iDENTITY Page 14

Bubbles swirled around them as their passions ignited. The jets sensually caressed their bodies as they touched each other in unfamiliar places. Each hot touch elevated them to new levels of excitement and they came together, crying out in ecstasy. Sydney felt so alive from Charlie’s long-awaited touch, never wanting him to leave. His presence after her brush with death twice in the last few hours made her feel safe and secure.

  From the edge of the jacuzzi, a beeping hologram of Randall appeared on Charlie’s phone, leaving a map with his location.

  “Help, stranded and in hiding. Hurry.”

  Caught up in their passionate embrace, it took three beeps before Sydney looked up.

  “Who is that at this early hour? Must be urgent,” she said as Charlie sat upright and grabbed his phone. “It’s Randall— he’s in trouble! What great timing,” said Charlie, fully alert and irritated.

  “It’s always some emergency and you have to drop everything. Besides, he ran off and almost left us to die? What about us? It just doesn’t seem to matter to you,” said Sydney.

  Charlie stared at her shapely backside, her naked body stirred him.

  “Stop, don’t go, just a few more minutes. He can wait,” she said, as Charlie grabbed a towel and awkwardly wrapped it around himself.

  “Just go away, I want to be alone. I’m tired of waiting for you. Now I’m going to take a shower, and when I’m finished, I want you gone!” she said. She turned away from him.

  “I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll slip away for the weekend and it will just be the two of us,” Charlie said as she closed the bathroom door and locked it.

  The pulsating shower felt good on her neck and shoulders. She sat down on the shower bench and watched the steam on the doors.

  Sydney closed her eyes and thought about the next move. So much at stake with her winnings… she didn’t need a man right now. Time had flown by since she’d been staying at the casino and not planning for the future. Sydney dreamed of owning a house with a little dog and vegetable garden. She needed to see her mother and find out what happened between her parents. Then she heard a knock on the door. Sydney shut off the water, draped a towel around her head, and grabbed the hotel robe.

  “I’ll be there in a minute, hold on,” she said. When she opened the door, she found a bouquet of yellow roses. She brought the roses into the room and tore open the card.

  Sydney –

  Sorry for leaving. Let me make it up to you!

  Call you later!

  Charlie

  The message was sweet, but Sydney had heard these lines before. I’ve been disappointed by men all my life. Time to move on! she thought.

  After putting on her favorite skinny jeans, white t-shirt, and Vans, she stepped into the transporter. A young woman with jet black hair in slim black pants and a sparkling silver camisole smiled and winked at her.

  “Hey, aren’t you the lucky one who’s won all the money and has a huge suite here?” she asked.

  “Yeah, that’s me. But don’t spread any rumors; I’m trying to stay incognito,” said Sydney, nervously.

  “I won’t, just never met a millionaire before— and one that’s so young! I’ve worked here for five years and never run into anybody who’s won that kind of money. Most of the high rollers have assistants, drivers, and professional shoppers.”

  “Oh, I’m not like that; don’t know what to do with all my money-- have even given away some of it. Met a homeless guy just outside here and gave him a few hundred, looked like he hadn’t eaten for a week.”

  The woman in the black pants just gawked, her blue eyes bulging in surprise.

  “That’s just so nice. We like to have those winners here at our casino. By the way, my name is Kim.”

  “Thanks! I’m Sydney, so nice to talk to you,” she said as the transporter stopped, the doors opening to a noisy lobby. Sydney headed to the nearby coffee bar. But she felt someone tapping her shoulder.

  “Hey, Sydney, wait. I would love to do your hair and make-up for free, on the house. Just follow me to my studio,” Kim said.

  “Uhh, I don’t know. Need my coffee and bagel first,” Sydney said.

  “No pressure, the offer still stands after you get your coffee,” Kim said.

  Sydney watched as Kim set up her station in the salon and greeted her co-workers. Roy poured her the usual cappuccino and gave her a jalapeño bagel. She needed a change, and a new hairdo and face were a great start. With that, she quickly finished her breakfast, put on her sunglasses, walked into the beauty studio, and plopped herself down in Kim’s chair.

