by David Walker
After finishing their meals, they went into Carmen's car and carpooled to work. The Alverez siblings were each Industria System's employees. Carmen worked in art design while Domingo and Leila worked in sales. They always had a workgroup chat open with each other. Domingo and Leila were in constant competition over sales numbers. They were both good at selling dedicated servers, each having their own unique style of persuasion.
Carmen worked directly with customers who sought creative designs for their websites. She enjoyed the challenge of meeting her customer's unique requests. Her personable nature allowed her to have a friendly rapport with the majority of the customers that she worked with. With every design that Carmen worked on, she felt as if it were a puzzle that only she could solve. However, she was less comfortable with the technical aspects of her job. Carmen ran into an issue with uploading an image file to a server and immediately thought of Matthew Richardson from hosting support.
“Can I vid you?” Carmen asked him over work chat.
“Sure thing,” he replied, accepting her video conference invitation. Carmen could have adequately described her technical issue over chat alone; however, she loved talking to Matthew through video conference. Carmen admired his warm, caramel skin and attractive facial features. His dark, enigmatic eyes hypnotized her, especially when he arched one his bold eyebrows. Matthew patiently walked Carmen through her technical issue.
“Thank you, Mr. Richardson,” Carmen said, smiling charmingly.
“You are welcome, Ms. Alverez,” Matthew replied, returning her smile.
Carmen completed her shift and began the process of herding the bunch of kittens that she knew as her siblings, who were busy socializing with their coworkers. The Alverez family ended the work day, driving home in a rambunctious mood. As evening approached, Carmen applied her evening makeup, replete with a smoky eye and matador-red lipstick. She picked out a sleek black, yet conservative dress to wear for the night. It did not take her long to get ready to go out. Her siblings, on the other hand, were dedicated to the intricate art of looking good.
Domingo walked into Carmen's room, reeking of cologne. Privacy was never a concern in the Alverez home. They each knew how to keep their doors locked when necessary.
“How do I look?” Domingo asked. Carmen examined his wrinkleless, collared shirt and neatly pressed slacks. He was as handsome as their father, she thought to herself.
“Looks like Leila and I will have to beat some floozies off of you tonight,” she replied generously. Domingo confidently tugged his collar and went back to his room. Moments later, Leila came into Carmen's room and asked the same question. Carmen examined Leila's green hair highlights, low-cut, cream blouse, and snug green stiletto skirt.
“You look saucy, chica,” Carmen assured her. Carmen suddenly changed her mind about her earrings and popped in a new pair of gold hoops. The Alverez family got into Domingo's car and made their way to Clove Street Cafe, ready to tear the night up.
* * *
Matthew stepped into his cramped closet, looking for something to wear on a night he would be on stage. Opting for comfort, he threw on a pair of black, baggy shorts, a simple forest-green shirt, and his favorite black hoodie. He examined his slim, kempt goatee in the mirror and was satisfied with its appearance. Garret sent him a text, letting him know that he had arrived to pick him up. Matthew walked over to Garret's beat-up, yet reliable silver sedan. As usual, Garret came overdressed in a charcoal suit jacket, with his dark, wavy hair that was neatly groomed.
“Happy birthday, dude,” Garret said, handing Matthew a sleeved comic book. “It's the third issue of the Labors of Hercules.” Matthew's eyes lit up. Comic book enthusiasm was what Matthew and Garret bonded over ten years earlier, at the beginning of their friendship. Matthew no longer collected comic books, but he could recognize and appreciate a valuable, collectible one.
“Wow, thanks man! Looks like this is in mint condition,” Matthew said appreciatively.
“You're welcome! This is the one with the hydra poison and Olympian crossover,” Garret added excitedly. Garret still collected comics and had lost none of his enthusiasm for them. Matthew hopped into Garret's passenger seat after carefully storing away his gift. They arrived at Kylie's modest apartment.
Kylie eagerly approached Matthew. Her porcelain, oval face beamed as she tucked her thick, sunrise-red hair behind her ears. Kylie shoved a decoratively, wrapped box into Matthew's hands.
