153. PINE STREET.
Jack's Liquor. 11:29 PM.
The parking lot was bathed in the sickly orange glow of streetlamps. Katherine's car rolled to a stop near the edge of the curb. Her hands trembled as she checked her phone again—no new messages. Her gut twisted. She saw a man by the entrance… a cigarette between his fingers. She stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance. When she reached the stairs, it was Antonio, his face barely illuminated. Katherine stopped. He drew nearer, and their eyes locked. "Took you longer than I thought." he said. "I didn't come to see you. I'm here for my husband." she replied. Smoke curled from the corner of his mouth. "Your husband? I don't think so." he mocked. "Where is he?" Katherine demanded. "I don't know, yet." he said, anger flashed in her eyes. "The fuck do you mean, you don't know 'yet'?" she snapped. "Come with me." Antonio turned around. "No, I want to see Stephen." she rolled her eyes. Antonio headed for the door. "Then you better come with me." he declared. Only after a moment, she followed. Inside, the air was thick with smoke. Antonio headed for the bar counter, and she took a seat beside him. "So, where is he? I don't see any pool table here." Katherine asked. Antonio reached into his jacket and pulled out his cellphone. He turned to show Katherine. Her eyes widened with tears. "Oh my God." she breathed. "I should've told you before you came here, but I didn't want to risk you getting hurt on the way here." Antonio said. Tears slid down her cheeks as she fixated on the photo of Stephen and Adriana. "Oh God…" her voice broke. Antonio signaled to Amanda, who counted bills from the register. Katherine cupped her face. Jazz drifted softly through the air. Moments later, Amanda appeared before Katherine with a glass of wine. "Here, darling, to take the edge off." she slid the glass. Katherine gulped her wine slowly. "Where did it all go wrong?" she whispered. "Why is this happening?" she added. "What do I do?" Katherine choked on her words. "We confront him." Antonio said. "What! You're not helping Toni." she barked. "Wait, honey. He's right. You should face him… say what you need to say. It'll hurt, but afterward, you'll breathe easier. Trust me." Amanda advised.
"What do I even say?" Her voice trembled. "That's for you to find out." Amanda said.
Katherine's eyes fixed on the picture for a long moment. Finally, she wiped the tears. "So…where'd he go with her?" Katherine asked, "No idea." he replied. "Then what should we do?" she asked. "You should apply for the divorce papers." he stated. "It's a good idea. Half of his assets could be yours." Amanda said. "Which court should we go to?" she asked. Suddenly, a man settled into the seat beside Antonio, "How about Delph's Magistrate Court?" he told. Amanda's eyes widened slightly. A cream Scottish hat hid most of his face, while a black polar jacket draped over his frame. "Whiskey. Neat." he clicked, "Keep the change." The man threw the money on the counter. "Nice to see you too… Max." Amanda greeted. "Been a while, AJ." he said. He glanced at Antonio. "Well, if it ain't Big T triple Toni. So, this is where you've been hiding." Max chuckled darkly. "Max, listen, just give me more ti—" he began.
"Time waits for no man." Max chipped in. "Three months gone, and you haven't said a thing."
"Look, man. Work had me tied up. Just give me more time." Antonio said. Max laughed. "You're a fucking leech, sucking on the hands that feed you." he insulted. "Come on, man. Let's settle this like gentlemen. I'll have it sorted by the end of the week." Antonio proposed. "Stop with your tricks." Max growled. "Look, a close friend of mine here is going to through something. I'm just trying to help her resolve some issues with her husband—then I'll sort you out, I promise." he stated. "Does her Stephen know y'all want her to get a divorce, so you can enjoy his money?" Max accused. "What are—" Antonio stuttered. "How do you know about Stephen?" he paused. "I know the type of man you are Antonio." Max said with a smile. "So what? You've got nothing to back up that claim?" he replied. Max reached into his jacket, pulled out a Polaroid, and he slid it across the table. Antonio's eyes bulged. To his shock, it was a picture of him and Katherine having sex in her car at the KO parking lot. "How'd you get this?" he was in disbelief. "My eyes and ears are all over San El Zorro." Max said. "But… how?" Katherine's voice trembled. "You're a whore, chasing after the guy's money. I don't care what you've got planned, but I know Stephen, and I won't let you do him wrong like that." Max exposed. "You're lying. How can we be sure this isn't some deepfake?" Antonio argued. "And how do we know yours isn't?" Max asked. "Touché" Amanda murmured. "I want my share by Friday, and if not… guess Stephen will find out the truth and it's me and you, Toni." he said as he rose from his seat. "Thanks for the drink, AJ." he thanked. "No problem, Sweetie." Amanda replied. Antonio lit a cigarette. "So, what now?" Amanda broke the stillness. "Kathy, go home." he said. "But—"
"Change of plans, I'll talk to you in the morning." he cut her off. "Look, I didn't come here for nothing! My hus—Stephen is still out there with that bitch, and you expect me to just go home?" she snapped. "Yes." Antonio said. "So, you're actually going to listen to that asshole?" Katherine asked. "That asshole isn't your everyday thug, Kathy. Not only did he just put some heavy evidence on us, but now he's aware of our whereabouts… fuck, we're finished." he said calmly. "Max is dangerous — the kind of man you don't cross. So, listen when I say go home. We'll talk in the morning."