  “Well, hello, just make yourself comfortable. I’ll take care of everything,” Kim whispered, wrapping a smock around her. “Just sit back and relax.”

  She handed Sydney a tall cappuccino. Each station housed a computer, full length mirror and design room.

  Kim observed Sydney carefully, then entered some information digitally into her large computer which fed into a round helmet, which she placed on Sydney’s head. Robotic fingers inside the helmet transformed Sydney’s ragged haircut and plain look into a sophisticated woman with metallic eyes and glossy lips, framed by a new auburn pixy cut.

  “This is how the world sees you now. What do you think?” she asked tentatively.

  “Is that really me?” she gasped.

  “Voila! Now to dress you up,” she said, directing Sydney into the design room.

  Sydney stood in front of a mirror that showed her three different versions of herself. She chose a dramatic look and again Kim processed the information.

  “Enter this booth and you won’t feel a thing, but you will exit a star,” said Kim, pushing her into a dark wooden booth, similar to a standing coffin. It configured to her size and shape.

  Sydney felt claustrophobic as the walls closed in; her breathing became shallow, but minutes later the skinny duckling emerged looking like a model out of fashion magazine. She stared at her new vision; the punk kid from a small rural town was now a new icon.

  “Wow, we’ve created our new celebrity; you will make millions for our casino. With a little coaching, you will be our new brand,” said Kim. She escorted Sydney out into the center of the studio for all the clients to see her. Everyone clapped and cheered as she paraded around the studio. Dozens of mirrors reflected her new self, a glowing young woman in rose suede from head to toe. Her thick eyelashes framed her gray slate eyes and her shiny pouty lips were upturned in semi-smile.

  Sydney was so wrapped up in her new status that she didn’t notice the salon disappear. Her head felt lighter and she thought she might faint.

  “Don’t worry, everything will become clear in a moment,” said Kim as she whisked her away down a long corridor.

  She opened a door to reveal a lobby with a huge dolphin fountain, marble floors, gold walls, and antique furniture. An elegant elderly gentleman in a black Tuxedo greeted them. His salt and pepper hair was perfectly coiffed and he wore two large gold pinky rings.

  “Welcome, Sydney! I’m Walter Scott, owner of the Star Casino. We have been observing you for the last few months and have noticed that you’ve won a lot of money here at our casino. We’re curious as to how you’ve accumulated so much money in so little time and been investigating you from the beginning, but haven’t found anything criminal yet.”

  Sydney squirmed and now realized it was a trick to get her here and question her. What would she say? That she had acquired a new identity that gave her luck and made her rich. She had to find a way out, convince them to let her stay.

  Walter Scott continued. “But you’ve cultivated many fans and have such a magnetic personality. We like your style and would like to offer you an opportunity: to represent the casino as one of the young nouveau rich. You would promote our casino, and in turn we would provide you with one of our suites, access to our private jet, and you would meet celebrities from all over the world. And most importantly, we’ll forget about this little investigation. How does that sound?”

  Sydney suddenly
felt a little overwhelmed and confused. Was this an opportunity or just blackmail? It was all too much to absorb, but the man standing there seemed like a kindly grandfather. Take the deal or be further investigated?

  “Uhh, what do I have to do? I’ve never…” Sydney.

  Kim interrupted: “Don’t worry, I will be your personal assistant and guide you through the process. Basically, you will appear in some ads, show guests the casino, and meet with some very interesting people. You can relax today and think about it.”

  Walter took her arm and led her to a private dining room with huge ferns and white and black tiled floors and counters. A plate of meatballs and spaghetti and glass of red wine was placed in front of her.

  “We heard this is your favorite. Enjoy!” Walter said as he smiled and left the room.

  Sydney sat awestruck and wondered how they guessed that she craved her favorite pasta. A waiter brought a carafe of wine, another glass, and a small salad.

  “Eat,” said Kim who joined her, pouring herself a glass of wine and picking at the salad. Kim carefully explained the photo shoots, traveling schedule, and types of events that Sydney would do as part of her job. She assured her that she would be there every step of the way, day or night.

