by Sedona Venez
I was silently stewing and she knew it. I looked at Mason with angry eyes, “And the missing security?”
“Like Kara just said, it’s being handled, Infinity.”
I screwed up my face angrily, “If this how you’re handling it then I’m real worried. This crap along with the death threats is not making me a real happy camper.”
He threw his cup against the wall smashing it into pieces. “Fuck! It’s all about you all the time. There’s real shit going on that doesn’t revolve around your ass.”
I leaned in, pointing into his chest. “I’m the one that’s getting death threats every day, and I’m the one walking around for the last couple of days with no security. Not you. Me.”
“Well you could do what you do best and quit.” He barked nastily.
“Oh kiss my ass, Mason. I’m doing this concert. I’m not going to let you or the Collective scare me into quitting.”
Kara sighed heavily, “Look, Infinity, just come home after the concert. We have to talk.”
“I’m not making any promises, Mom.”
“This is my last word on this. You will be home tonight” she hung-up without another word.
He ran his fingers through his hair, “Infinity….”
I held up my hands, “Nope, no more talking. Let me cool off because I don’t want to take this argument to the next level.” Pulling back my black satin sheets, my legs slide against them as I stood.
His head snapped up, his eyes sliding along my legs, stopping at my black boy shorts that rode low on my curvy hips.
Our eyes locked when he grabbed my wrist roughly. I fought to snatch my hand away, feeling sickened by his touch. That’s until he began rubbing his thumb along the palm side of my wrist, awakening a familiar tickle deep in my stomach, a feeling that I hadn’t felt in years.
“Beautiful” he purred.
My heart thudded. This felt wrong, forced somehow, because I had put away these feelings years ago. But here it was again, that long simmering something that festered between us for years as we danced around it like skittish cats, hissing and snapping, waiting for a moment to attack. That shimmering something that made me put my heart on the line only to be rejected by him. Mysteriously it was unearthed by something that was not my doing.
I blinked, trying to shake off the icky feeling that started to worm its way around me like a web. I felt the soft slide of something and the nasty feeling fell away. His body tensed before releasing my wrist, and sliding away from me. His eyes shifted, looking through the window at the Ravens sitting silently in the oak tree.
He turned to look at me with intense eyes. “What went wrong between us, Infinity? I just need to know. Not that I’m going to act on it, and I know that you’re not either. But there’s too much history between us to act like we don’t feel…” He gestured to the space between us, “Like something has shifted between us.”
“Nothing,” I responded softly, “Mason, we’ve been down this road and I put an end to that possibility. I’ve moved on.”
His body tensed. I blinked when I thought the muscles in his back rippled strangely. “There’s nothing going on between us Mason and there could never be,” I whispered softly.
Abruptly his eyes turned frosty before jumping from the bed and striding towards the door. “You need to get ready. You don’t want to be late for sound check.”
“Okay,” I rasped, swallowing softly.
He nodded before striding out the room and firmly shutting the door. Strangely, it was almost symbolic of the void in my heart. Damn it, this was so messy and on its way to getting messier. Sweating like I ran a marathon, I willed my heart to settle while I pulled my thick, ink-black mass of hair from my forehead, and lifting it from the back, shaking it before allowing it to cascade to my shoulders and stream down my back.
I looked around confused when my cell rang snapping me out of thought and into action.
Zoe chirped, “Hey, sugar, you’re late. We’re at the music arena, so let’s rock.”
“Why do you have to be so loud? Shouldn’t you have a major hangover?”
“Nope, I took my hangover remedy. Two Rejuvenators, a shot of Tequila and now I’m all good.”
“Oh shut up, you’re way too smug. T.V. on!”
The flat-screen television turned on, as a commercial flashed across the screen....
The camera panned to the front of a tall office tower with a brilliant glass exterior curtain wall and sleek, commanding silhouette of the city’s skyline. Smiling people walked through the glass door and into a lobby featuring high ceilings lit with Italian crystal chandeliers and walls clad in rare marble. Well-dressed people presented their identification to smiling young women standing in the lobby wearing form fitting black presses.