"Sweetie. Believe me, Max, although he might be scary or evil… he's still a man of his word, and trust me, I want to back you up. But it's best if you head home—for now." Amanda supported. "Okay, fine—but you better call me in the morning." Katherine got up from her seat. "I hope you know what you're doing, Toni." she added. Antonio exhaled a plume of smoke. "We'll have to wait and see." he declared.
"Thanks for the drink, Amanda." Katherine said. "No problem, sweetie." she replied. Then, Katherine left the bar, got in her car, and drove off. Back inside, Amanda leaned in. "So, how much did you knock off of him?" she asked curiously. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Antonio avoided. "I wasn't born yesterday. You can fool her, but not me. So… how much?" Amanda asked."One hundred keys." he sighed. "Holy shit." she slurred. "Yeah, and I have to pay it back by Friday. Jesus, what am I supposed to do?" Antonio said. "Leave that question for tomorrow. Tonight we drink!" Amanda rang the bell behind the counter. 'Midnight Specials' flashed on the TV's. She slammed her hands down on the counter. "Let's just drink our problems away, then later suffer a sober death." Amanda stated. "I guess you're right." he admitted.
Amber Valley. 12:00 am.
Tommy's Jol.
The city glimmered under restless lights. A handful of taverns stayed open, and their music flowed into the streets. Inside a taxi, Stephen and Adriana sat comfortably next to each other. "I miss this." Adriana whispered in his ear. "What?" he asked. "The desire we once had." she said. "You shouldn't be saying things like that." Stephen said. "Why? Because you're married?" she asked cunningly. "No, because it will invite unnecessary emotions." Stephen admitted. Adriana lay her head on his chest. "Then let's leave that door open." she said quietly. Her fingers brushed his jaw. "Talk to me." she pleaded. "What is there to talk about?" Stephen asked. "Ever since we reunited, I've been happy… but it's like you're not shocked to see me. You're not the same… Ghost?" she loomed in his eyes. The cab stopped. "Yo… this is your stop." the driver said. "Thank you." they said. "Yeah… come on, I've got to clock out. If you hurry up, you'll be doing me a favor." the driver replied. "No problem… uh?" Stephen said. "Ethan." he answered. "Thanks again, Ethan, for the ride." Stephen helped Adriana out the car.
The cab pulled away. Adriana and Stephen stood outside Tommy's Jol. "This feels so nostalgic." she said. "Yeah, sure does." Stephen replied, "Let's go inside." Adriana entwined her fingers with Stephen's and pulled him along. "Whoa, slow down." he chuckled. The door swung open, and a quiet hush greeted them. Tommy's Jol felt more like a retro diner than a tavern. lanterns hung from the ceiling. The jukebox flashed with vibrant colors. Only a handful of customers occupied the tables. "Hmm… quieter than it used to be." Adriana said. "Well, that's because this is what Tommy wants to show the sky birds, remember?" Stephen said. "Sky bird?" she asked.
"It's complicated, but simply put—it's decoration for the party pooper or something like that… a friend from Azania told me." Stephen said. She chuckled softly. "Party pooper? Really… what are you, twelve?" she teased. "Says the one who dressed up like one." he mocked playfully. "Rude! And here I thought you changed." she said. "I did change. But some habits never die around you." he said. Adriana giggled. Stephen nodded toward the far end of the room. "That's where we're heading. As I told you, this floor is for show—the real fun starts in there." he stated. "Stop playing, this stuff only happens in the movies." she joked. "Grab some popcorn then, because we're starring in it." Stephen grinned. They went through the Staff Only door. The backstage was a labyrinth of curtains. Shadows danced along the walls as stray beams of light cut through the darkness. "It's… different." she murmured. "Welcome to the real show." he said.