  “But will I have time for myself and be able to gamble anytime? I’ve only had part-time jobs and never worked more than twenty hours. I’m not used to working full-time,” Sydney said.

  “Look, Mr. Scott just offered you a second chance. You’ve been taking all this money and now it’s time to prove your worth. Besides, this job will be like no other and you will think it is more like play than work. I am so excited to be your assistant. We will have the time of our lives together,” said Kim.

  Two hours and three glasses of wine later, a waiter appeared to take away the plates and replaced it with a pair of AR glasses. The contract appeared before her eyes.

  “Wait, what is this? I thought I had time to think it over,” Sydney said.

  “Just blink and the fun begins!” said Kim.

  Sydney rapidly viewed the paperwork, which revealed immediate bonus that included a free $20,000 wardrobe and her eye imprint clinched the deal immediately. Her watch started to vibrate and upon realizing it was Charlie, she ended it.

  Kim escorted Sydney back to her room and shook her hand.

  “I’m so glad you’ll be part of team. Rest up, and I’ll be talking to you soon,” Kim said.

  After she closed the door, Sydney collapsed on the bed. The contract details, wine, and talking made her exhausted. She sighed and immediately fell asleep, dreaming of meeting Brad Pitt, modeling in Paris, and drinking margaritas with Kim. In the distance, she could hear an alarm and opened her eyes slowly to a darkened room. Can’t be my alarm. Besides, who would be calling me? thought Sydney. It kept buzzing until she answered it.

  “Hey girlfriend, good morning! We’ve got to catch a plane in thirty minutes; I’ll stop by your room,” said an enthusiastic voice.

  “Kim, is that you? But’s 4 a.m. Can’t even open my eyes yet.”

  Sydney yawned.

  “It’s already 7 a.m. in New York and that’s where we’re going. Take a shower and I’ll bring you that double espresso. Hurry, Mr. Scott is waiting!” said Kim.

  Sydney stretched and laid back down again. Mr. Scott will just have to be patient. After all, they need me. I’m the star, Sydney thought and dozed off.

  A knock sounded at the door, then pounding; finally, her locked door opened.

  “Well, I guess I’m going to have to throw you into the shower. You just can’t be late on your first day; I refuse to let you make me look bad,” said Kim, who shone a flashlight into Sydney’s eyes.

  Sydney shaded her eyes from the blinding flashlight and instead looked at the message on her black band’s surface.

  Evaluation is due. Need to schedule a meeting immediately.

  Lena

  Lena wanted to punch him out, but something in his eyes said hear me out.

  “Calm down, I can explain everything. I think we can work out something here before it gets out of hand,” said Sam as he held his hands in the air in surrender.

  “What’s going on here? I didn’t get this far to have it go up in smoke. We’ve always been straight with one another. But if you need more money...” said Lena. She flipped the photos on the G Net and realized they would be there for eternity.

  Sam approached her slowly.

  “Look, I needed a little cash and JD offered. She told me to check on you and report back. But I met an old guy that you roughed up and he identified you. Said you used to be on the streets. Is that true? They don’t want people like you, bad for clients,” Sam said. He recounted his meeting with the homeless man at The Eatery.

  Sitting at the counter, Sam ordered chicken fried steak, hash browns, and black coffee. An old man with a scraggly beard and purplish bruise over his right eye sat two seats down from him, slurped his coffee, and eyed the large meal with hungry eyes. Glancing sideways, Sam noticed the man’s tattered clothes, dirty hands, and small plastic bag nearby.

  The meal came a few minutes later and Sam watched the old man shovel the food into his mouth, inhaling in-between bites and pouring heavy amounts of cream into his coffee.

  Sam asked him where he got that shiner and the old man recalled that the lady who hurt him used to be his friend and that they shared an alley.

  “He told me he protected you. Now you’re some big shot because you work at that big building next door.’”

