The brakes whined and hissed. It was slowing. But it would be too late.
10
“Oh great, my dress has arrived,” Allissa said, stepping into their flat’s communal entrance hall. Before being split into apartments, the top one of which was Leo and Allissa’s, the house would have been grand. The entrance hall hinted at this with its intricate plaster mouldings and patterned floor tiles.
“I ordered it while we were in Abu Dhabi,” Allissa said, holding up the package.
“Did you, I don’t remember? I hope it fits,” Leo said, following Allissa up to their flat.
Leo dropped the suitcases in the middle of the front room and looked around. The place was a mess, just as he remembered. The discoloured paint had begun to peel from the walls, and the carpet was threadbare. His computer sat on a desk in the bay window amid piles of books and papers.
There had been discussions about them moving somewhere better now that the business was doing alright. But, with the amount of time they’d been away, neither had done anything about it.
“Yeah, glad it’s here,” Allissa said. She filled the kettle and clicked it on. “I’m going to have a quick shower and try it on.” Allissa held up the package. “Tell me what you think.”
“Sure,” Leo said. “I need another coffee first, though. Want one?”
“Yes, please,” Allissa said, heading in the direction of her bedroom.
Before Allissa moved in, her bedroom had been unused. The rent in the rundown apartment was so cheap that Leo had never even considered having a housemate. But he had to admit; he liked having Allissa there.
Leo walked into the kitchen as the kettle grumbled to the boil. He grabbed the canister of instant coffee, pulled off the lid and began to spoon it into a cup. Then, with a smile, he remembered Allissa had pranked him two weeks ago by swapping the canisters around. Leo suppressed a giggle and pulled the ‘Tea’ canister from the shelf. There was no way he was going to acknowledge the change and let Allissa win.
“Coffee’s on the table,” Leo said as Allissa entered the front room. He was lying back on the sofa with his eyes shut. “There’s no milk, I’m afraid. Or rather, there is milk, but it’s been there for so long it’s developed its own ecosystem. To be fair, you take your life in your hands even by opening the fridge —”
“What do you think?” Allissa said, interrupting him.
“Well, it’s pretty gross, we should have emptied it before we left —”
“No, what do you think about the dress?”
Leo opened his eyes and sat up. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.
Having known each other for almost a year, and lived together for a few months, Leo and Allissa had seen each other in many different states. Leo was used to looking away as Allissa passed him wrapped in a towel or only wearing her underwear. Those things, however, did nothing to prepare him for what he saw now.
As his eyes ran across her body, Leo felt himself smile. The black dress glimmered across the swell of her chest and clung to the pinch of her waist.
“What’s… You don’t like it?” Alissa asked, turning around and drawing Leo’s eyes to her bum.
“No, no, it’s...” Leo struggled for the right words. “It’s… great, you look —”
“Help me do it up,” Allissa said, showing him the open zip at the back.
Leo rose to his feet and felt his body fizz with electricity. His heart thudded. Behind his eyes, something tensed.
Reaching Allissa, Leo took a deep breath. With one hand on the base of her back, he raised the zip with the other. When it reached the top, he put both his hands on her shoulders.
“It looks,” he said, turning his head to look at her reflection in the hallway mirror. “Amazing. You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” Allissa said, raising her right hand to his left. Their fingers intertwined.
Leo looked at them in the mirror. Him standing behind Allissa, her body pressing back into his. Allissa’s eyes were large and dark and seemed to be gazing at him too.
“Do you think it’ll be alright for the party?”
“I think...” Leo’s pulse quickened. It was beating for them both now. He lent leant in towards Allissa’s exposed neck. His chest tightened. But this was not panic. This was something more. Something instinctive. Something beautiful. Narrowing his eyes, Leo took in the beautiful slenderness of her neck. The smell of her coconut body lotion. His right hand slipped across the top of her chest.
“I think... it’s perfect,” he said, just an inch from her skin. Leo drew another deep breath. This was it. He had no idea what this meant, but this was good.
A harsh electronic buzz sprang from the phone by the door.
“That thing works?” Allissa said, shaking her head and stepping forward.
“Must do,” Leo said, letting his breath go slowly. They’ll go away, he thought, the words not making it to his lips. His hands dropped to his sides.
“I’ll go,” Allissa said, crossing to the phone. “Hello?” She paused and listened. “Hello?” she said again. The phone on the wall continued to buzz.
“Can you go and see who it is? It might be important. I’ll get changed.”
Leo sank into a stoop and headed for the door.
11
“What do you want to tell me then?” Olezka asked.
Keal slumped in the chair with his hands tied behind his back. Konstantin’s body had been dragged from the room, leaving a dark splatter of congealing blood by Keal’s feet.
“Honestly, Dedushka Olezka, I have no idea what you are talking about.” Keal rolled his shoulders. They were already getting stiff from the lack of movement. “I was just having a night with a woman, and you came in and brought me here.”
Olezka stopped pacing and looked at Keal. The pistol was stuffed beneath his belt and his gloved hands hung by his sides. Dull morning light from one of the cracked and grime-covered windows
