Deviation shook his hand, there was a sudden tingling ache in her palm and then she Knew. She quickly lowered her eyes in a parody of coyness to hide the gleam of greed in her eyes. She looked up as he glanced towards her brothers and moved so that she blocked the immediate view with her own body.
“Nice name,” she told him, a devious little light glinting in her eyes as she repeated his name, adding an almost exotic inflection to it as she rolled it over over on her tongue. “Reminds me of a Prince song.” she said teasingly.
“As to plans… well it depends on what you’re up for… Nickolaus. That is, if you have the energy for it.” she said, grinning wickedly, holding his eyes with her own before she nodded to another patron who was belly up to the bar. “I’ll be here.” she told him before sauntering away. Back at the table Gene was watching Nick over Deviation’s shoulder.
“What the hell did you say to him?” Gene asked, his dark eyes going to Deviation’s face then back to the busy bartender. Deviation chuckled and looked over her shoulder at Nick then shrugged at her brother.
“I’m going to be a little busy tonight, Gene.” she told him as she sat down. “I might not be able to make it to Greg’s after party thing.”
Gene gave his sister big eyes then snorted. “Yeah? Damn girl you work fast.” Fred leaned over Gene, narrowing his eyes slightly. Out of all of them Fred seemed to have the largest most lumnious eyes of them all. Deviation suppressed a shudder as they pinned on her.
“How often does your sibling celebrate the release of a major indie film, Deviation Colderone?” he asked her, wagging a finger.
Both Deviation and Gene looked at each other and smirked. “Once every six months.” they replied in unison. Fred tilted his head and nodded once.
“You’re right, you’re free to spend this night as you please.” he said with a regal, dismissive wave of his hand. Gene burst out laughing as Deviation threw icecubes at Fred, bouncing them off his forehead.
For the remainder of the night Deviation sent her brothers to the bar to get the drinks, though she’d watch the bartender from time to time, her expression abstracted unless he looked her way.
Then she’d grin quickly, give a little wave and turn back to speaking with her brothers.
She checked her watch at 11:20 and got up to step outside ‘for some air’. She excused herself to the smoking patio and stood on the far side, away from the lights and the people, facing the door. Flipping open her cell phone she dialed quickly from memory.
“Stitt? Deviation. Found one.” There were a few moments of silence on her end as she listened, her expression turning more and more vicious. “What the hell do you mean ‘no space’?” she growled. “We have an agreement, Stitt. I turn them over within 9 hours of fiding them, period. You told me this wouldn’t be a problem, man.”
She listened again, turning away from the door and snarling even lower. “The money batter be in my account in 30 minutes Stitt, or you’ve lost your best fucking tracker.”
She listened again then smiled like a saint. “Thanks, Stitt!” she chimed. Suddenly her expression became frozen. “How long?” she asked, incredulous. “You’re fucking kidding me.” She drummed her fingers on the wooden railing. “I don’t do babysitting, Stitt. I want a holders fee granted to me… yes… 20,000…No, anything less and I let this one walk and maybe the next one too, you little grubfucker.”
She smiled again, all sunshine and rainbows. “Wonderful! You’re the best!” she signed off with a little kiss into the phone, laughing.

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