The camera panned over, and two imposing men came into view. One a tall, dark, and handsome man with shoulder-length black hair, impeccably dressed in a designer gray suite with a red tie, and the other, a heavily muscled, tall, lightly tanned man with short jet-black hair streaked with sky-blue strands, wearing a well-tailored black suite with a crisp white shirt opened at the neck.
The man with the black suite looked at the camera. “I’m Maxim Lupo president of Lupo Corporation.”
The camera cut to the other man. “And I’m Cortez Taron, president of the Collective Corporation. We would like to thank you, our faithful patrons for making this the best year for blood donations. Thanks to you, we are making historic scientific breakthroughs to keep our society disease free.”
The camera cut to Maxim Lupo. “Rejuvenator is evolving and we at Lupo Corporation are joining forces with the Collective Corporation to ensure that new chemical and biological engineering discoveries and advances continue for the years to come.”
The camera showed a smiling young woman. “I’m grateful to the Collective Corporation. Donating is the least I can do to ensure that our society remains disease free.”
The camera showed an old man holding a little girl’s hand. “I remember what it was like before the Fire and Ash war. Disease and death nearly decimated our society. That’s why my family donates for the lifesaving drugs that the Collective provides.”
The camera cut back to Cortez and Maxim standing side-by-side.
Cortez looked at the camera coldly, “We are one. Donate to the Collective.”
Maxim continued, “And the Collective will donate to you!”
I rolled my eyes at the television, whispering under my breath. “Blah-blah-blah…yeah, after they bleed you dry like a sacrificial lamb.” I juggled the phone, padding across the mahogany wood floors and into the bathroom. I put the phone on speaker while leaning over the huge copper claw foot tub to run my bath.
“Seriously, is that the bath I hear? Infinity, you’re late. Take a damn shower.”
Ignoring her, I picked up the vintage cobalt blue bottle filled with mom’s famous and expensive concoction, pouring it liberally into the bathwater.
“You know I always take a bath before I perform. It’s my ritual and I never break my rituals. It’s bad luck.”
I felt myself relaxing as the air filled with the scent of vanilla, mint, lavender and marigold, mentally reciting the use of each herb, mint for prosperity, lavender and marigold to heighten the psychic senses.
Zoe whispered loudly, “Are you using the fantabulous Witchy stuff?”
I grinned, whispering back loudly. “Before you go there again, my mother is not a witch. She has special abilities that are magically delicious.”
Zoe laughed, “Oh, they’re magically delicious. All those herbs hanging around like some damn witch’s lair, and let’s not talk about the fact that Kara’s got to be at least fifty and looks like she’s in her twenties. That stuff she concocts and sells is a youth gold mine. Whatever you want to call it, everyone goes to Kara for one thing, to look young.”
“Okay that’s it. No more ‘witchy’ stuff for you. You are now officially cut-off.”
She responded loudly. “
You’re joking, right? That’s seriously cruel. I know who you can use that W stuff on, Kir. Make him grow huge warts all over his face.”
Something dark twisted in me when she said that. “Her gifts and potions are not used for bad intentions. If that was the case, half of her backstabbing clients would look like toads, or worse, be dead.”
“I don’t care, that ass deserves it.”
I sighed loudly before grabbing my toothbrush. “Moving on. Exactly what happened last night? The last thing I remembered was dancing with you and Diego. I don’t even know how I got in my bed, whether I walked, stumbled, got carried. It’s all a big mystery.”
I heard fighting over the phone.
Diego said importantly, “That’s was all me.”
“Diego, back the heck off, you’re in my space. If you want to speak to her so bad, call her with your own cell damn it.”
He mumbled, “You don’t have to be such a bitch about it.”
She snickered, “Thank goodness he’s gone. He walked off in a huff to be consoled by a big breasted backup dancer.” She whispered loudly, “You’ve got to get here soon, he’s driving me crazy. Tell me again, why did I ever go into business with him?”
