Chapter 4

The outside air immediately sucked the breath from Sloane’s lungs and chomped at her ankles. She crossed her arms in a feeble attempt to keep warm and tried keeping her eyes open as they began to water in the blustering wind, blurring the colorful Christmas lights outlining the building across the street.

“This is it, right there,” Lisa stated calmly. She grabbed Sloane by the arm, the top of her head not even reaching Sloane’s shoulders, and carefully guided her across the cobblestone street. Sloane made a conscious effort to keep her ankles from rolling on uneven ground in such high heels, and she admired how Lisa walked like she was born in them.

Sloane looked up in awe to a white SUV, comically large in such a tight street. A large figure stepped out of the driver seat and opened the back door.

“Miss Reaves,” his deep voice punched through the miserably cold air as he offered his hand to help Lisa pull her petite frame into the spacious back of the vehicle. Sloane stole a glance at Lisa’s sharp calf cutting a curved line beneath black nylon.

“Miss Sloane,” he looked down at her, extending his hand. The sound of her name startled her, and she felt a sneaking anxiety again take hold as she climbed up into the SUV.

She shuffled into place as she reached for her seatbelt.

“Charles, do you have an estimate on our arrival?” Lisa asked.

Sloane watched as Charles finished entering an address on his phone, mounted to the dash.

‘Alpine, New Jersey.’ Sloane remembered.

“Says about 45 minutes, Miss Reaves,” Charles’ voice nearly vibrated Sloane’s seat. “But we’ll do our best to get there in 44.”

Lisa snickered. “What a gem.”

The ride was relatively quiet, and Sloane worked to keep her nerves from building while Lisa’s face was lit up by her phone. She pecked away at its screen; typing, sending, switching between apps. Anxiety gave way to excitement as the car worked itself into less familiar parts of Manhattan.

As they approached the GW bridge, Lisa put down her phone and exhaled. She looked into Sloane’s eyes and grabbed her hand.

“So, do you have any last-minute questions or anything you want to talk through?”

Sloane’s heart pounded and she found it difficult to speak. Her nerves had a different brand than those present while at the bar; she felt like she did back in high school leading up to a big volleyball match.

“I don’t think so,” she spoke loudly in an effort to speak through any trembling, “I feel like I’m so excited I could vom, but I’m pumping myself up!”

The two cackled.

Lisa’s laughter quickly transitioned to a delighted snarl, and she shook her head. Her nose crinkled and her lower jaw stuck out as she spat above her lower teeth: “Ya just gotta get in there, and you gotta do you. Do all the things you always wanted to do. Enjoy yourself in our little playground. Show yourself off. Know you’re hot as hell, you know the power you keep behind those eyes. When we show up, let yourself lose control and just…fuckin…” she stuck our her hands as though holding an inflated beach ball in front of her face, “just fuckin GIVE it to him…”

The butterflies bounced off the walls inside Sloane’s stomach as she watched Lisa, waiting for her to finish as she turned towards the window.

“...take control.”