“Tsk, tsk. Seems I was off by a little,” I mumbled, eyeing the time on my phone. I rolled my eyes, stuffing my phone back into my pocket. Trying to lose the car following me before I got here, caused my delay. “All she had to do was wait here for me. The last thing I need is another incompetent…”

Something running into my backside made me turn around. When I looked downward, I was surprised to see a fragile-looking woman with flushed cheeks. Her auburn hair, fair skin, and attire meant one thing to me: she was an outsider. A tourist? No, she doesn’t look like she’s here to relax. I wonder…

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir!” she nearly shrieked, holding her hands out as if to see if she’d injured me.

Hoping to calm her down I grinned a little, shaking my head. “Don’t worry about it,” I said, raising a hand up. “I’m more worried about you. Looks like you just saw a ghost or something.”

“Well, I…” She seemed to lose her train of thought as she looked at me. I’d seen that look before. She knew me. “Hey, are you by chance…?”

“Hmm?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. She took some time with answering, most likely debating whether to ask it or not.

“Are you Dustin Baldwin?”

“Certainly am. Let me guess you’re…”

“Bianca! Your attorney.”

I coughed up a dry chuckle. “You know, I was going to say that.”

“Oh… Sorry…” She shied away from me a little.

God, I love it when they do that. This is going to be way too easy for me… “Again, don’t worry. I’m not going to bite, you know?” She nodded, looking up at me again. “Anyway, I came to pick you up. You got the call from Calvin, right?”

“Yeah, I was just looking around. Guess I lost track of time…” I looked her over again and again as she spoke. Her body told me more than her words ever could. Every uneasy jitter or adjustment she made. Other men wouldn’t notice—they couldn’t. But I would. I always saw that in women.

An untrained eye wouldn’t be able to catch the little gleam reflecting off her little brown spheres as she spoke. The way she used her hands to talk, how they waved around. I already knew she would be an easy target, but something about her had me…interested. What else are you telling me?

“Well, luckily I came a little early, so we’re still on schedule. How does dinner sound? I just want to talk about the case and such.”

“I’d love to.” I could see the fires in her eyes light up. How adorable. I wonder what else I could get her to agree to. I need to get this damn heat off my back.

I smiled and gestured toward the entry way. “Right this way, my dear. We’ll be taking one of my limousines. Don’t mind the bodyguards they won’t give you any trouble.” I covered my mouth with my hand and said, “About you bumping into me by the way? Our little secret.”

* * *

The ride to the restaurant was brief as it was across from the hotel. Its quality was equal to the hotel’s, but the one thing it had over it was the décor. Live lobsters stationed at the front, a live band performing classical music, and a large champagne fountain were only a few of the perks. There wasn’t a woman that wasn’t won over the instant I brought them here.

“I need you to be straight with me, Bianca. How many years am I facing?” The steak on my plate was starting to get cold. While Bianca enjoyed her roast chicken, my mind wouldn’t stop pestering me with questions. I kept firm constraint on myself, not to let my impatience get to me, but as the night continued to crawl into the later hours, I could feel myself starting to slip.

For too long, I’d been bombarded with questions about everything regarding myself. The relentless interviews while I was still in New York seemed to be at every turn. It was nice to be the one asking questions again. I could be silent. I could let my mind settle the new information given to it and slowly dismantle it.

“In the worst case, you’ll have around twelve years in prison.”

“Damn,” I groaned. So much wasted time. No one’s going to be around by the time I’m out. “And on the other end?”

“Probation. Nothing else.”

I stroked my chin thoughtfully for a few moments. “Interesting… What will it take to make sure that nothing gets pinned to me?”

“It all comes down to the evidence. Tell me everything you know and…”

“That’s just it, Bianca. I don’t. I don’t know anything.” Look at her fall instantly. It’s precious.

Surprisingly, she reached out to me and put her hand over mine. She looked me in the eyes, nodding slowly. “I know. I’m going to get you out of this, okay? There’s no way a guy like you would do this kind of thing. I’ve been looking through your file and…”

“File? I have a file?” This could be useful.

“Yeah, of course, you do. So, as I was saying… It seems you have really good business sense and know how to run a company efficiently. Well, multiple companies, but you know what I mean.”

I brought a hand up to my chest and feigned a heartfelt, “Thank you.” I’ll get my hands on that file, Bianca. Even if you don’t know it yet. “You know, we’ve been talking about me for a while. Why don’t we talk about you instead?”

“Me? What about me?” Her eyes widened.

“Anything, really. How are you finding Brazil?” Let’s see what makes you tick.

“Oh, it’s great! A lot more interesting than New York, that’s for sure.”

“Hmm… And you’ve only been here for, what, a day? That’s just a mere taste of what the country has to offer.”

“Well, I’d love to experience as much as possible if I could.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Is that so? Hmm… Tell me, have you ever danced before?”

“Once at prom, I think…”

Her answer got me to snicker. “Oh, come now. I’m sure you’ve gone out once or twice, haven’t you? Perhaps for your twenty-first birthday?” I toyed with the straw in my water.

“Maybe…” She looked away from me, her cheeks already showing a light shade of pink.

Under the table, I slowly moved my hand a little past my thigh, the fingertips lightly brushing her knee. “How did it feel? Did you feel him? Did you feel like it was just you two dancing together?”

“How did you know? We were surrounded by people, but it was just him and me. I was a little buzzed by then, and I remember things got kind of…” She took a sip of her wine. “It got interesting to say the least.”

“That’s always a pleasant feeling. When it’s just you and your partner on the dance floor, nothing else matters. The heat you two feel together…” My fingers inched higher up her quivering leg, but she hadn’t protested. “That passion is what I truly like seeing in the dancers here. They’re so honest. I’m sure you enjoy being as honest with those around you, correct?”

“Um… I’m not sure what you mean…”

Easy… Easy… Don’t want to scare her off too soon. I withdrew my fingers, and she relaxed, but I could still tell she was flustered. “I could show you tonight. I was about to head to a party, and if you came along, I wouldn’t have to ask the limo driver to be my date again.” I winked at her to ease the tension, and she let out a content sigh.

“That sounds great. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a party of…this kind before.”

“Don’t worry. Not many people have.”

Got her.