“Because, besides you, he’s one of the hottest choreographers in the business. Plus, he’s major guy-candy.”
She groaned with frustration, “That is true. Anyway, back to last night, it was off the chain. It was crazy last night with the paparazzi all over you.”
“Well, apparently they got some real up and personal photos last night. Mason practically bitch slapped me with the newspaper this morning.”
Zoe moaned, “Oh my, the delicious Mason. I don’t care what you say, Mason is H.O.T. And I wouldn’t mind waking-up to his gorgeous blonde ass every morning.”
I scrunched up my nose with annoyance, adjusting my brassy wings charm that hung from my gold necklace. “Really? Ugh, I don’t want to hear you drooling over my brother. The visual on that is truly disgusting.”
“Please, it’s okay to fantasize a little.” She sighed, “If I ever get my hands on that, heaven help him.”
I undressed, examining my body in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. I stuck out my tongue with disgust as I pulled off a cigar band stuck to the back of my knee. “I think my ass is getting bigger. Not good.”
“Give me a break. You’ve haven’t gained a pound since I’ve known you, and you’re gorgeous. Flawless mocha skin, tall, curvy in all of the right places, voluptuous breasts, even more voluptuous. Shit, if I was into chicks, I’d date you.”
I rolled my eyes, “Thanks. I think.”
Even though I tried not to feed into the body image hysteria, in the music business it was everything. I was very adamant about downplaying the lure of body perfection to my young fans. There was no such thing. I was genetically fortunate, but never took it for granted. The tons of money I paid my personal trainer was a testament to that. I pulled my long curly jet-black hair into a tight ponytail, looking at the unusual sky blue highlights with repugnance. I hated them, was born with them and paid several high priced and famous hairstylists to get rid of them, only to wake-up the next morning to find the sky blue highlights back and multiplied. The harder I tried to color it, the more sky-blue strands mysteriously appeared. So, I gave up trying and lived with it. It was definitely a love-hate hair relationship.
“Tell Diego I said much thanks for putting me into bed last night.”
“Diego? Uh we put you into bed last night...no wait, I lugged your ass into bed and Diego did what he does best, boss me around while he watched and posed prettily.”
“Sounds about right.”
“And who in the hell is Alik?”
Alik? “Zoe, I don’t know anyone named Alik.”
“Apparently, you do.”
“You know I wouldn’t lie about something like this. Plus, you know just about everyone that I do.”
“Well, apparently not as much as you know this Alik. You were saying some pretty kinky stuff in the car last night. ‘Oh Alik kiss me’, ‘Oh Alik bite me’, ‘Oh Alik drink me’. Oh my gawd....who knew that our little virgin was so freaky. It was so hot I almost called up one of my boy toys over to take the edge off. Whew! Just hot.”
“While it does sound panty wetting hot, I don’t know any Alik.” I wracked my brain for any new guys that I met last night…nothing. “I remember leaving the restroom, dancing, drinking and then nothing.”
“You don’t remember pushing the DJ aside and doing your own imitation of a fucked up rapper? Which by the way, will be your next hit single if you can just remember your drunken stupor lyrics.”
My eyes widened excitedly over the word ‘hit single’, but unfortunately my response was, “Nope” to remembering.
Zoe laughed, “You don’t remember having a dance-off with Diego that was so x-rated that Nick had to shut the party down?”
“Nope, and I hope that shit wasn’t recorded because I don’t need it going viral.”
She scoffed, “You won’t. Nick shut down that possibility fast and in a hurry...but believe me it was fun to watch.”
I blew out with relief; it was one less scandal to deal with. “Zoe, there’s something else bothering me. I don’t remember having any Rejuvenator.”
“You didn’t, not after the ones you took in the car. Hold on, Infinity.” She growled, then screamed, “Diego! Diego! No she doesn’t want to see your new piercing.” She whispered loudly into the phone. “I really thought you loved me, Infinity. I really did. But to leave me here alone babysitting him, that’s just plain cruel.”
