NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Skipping Stones – Part 5.
Shaking off the chill and the self-doubt, Sylvie pushed the thought back and gently kissed her friend's neck. “Veronica.” Sylvie whispered while using her fangs lightly on Veronica’s neck. “You are right. There was a time where I wanted to explore things with you a bit deeper. Give us a more emotional attachment.” Sylvie plunged her fangs deep and retracted them to allow the hot, iron flavored plasma to race down her throat. Flexing her lips as though she were giving her friend both the bite she needed as well as a kiss, Sylvie counted to ten and licked each hole one at a time to seal them. “I didn’t want you to think you were ever… a consolation prize, so I never pursued it.” Sylvie used the back of her hand and cleared her lips again. “I hope you understand.”
Much like being slightly drunk, Veronica’s head swished like she was in a soft set of ocean waves. She had enough of her mind to keep holding Sylvie’s waist through her jean belt loops as she waited for the feeling to finally subside. Once Veronica was able to stand on her own she patted Sylvie lightly on her chest, just above her third-eye tattoo. “I do understand. I have the others and we fulfill each other's needs without being overly demanding. I have known you for what…” Veronica’s large brown eyes looked up in thought, “..almost ten years?” She smiled at her mistress. “You have always chased your visions. It’s your thing.” Veronica winked and headed out of the office.
Giving Amber a few more minutes of rest, Sylvie opened the small safe and pulled out the various change drawers for the sale systems and stacked them on her desk. It was only after she counted the separate stacks of ten dollar bills a few times without checking the other counts did Sylvie realize something was coming.
-I’ve been seeing tens all night.-
Sylvie sighed and closed her eyes and tried to force the incoming vision to produce something useful, but without any luck.
With a quick grunt and a yawn, Amber sat up from her drained slumber and looked at her watch, “Shit, I was asleep for ten minutes! Why didn’t you wake me Mistress?” Amber jumped up from the couch and stumbled to the desk before gathering the strength in her legs. “Are all the counts right? Five hundred per drawer, like normal”
“Another ten.” Sylvie mentioned mindlessly and then used her blazing speed to count the money in the trays. “Amber, yes. Five hundred per drawer. Get these out to the terminals, and afterwards can you go outside and make sure the guys out there have what they need?”
Amber picked up the drawers and headed for the door, Sylvie right on her tail. “Isn’t it illegal to serve drinks outside the bar?”
“Be discreet about it. Take bottles only and make it look like they brought the cases.” Sylvie laughed, “Use your imagination.” Sylvie opened a small door and took her position behind the main bar that served both sides of the building. Reaching for a round drink tray covered in salt shakers, Sylvie took the time to spread all of the little glass containers across the bar and stopped just as she went to place the last one. “Ten.” Sylvie said loud enough for a couple customers to look at her oddly. “Just counting out loud, do you lovelies need anything tonight? I’m making blue lighting margaritas, Joker Blue.” She pointed to her blouse. Rewarded with a couple of smiles and nods, Sylvie went to work on the drinks she’d invented just as a well dressed man in a blue pinstripe suit breezed into the lively section of the bar.
“My my, you have changed Miss Miakoda.” The man took off his tan fedora and tossed it casually on the bar. “One of your ..Bloody Madelyn’s please.”
Sylvie hadn’t heard that low key midwestern accent in over twenty years, but knew who it was immediately. “Alan Brown.” Sylvie finished mixing the different liquors and turned on the blender. “I have a couple other drinks to make real fast. I keep my special stock in the back.” Sylvie leaned on the bar and looked over her old friend. “You have moved up in the world. Last I saw you, there was no suit, certainly no over abundance of silver and a hat to hide that brown and gray hair of yours.” She stopped the blender and poured the contents into two very large margarita glasses and handed them to another server to deliver.
“Silver has latent energy that stops others from finding me.” Alan boasted and looked over his shoulder, “She’s not here is she?” He asked as his anxious and wide brown eyes scanned the bar. “I was told silver can..”
Laughing quietly, Sylvie shook her head, “Alan. No, she’s not here. Silver wouldn’t help you anyway.” She pushed herself from the bar and leaned back on her beer cooler with her arms crossed. “If it was her? You’d not have made it into the bar.” Sylvie noted the ten rings on his fingers and sighed. “I have a feeling I won’t like what you are here for. I have been getting a sign all night in the form of the number ten.”
Alan nervously twisted his biggest silver ring, the one laden with opals, “How about you get me that drink and I will tell you all about it.” He looked at his watch, “Oddly, we have about ten minutes before I can show you the latest.”