, that she couldn't deny but the things that came with having her were too risky and Brie wasn't too sure she was willing to endanger her just to get to know someone.