“He’s trying to show his new Prince Albert piercing again?” I barely stifled my chuckle. “Well he should be proud of his massive and impressive equipment.”
“You would think anything is impressive. Please don’t use his junk as an example of massive. Impressive? Yes. Massive? Not so much.”
“Well, I’m impressed and he’s free to show his…piercing to anyone he wants.”
“I’m really so happy that you’re amused, but you won’t be chuckling when you walk into the arena to find Diego orchestrating a full orgy on stage. I promise you, that is not part of our choreography.”
“Oh, he’s not that bad.”
“To add to the mess we lovingly call Diego, some of the backup dancers we hired didn’t show up. The sound check crew is not here, your Creative Director looks like someone kicked his ass, and your backup singers have a major attitude because you’re late. And last, but definitely not least, Diego has just stripped off his t-shirt and is now demonstrating some dance move way better suited for the bedroom than in public.”
I slammed my brush on the granite countertop. “Wait, what’s going on with the backup dancers?”
“Thank you, finally some focus. Out of the ten we hired, only four showed. So I called the missing to find out what’s up. Those that would talk to me, and not many would, were mumbling about the Collective and not wanting their legs broken.” The phone shuffled, “Okay the sound check crew just showed up so at least we can get the music going. Hold on, Infinity, let me move to a more private spot so that we can talk.” The phone shuffled again, “Okay, I’m good now.”
I rushed to put on my silk robe, and walked back into the bedroom. I didn’t have a good feeling about this. “Okay, Zoe, tell me what’s really going on?”
“The backup dancers are scared. I mean, really scared. They don’t want anything to do with tonight’s concert or the tour. Infinity, the Collective is scary on any given day, but when they single you out, that shit is damn terrifying. They’re threatening everyone that you hired and telling them not to show-up tonight or else.”
My hands were shaking from rage. “Did they threaten you and Diego?” There was a long pregnant pause, “Zoe?”
She sighed, “They didn’t threaten, they advised. They advised us to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“You canceling the concert and tour. They strongly suggested that if Diego a
nd I wanted to work ever again that we should advise you to cancel the whole tour. So I’m passing on the shitty advice. Not because I want to, but because I think you should know about the shit storm brewing.”
“Did they actually send someone from the Collective to talk to you and Diego?” I knew the answer before she even responded. No. Because no one still breathing, has ever seen a member of the Collective in person.
I wanted to bang my head with frustration. Everything about doing this concert was wrong, I felt it in my gut, but I had to continue, my dreams, and the strange woman demanded it. While everyone that I loved thought that I lost my mind for even attempting doing this tour, I pressed on, and not because I was some self-appointed Samaritan, no, I pressed on to save my ass and those that I loved. It was truly a ‘damned if I do, and damned if I don’t’ situation.
So, I pressed on, smiling prettily for the paparazzi, which I hated, but I did it all because this concert had to happen. When people finally realized that I was serious about this obvious suicide mission, the calls started, calls threatening to ruin my career.
I knew who was behind the threats, the Collective, who hung in the shadows, controlling the world like puppet masters, but I didn’t care. The more energy I put into promoting the tour, the more setbacks I encountered: missing employees, destroyed costumes, canceled venues, the media refusing to allow me to come on their show to promote. The list went on and on, but I soldiered on and through all of that, ticket sales actually rose.
I flopped back on the bed with my mind racing a mile a minute when ‘Breaking News’ flashed on the screen, followed by the appearance of that major bitch, Vivian LaRue, sitting coldly behind a news desk smiling like a viper before saying:
“Killings and kidnappings by the Rogues are on the rise. The elite are panicking, wondering which one of them will be next and where the Rogues will strike next.”
She leaned towards the camera with tight eyes.
“After forty-eight harrowing days of being held captivity, Alisa Taron, daughter of Cortez Taron, president of the Collective Corporation was recovered alive in a spectacular rescue mission orchestrated by Channing & Vigari Enterprises, aka C&V.”
