Page 19 of The Killer Card

Both Nathan and I were adopted as infants- first him from South Korea and then me from Senegal five years later. He was planned, I was a surprise while my family was on a diplomatic mission. Whatever that means.

The story we were told as kids was that our mother wasn’t able to have babies of her own, so our parents decided to help children in need. Nathan’s birth parents had died in a car accident not long after he was born and I was- for all intents and purposes- abandoned. I don’t know what happened to either of my parents and I’ve never bothered to find out. Why would I when I’ve been given everything I could ever ask for by parents who want me?

Well, the parent who wants me.

We got the real story when our mom decided family life was no longer for her. Apparently, she’d never wanted kids in the first place. She’d just wanted the money and power that came with being married to a highly influential lawyer, then mayor on the fast track to becoming governor. I was nine when she left and all I really remember is how many photos of my family were being spread around the school. It was an election year, and Dad won his seat as Governor of Florida on the pity vote for the newly single dad working so hard for his state and his family.

The last either of us heard, Georgiana Larson née Mychal, is living her best life in Majorca contracting gonorrhea and the like from seamen and it’s homonym. We don’t talk. I think Nathan follows her on social media, but that’s as far as either of us are willing to go.

“So did you call to bitch or…?” I pick up the wine bottle, taking a swig and holding it to my chest as I wait for him to answer.

There is silence on the other end for much too long. “Do you think- and feel free to say no—”

“Okay, no.”

“Well, let me ask first.” I groan and he goes on, “Would you please go check in on The Pink Flamingo for me tonight?”

I roll my eyes to the Heavens because of course my brother would buy an erotic private club and not feel the need to come check in on business himself. Of course, he would ask his baby sister to do it because he has no boundaries. Of course, I was going to end up there tonight anyway, but I’m absolutely still going to make him sweat a little bit.

“Nope.”

“Why the fuck not?!”

“Because, dear brother,” I take out another dress, this one royal blue and do the same little dance in the front of my mirror before tossing it on my bed. “It’s Friday, you're calling out of the fucking blue, and I already have plans with the girls.”

“Take them—”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh, come on, Nel would love it there—”

“Nelly has a boyfriend, Nathan. A very strict one at that—”

“Loser—”

“And Clara would shit herself if I took her spontaneously to her place of employment- which she has never told me about if you’ll recall. Your anonymity holds up amongst your employees by the way.”

“Good to know,” he snorts. “Come on, Naomi. I just need you to pop in, scare Gavin a little bit—”

“Bro, he dumped you like a year ago. Fire him or drop it, either way stop harassing him—"

“Hey,” he interjects. “Maybe mind your own business.”

“Mind your own business,” I snap back. “Weren’t you supposed to be coming into town this weekend anyway?”

I can practically hear him shrug in his expensive Armani suit. “Plans change. I’m going to Cabo.” I scoff, starting in on my shoes for the night. “Please, Mimi?! I’ll bring you back a souvenir! You want a pool boy? I’ll bring you a pool boy—”

“Please, keep your pool boys to yourself,” I huff, grabbing my strappy gold heels. “I was going to head over there at some point anyway.”

“You’re a doll, Mimi! Tell Gavin to kiss my dick.”

I smirk, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’ll give him your love and affection.”

“Love you!” He blows very loud kisses into the phone before hanging up.

I toss my phone on the charger, pick up the wine bottle from the floor and head into my bathroom for a quick shower. If I’m going to end up at The Pink Flamingo, then I guess I need to choose a different dress. Or, at the very least, a different color.

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