  “Sam, who do you believe: a homeless guy or a person that works eighty-plus hours a week? JD is jealous that I’ve moved up so fast and taken some of her accounts,” said Lena as she got out of the car to face him. Looking at him, she realized that he was scared and very young, maybe in his twenties.

  Sam backed up and said, “Uhh, maybe if you gave the old man some cash to keep his mouth shut. And I could use another $500.”

  Lena opened her wallet, pulled out some cash and took off her diamond Rolex watch. “Here take this and remember who gave it to you. Keep me informed and don’t threaten me again,” she said as she turned to walk in the opposite direction.

  “Wait, thank you! I like you better than JD. She said she could get me fired if I didn’t help her. I was just doing my job, but I’d rather help you,” said Sam.

  The parking lot was dark except for the security officers hovering above in a flying van. They stopped Lena as she made her way to her apartment on the third level.

  “Hey, is this guy bugging you Ms. Davis? We can get rid of him,” the officer said to Lena. He swooped down to confront Sam face-to-face.

  “No, he was just leaving, but you can escort him off the property, Mike.” Lena stared at Sam. “We’ll talk tomorrow,” she said.

  Lena watched Mike chase Sam’s car out of the parking lot. She shivered and ran back to her apartment. She walked carefully inside and examined the rooms for any bugging devices, finding one in her bedroom and attached to the wall monitor. After ripping it off the wall, she poured herself a glass of Merlot and collapsed on her couch. She opened the folder to discover photos of an old man, looking beaten up and bruised, and of her and Tim in La Fleur restaurant.

  Lena then observed her expensive leather couch and chairs, antique lamps, the contemporary art, and her crystal glassware.

  No one is going to take this away from me, not ever again. Going back to the old neighborhood is not acceptable. I’d rather die than live in that world! thought Lena, clenching her right hand into a fist. She pounded the table, plotted her next move, and took a green pill.

  Unable to sleep, she kicked off her shoes and pressed one of the screens on her wall. It opened to Infinity’s site. Her eye imprint could now see deeper and faster than her fingers could press, her computer hacking skills more heightened than ever after swallowing a green pill. Her eyes opened screen after screen, revealing accounts, clients’ investments, and even confidential messages.

  “I wondered about her
and I’m glad you shared this with me. That Lena is dangerous and has not been honest. Imagine beating up an innocent old man! How could she live with herself? We don’t want her around our clients,” Mr. Whitaker said to JD in a meeting.

  JD nodded.

  “She seemed familiar to me. Saw her on the streets one time with these people. Security says she works practically twenty hours a day. Can’t understand what she’s up to, but no wonder she was late for our meeting— no sleep,” said JD.

  Don’t they know that everything is transparent now? They thought they could file that meeting away where no one would see it. Lena cringed at these latest comments, recorded in the boss’ office. She wondered how she was going to get out of this mess with JD spreading rumors and stealing her accounts. The purpose of her new identity was to take revenge on all those individuals who put her on the street. She needed an alter-ego who could adapt to many scenarios. Lena laughed to herself as she opened JD’s accounts, transferring money and devising her own accounts, thus creating a new profile, containing property and investments. But what JD needed was a new client and she had the perfect idea. She laid down on her bed, and dreamed of a plan.

  Lena woke up refreshed and with a new purpose. She called the drone service and they delivered the gray tailored suit, oxford long-sleeved shirt, red tie and black wingtip shoes. After dressing, Lena faced herself in the mirror. Overnight she gained muscle in her arms and legs; her flattened chest sprouted a few hairs. Lena clipped her shag haircut a little shorter and smoothed a little gel through it and smiled broadly. The only thing missing is the beard, she thought. An almost too-pretty man with a slight chin stubble in a business suit stared back at her. She placed tinted wire-frame glasses on her nose. Not bad. Meet Lon Montana, she thought.

  Her Optimal bracelet lit up and buzzed. Lena ignored it, left it on the coffee table, and walked out the door.

  Lena nervously stepped off the escalator without incident. No one recognized her, jamming into close quarters and keeping to themselves. The only thing that worried her—could she come off as a man? She approached the front desk confidently only to be greeted by a robot.