“Happy Birthday! Open it! Open it!” she urged gleefully.
“Why thank you, Ky,” Matthew said, opening his gift.
Matthew marveled as he unsheathed a slender, slightly curved sword: his favorite style of weapon. The sword's burgundy hilt was intricately woven in a diamond pattern. Matthew did not normally like surprises, but she knew him well. Matthew was a martial arts enthusiast despite never being an official student of martial arts. He was familiar with many of the moves, tricks, and methodologies of multiple martial arts disciplines. Kylie was aware of this; she had known Matthew almost as long as Garret had known him. They had all been friends since high school.
“Wow, this is amazing. Thank you, Ky!” Matthew said as he hugged her. She held him tightly while Garret shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Garret pulled out his phone and flipped through applications.
“Earl's Bar or Clove Street Cafe?” Garret asked.
“Let's go to Clove Street,” Matthew answered, handing the passenger seat over to Kylie.
“No, it's your birthday. You take it,” Kylie said.
“Nope. I'll sit in the back,” Matthew insisted. Garret perked up as Kylie hesitantly sat in the passenger seat. Matthew did not care for social convention, but he nearly always displayed common courtesy and chivalry. They made their way to the Clove Street Cafe.
The bar was not spacious, but its staff was able to make efficient use of its space during karaoke nights, ensuring that ample room was available for the singing area. The bar was dimly lit with multi-colored light streams bouncing along the floor. The fog machine occasionally formed billows of thick vapor. They got there early, giving Matthew enough time to put in his choice song requests before the bar got lively. Kylie bought a few rounds of lemon-flavored alcohol shots, as she and Matthew loosened up for the night. The alcohol gave Matthew a boost of courage as he got up and nailed his first song. Matthew urged Kylie and Garret to sing, and they refused him as usual.
As the night wore on, Matthew noticed an attractive woman with silky, black hair laced with green highlights step onto the stage. Matthew admired her sun-kissed, olive skin, shapely figure, and the bold tribal tattoo on her right shoulder. He was blown away by her rich, melodious voice. She gripped the microphone with passion as she poured herself into the song, prompting loud cheers from the crowd.
For a moment, Matthew saw sparks of electricity surround her. It seemed as if an untraceable gust of wind tousled her hair about. Matthew quickly glanced at Garret and Kylie, who did not seem to notice. Whoa, did someone spike my drink? He rapidly shook his head and the strange activity surrounding her had ceased.
Matthew got up and requested a song that he had never sung; a gamble he rarely risked. By the time it was Matthew's turn to sing, he had the location of the captivating singer. He noted that she sat with an attractive male who did not seem romantically involved with her. She also sat with a beautiful female who was vaguely familiar, but Matthew's buzz would not allow him to figure out who she was. At this point, it was irrelevant. It was showtime.
Matthew entered into his full charm mode. He was terrible at picking up women through typical means; he often stumbled through the small talk required to break the ice with a woman that he was attracted to. Matthew was generally shy, which led him to being a late bloomer when it came to the art of dating. In spite of this, Matthew had learned to take advantage of his talents and looks as an alternative means to grab a woman's attention. His sonorous voice filled the room as he sung a slow-paced, romantic song. He occasionally focused his gaze
on the captivating singer, as if he were singing to her directly. These were done at precise, calculated moments, of course. She took notice, smiling as her chocolate brown eyes met with his.
When he was finished, Matthew stepped outside to the smoking patio to vape on his electronic cigarette. He thought about the best way to approach the beautiful songstress. Moments later, she stepped outside, trailed by the unidentified man that sat at her table. They sat down at a table that was not far off from where he was. This was the time. Matthew made his way over to their table, braving the risk that she was sitting with her man.
“You have an amazing voice,” Matthew said candidly.
“Thank you. You're pretty good yourself,” she replied, responding as if she was not used to having serious completion on karaoke nights. Matthew extended his hand to her in greeting.
“My name is Matthew,” he said, shaking her hand.
“Leila,” she replied warmly. Matthew extended his hand toward the man next to her in greeting.
