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AMBER
My plastic smile, wide and shiny, only faltered when a clumsy waitress dropped her tray. The sound of crashing plates and shattering glass broke me from my act, sending me back into a dark place.
The feeling of warmth on my arm, alongside a lecherous laugh, dragged me quickly back to the present.
“Aw, was that scary?” the Mondion man asked, his hand lingering on my arm. “Don’t worry, babe, I’ll protect you.”
Mr. Woviuya leaned back in his chair, a cigar in his free hand as he looked me up and down. I blinked away the last dregs of panic and let out a high-pitched, innocent giggle.
“Guess she wasn’t looking where she was going!” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. Mr. Woviuya and his friends chuckled alongside me. His hand trailed down my bare arm, down to my wrist where he gripped a little too forcefully.
I slipped myself from his sweaty grip to hold my water pitcher with both hands. The gesture was fluid and easy, as if I hadn’t even thought twice about his intentions. The ice pellets clinked against each glass as I filled them almost to the brim.
“So, Mr. Woviuya, what are we celebrating today?” I asked with wide, impressed eyes. There were three empty highball glasses in front of him alone. That was the magic number for loose but lucid lips, according to Conii.
“Profits are up!” he cried. “A new all-time high with no end in sight!”
I placed a hand on my chest in shocked admiration. “Incredible! What did you say your company does again?” I asked, bending over to show a little more cleavage to my esteemed guests.
“We didn’t.”
The voice was harsh and full of suspicion. I looked toward its source at the end of the table. I didn’t have a name for the pointed face staring back at me, but I knew who he was all the same. The self-designated sensible one. Every group of professionals has one on board to play the role of buzzkill. His single glass was cupped in his hand, half full with condensation pulling around his fingers.
“Why exactly does a hostess want to know?” he asked. The others, including Mr. Woviuya, seemed to sober up slightly at his question.
I faltered, but only for a moment. Failure wasn’t an option here.
“Maybe I wanna invest!” I replied with a little sassy hip pop. Mr. Woviuya pointed between me and his underling, laughing so hard that his face seemed about ready to explode.
“Amber, darling, come here,” he said, waving me over. My stomach went ice cold. I’d only worked here a few days, but I was already intimately familiar with what that statement meant. I did so, regardless.
Mr. Woviuya snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me into his lap. I worked even harder to keep my smile as natural as possible.
“You never want to invest in iridium at its high point. The best time to invest was two days ago, but I’ll give you a little pointer.” He pulled me closer, making a show of whispering in my ear. “Five days from now, around midday, that’s when you’ll wanna buy in. But you didn’t hear that from me.”
I giggled and playfully slapped him on the chest as I disentangled myself. “I’ll stow away some tips for the occasion.” Then I sauntered off, giving the men a little show as I did.
So, insider trading, market manipulation, or a mix of both, I thought to myself. Either way, I filed the information away to pass on to Conii when my shift was over.
They didn't deserve it. I tried to take some comfort in the character flaws of the people I was hurting. Even Mr. Woviuya, lecherous as he was, notoriously paid his miners above market and gave them benefits unheard of in the industry. His success threatened to raise the labor standards across the board.
And I was working to bring it to an end.
None of them deserved it. Mrs. Perkins was so sweet and tipped so well. I felt terrible letting Conii know her dogs go to the groomer every fifth day of the month, leaving her place unguarded. And Sashei Umo seemed genuine in his desire to start a charity for the orphans in the Under. I was heartbroken when I told Conii his funding came from one benefactor who may be swayed to reconsider with the right pressure.
I didn’t like what I was doing. But the truth was, I didn’t have a choice. Not as long as Isa was trapped. She was a sweet, kind girl. The sunshine to my grump. The best friend I could have ever asked for.
And if I didn’t do exactly as Conii wanted, they’d kill her. That was made abundantly clear. I would ruin a thousand companies and help rob every nice old lady in the galaxy if it meant protecting Isa.
I had always been a natural actress. It had helped me get through the bad times all my life. So that’s what I did again.
I returned to my hostess stand as a young couple approached. Mr. and Mrs. Arkahn. Newlyweds, just back from their honeymoon and celebrating the upcoming merger of their storefront with another business.
Conii wanted to know which one bought them. So, with a smile, I’d find out exactly that.
* * *
I clocked out of my shift, face aching just as much as my feet. But I couldn’t let the smile drop. I was still in the casino and couldn’t chance one of my coworkers or marks seeing me as anything less than pleasant and accommodating.
