“Hit that target,” he instructs, standing back beside me.
Re-squinting my eye down the barrel, my finger trembling over the trigger, I stare at the X, purse my lips and then thrust my finger back on the trigger.
The gun jerks in my hand, the sound so loud it echoes through the fridge, and the bullet slices the side of the flank. The smell of sulfur and metallic wafting around me. Gunpowder.
I lower the gun. Shit, I was way off.
“Try again,” Romeo demands.
Re-aiming, I hold the gun tightly and pull the trigger, this time not so nervous to do it.
I get closer to the X, but I’m off still.
Romeo grabs my hands, tilting the gun upward some.
“Again,” he commands.
Holding my breath, I stare at the X, imagining Poppy, foster parents, and handlers. Almost too much to imagine at once, I let out a breath and fire the fucking gun, the bullet jamming right into the X.
I laugh, lowering the gun to look at Romeo. He’s standing to the side, his arms across his chest, his hand cupping his chin. He smirks.
“Do it again,” he instructs.
And I do. I nail the X every fucking time until we are out of bullets.
Romeo shows me how to reload, how to cock it, and where the safety is. Holding the cold steel in my hands and knowing how to use it now I feel safer, I don’t want to give it back.
“Can I keep it?” I ask, looking up at him.
“Where you going to put it? In your shoes?” he asks, and I look down at my dress. I have no panties on or anything to hold it.
“You make a point.” Scowling, I hand it back to him.
He opens the big silver door and we step into the shop, that bloody smell back and making me scrunch my nose up. Seeing this makes me never want to eat meat again. We pass the man throwing a cleaver into a body of meat, and into the lobby until we are outside. The noise and smell back, I start looking around, amazed by life. Gideon turns to face Romeo, both of them talking in a whisper I can’t here. Gideon just keeps nodding, taking orders from Romeo. Seeing this side of Romeo makes me feel even more confident about the job we’re preparing for. He’s like a fucking king, everyone looking at him as if he holds the power.
They part ways, Gideon getting in his car and driving away.
“Everything okay?” I ask, being nosey mostly.
“Yeah. So, we need to get you some shoes and then we can head back,” he informs, opening the door for me. I slip into my seat, putting on my seat belt.
“We’re going shopping?” I ask with surprise. I know I need shoes, but I figured he’d just order them like he did my clothes. I’ve never been shopping before. I wonder where he’s taking me.
Romeo
Pulling up to the Fifth Avenue entrance of Saks, I look at the tall building. I’ve never been inside but passed by many times. Luna looks all around, her mind everywhere at once.
Getting out, the smell of smog and the city. I open Luna’s door and help her out. Taking her hand, we walk into the building coming to a guard dressed in a suit. I give him a curt nod and walk farther in. First floor looks to be nothing but perfume, jewelry, and stuff like that. I find a board that says what each floor is and find shoes to be on the sixth.
“This way,” I instruct, taking Luna to the escalators. This place is huge, a woman’s fantasy for sure. Reaching the sixth floor, there are circular sofas and club chairs. There are a few women trying on shoes, and salesladies who are dressed very nicely helping them.
“What do we do?” Luna whispers, looking at the shoe department.
“Let’s take a seat on that sofa, someone will come help us,” I guess, I don’t really know. We pass glass displays with high heels, and shoes I’ve never seen before until we come to the couch. Luna sits down, looking around her. I take a seat next to her and before we can even settle in our seats a lady with medium length hair and a blush blouse comes to us.
“Hi there. Looking for something special today?” she asks, looking right at me. I glance to Luna, curious if she had her eye on anything.
“I... I don’t know where to start,” she says shyly.
“Well, what size are you?” she questions. Luna looks to me with a quizzical look. Sliding off the couch, I kneel before her and take the tennis shoe off, and look inside. She said the shoe was a perfect fit before.
“She’s an eight,” I inform the saleslady.
“Perfect. I’ll bring a few options out and we can go from there?” She glances back at me, her lashes touching her eyebrows.
I don’t know why she keeps looking at me, I’m not trying the fucking shoe on. I tilt my head, studying her. Have I fucked her before? No, I’d remember. I think. I point my finger at Luna.
“You’re asking the wrong person. You should be asking Luna what she wants. Anything she desires, we’ll take it,” I inform that lady, whose face has a surprised expression.
“Just some shoes will do, really.”
Luna’s modesty makes my fingers itch to grasp her face and kiss her right now.
“Oh, okay. Well, my name is Aimie. If you should need anything before I return, just ask for me.” She gives Luna a kind smile, and I sit back on the couch, adjusting my tie.
“This place looks expensive. You can just take me to a Walmart or something, Romeo,” Luna whispers, looking at the woman behind us who is