“Domingo, but I go by Dom,” he said, shaking Matthew's hand with a friendly smile. Leila took out an electric cigarette and began puffing on it. Matthew noted that she used the same model as he did.
“Nice, what flavor are you vaping?” Matthew asked, seizing the opportunity to make small talk.
“Piña colada,” she replied with a grin.
“Yummy, one of my favorites. I've got cinnamon in my tank now,” Matthew said.
“Yuck,” Domingo said, twisting his face. Matthew chucked at the interjection. The beautiful woman that sat with Domingo and Leila at the bar came outside and approached the table. Matthew finally recognized her: it was Carmen Alverez. Awkward. Matthew tilted his head to the side and looked at her as if he were trying to confirm her identity.
“Ms. Alverez?” he asked.
“Good evening, Mr. Richardson,” Carmen replied with a smile, shaking his hand. Leila raised a bemused eyebrow. Domingo wore a puzzled look on his face.
“You two know each other?” Leila asked.
“Mr. Richardson is in hosting support. He helps me out with all of my silly hosting questions,” Carmen explained. Leila and Domingo started laughing.
“Small world. We all work at Industria. These are my two sisters,” Domingo said. Matthew silently exhaled a sigh of relief. However, he still found himself in a sticky situation.
Although he had never directly flirted with Carmen, he was still working his long-term charm offensive on her. She was even more stunning in person; he finally got the chance to take note of her long eyelashes and well-placed beauty marks. Matthew thought that Carmen and Leila were both beautiful. Leila had the nicer figure, but Carmen had the edge in Matthew's mind, however slightly. Nonetheless, all of his hopes of dating her one day landed right in the trash. Great, she caught me flirting with her sister.
“And before you ask, yes, I'm adopted,” Leila jested, interrupting Matthew's thoughts. The Alverez family burst out into laughter and Matthew just smiled. He figured that Leila was probably of Ghemezian descent.
“What? Honestly, I thought Dom was adopted,” Matthew joked, grabbing Domingo's hearty laughter. “Which departments do you guys work in?”
“We're both in sales,” Leila answered, still laughing.
“Nice,” Matthew replied, masking his contempt for sales in general. Moments later, Kylie and Garret came outside and joined the table.
“Wow, we wondered where you went,” Kylie said cheerfully, covering up her slight annoyance.
“Oh hey, sorry guys. Kylie, Garret, meet my new friends, the Alverezes,” Matthew said, as everyone introduced themselves to one another. Matthew was somewhat relieved that Kylie showed up. He knew that she would add social ease to the conversation. It was not long before the two groups engaged in casual conversations, getting to know each other. Carmen even asked Kylie about her long, uniquely colored hair.
“So, did Matt tell you guys he turned twenty-four today?” Kylie asked the group, knowing full well that she would embarrass him. Leila perked up.
“No, as a matter of fact, he didn't,” Leila said, busting Matthew's chops. “So you're a Scorpio?”
“Indeed,” Matthew replied with a sly smile. He was glad that a topic he could connect with Leila on finally popped up. Matthew studied astrology. He often used it as a means to categorize personalities, which made it easier for him to predict outcomes. Matthew always silently strove to predict outcomes. He was both surprised and pleased about how accurate his astrological predictive models were.
“What's your birthday?” Matthew asked Leila.
“August twenty-eighth,” Leila replied.
“So, you're a Virgo then, eh?” Matthew asked.
“Yes, I am,” Leila returned, seemingly impressed with Matthew. Matthew and Leila entered a side conversation about astrology. He discovered that Carmen was a Gemini and that Domingo was an Aquarius; he tucked away their astrological signs with a mental note.
“So, where are you guys from?” Garret asked the Alverez family.
“Our family comes from Libertadore, Neshawne,” Carmen answered.
“Yep. Descendants of the Libertadore himself,” Domingo proclaimed proudly.
“The same Libertadore that led Neshawne to its independence from colonial Ethras?” Garret inquired.
“Yes,” Domingo and Carmen answered at the same time.
“Fascinating,” Garret responded enthusiastically. History was one of his favorite subjects.
“I heard that Libertadore was beautiful. I'd love to travel there one day,” Kylie added.
The group discussed a couple of other topics before making their way back inside the bar. They secured a larger table with room for all of them to sit down. The Alverez trio brought the house down when they collectively sang a beloved hip-hop song from their childhood. Domingo was particularly charismatic, as he performed most of the song. Matthew jumped up and down in excitement, cheering them on. Toward the end of the night, Matthew had gathered up enough courage to ask Leila for her phone number. She gave it to him with a beguiling smile.
* * *
Over the next couple of weeks, Matthew chatted with Leila over their work chat application. Matthew liked how the application allowed for low-pressure conversation, as with texts, yet allowed him to quickly type messages with his keyboard. Matthew discovered that Leila was an athletic person who liked to jog and workout frequently. When Matthew discovered that she liked to dance, he seized the opportunity to ask her out. Dancing was one of his strong suits.
“Want to go out dancing at the Steam Room tomorrow night?” Matthew sent.
“Finally decide to ask me out?” Leila teased.
“The dazzling splendor of your beauty had me spellbound and paralyzed,” Matthew returned, only half joking. He sent her a bashful emoji.
“Lol! Okay, Romeo. Are you ready to get stomped on the dance floor?”
“Alight girl, we'll see.”
Matthew picked Leila up from the Alverez home. She was wearing blue jeans and a navy blue tee shirt that had the word 'BOSS' written in white, bold lettering. Her blue highlighted hair was done up in a ponytail beneath a matching baseball cap. Matthew found her no less beautiful in casual clothes; he noted the change in her hair color.
They went to a hookah bar for dinner, something that Matthew had never experienced. The bar was exotic; with stained glass windows, mystic-red colored walls, and plush, ornate furniture. They dined on the floor, atop thick, expensive hand-woven rugs. The bar served bitter, unfamiliar food with gritty textures that Matthew did not enjoy.
“How is it?” Leila asked.
“It's...interesting,” Matthew replied, wishing he had access to Garret's experienced palette and wealth of information about dining experiences. The last thing he wanted to do was to insult her native cuisine. Leila laughed.
“You can just say if you don't like it,” she teased. Matthew smirked.
“I like these hookahs,” he said honestly, pulling in a deep drag
from the smooth, strawberry flavored tobacco. “So, what did you do today?”
“I had a kickboxing class earlier,” she answered. Matthew's face lit up.
“Wow, you take kickboxing? That's awesome. I've thought about taking kickboxing and Tousian-style grappling. I also want to take Shun-Mai style boxing, but I don't know how practical it would be in real life scenarios.”
“Oh yeah? Why haven't you?” Leila ventured.
“I don't know. I'm just a procrastinator, I guess,” he answered. Leila laughed.
“I love kickboxing. It helps me relieve a lot of stress,” she said, as she popped her knuckles and cocked her neck to the side.
“I bet,” Matthew said, as he got a closer look at her shoulder tattoo, noticing a black dragon within the tribal print. “I like the design of your tattoo. What is it based off of?”
“This is Zahhak. It's a legendary dragon in Ghemeza, where my biological family was from,” Leila said proudly, turning her shoulder so he could get a better look. Matthew was curious about Leila's biological parents and the circumstances of her adoption but did not want to delve into the topic before Leila freely broached the subject. Matthew and Leila talked about a variety of things. Leila carried the weight of the conversation. After a while, Matthew noticed a star and crescent symbol on the wall.
“That's weird...I just had a dream about that symbol,” he said, pointing to the symbol. “In my dream, I saw a waning moon with a strange glow. It almost looked as if the moon was moving and going to jump out of its orbit. Then, I saw a bright star that set itself right near the tips of the crescent, just like that emblem.” Leila looked at Matthew with fascination in her eyes.
“That star is actually the planet Venus. That alignment is only supposed to happen during very special cosmic moments.”
“No kidding,” Matthew said, appreciative of learning something new.
“You're an interesting one, Matthew Richardson. Can I read your palms?” Leila asked.