Just another one of them Dark, Sketchy Meetings

Meeting One: Sammy & The Unseen Man

He walked through the main revolving door at the entrance just like he was told.He crossed the marble floored hallway, just like he was told.Walked to the reception, at the sign that read "Concierge" just like he was told.

A small tingle shivered down his spine as he placed his palm on the counter for support, he was weak at the knees....It was getting to him.

It's Just one of those dark and sketchy meetings he convinced himself...the ones you enter into your calendar or Diary as a "Ma2moreyya" or "gym with trainer" to fool yourself into believing its not as big as what it really is...such a conundrum, an induced white lie for comfort..., not the recipients comfort, but that of the Liars..

for both persons are merely one and the same in this situation.

The concierge handed him an envelope with the agreed lie written on it"for Sammy..." it read.He flipped it over to open it, and reveal to his anxious eyes the contents. He was prepared until this moment. He was given instructions until this phase, the rest he will just follow.

he felt excitement,

he felt fear...

the two adjoined can be overwhelming.

The envelope contained a small 10 by 4 card..

a business card, same texture same thickness.. no details, just dead center in the middle it read....... Room 613.

He asked the bellhop for the directon to the elevator, he gestured him to head down the narrow corridor to the right, the one furnished with a red velvety wall to wall rug.As he walked down the narrow crevice, the air went stale, with a prominent whiff of cheap cigarette tobacco, he could tell its one of those old regal like hotels that are withering away with the times. neglected and left to rot.The perfect setting.

As he leaves the brass elevator door on the sixth floor, he looks left and right..he sees a brown wooden door, with a golden doorknob at the end of the corridor to his left, it read 611...so he knew where to head down.

He stopped in front of the door of 613, realizing finally that he has reached his destination. This is it, it will all be over soon. He recollected himself before knocking, formed his fingers into a makeshift comb and ran them through his hair three times, re-adjusted the knot on his brimmed tie, and fidgeted with the unshapely lapels of his raincoat, and knocked.The minimal force of the rap his knuckles made on the door while knocking just swung it ajar. Its open he realized.

He walked into a dark room, the lights from the outside seeped through the white silk curtains giving an air of blueish white to the room, the light reflected off the bed, the desk and mirrors. he didn't need to turn on the light to know he was in just another hotel room clean and neat. The arrangement of furniture screamed standard Hotel configuration. Bed faced by mirror and desk, TV on Desk, Closet to the right of the beds, bathroom right next to the door and a small table and arm chair across the corner by or in front of the balcony.The balcony sliding glass door was open, allowing a breeze to come in to give life to the white silk curtains.He could see an orange glow from behind the curtains, moving and glowing more intense after a movement...Cigarette he concluded, He awaits me outside.He passed through the curtains, only to find a white plastic round table, and two plastic white chairs on either side of the table. The farthest one, was occupied by a silhouette of a bald headed man in glasses, super fit, legs crossed over the table, ashtray in lap, and an almost spent cigarette that will be a butt in less than 30 seconds in his right hand.A voice said sit down, he didn't see the lips move, he can barely see the face despite the light source reflecting on everything else. He only assumed the voice was that of the man, since nobody else was around.

"It's a pleasure to.."

"Shut up..." Interrupted the unseen man.. "did you get it?"

The unseen man's voice was so raspy, it distorted in your ears.

" yes, here is the confirmation of the bank transfer.."

"Don't you just feel important saying that..? probably it lost its flavor ages ago...you said it a hundred times before to impress yourself, it gives you a false feeling of importance doesn't it? It also makes you feel important if anyone is listening in to your conversation, you think they would probably think you are some hotshot don't you... I just ask why? why do the likes of you have this unnecessary need to feel important, what have you invested...what did you put all your money on, what did you REALLY go through to have this need to reassure yourself that it paid off? you probably didn't get a bicycle for Christmas on your 8th Birthday because daddy had a bad year..or didn't have enough time to bother and get you a Christmas gift was that it? did that make you feel worthless? and hence you spent the rest of your life chasing recognition that you are worthy? was that what put you through the bullies at school , through an Ivy League education paid by a bank loan you probably paid off in less than 5 years of working your ass off for a fortune 500 company? did it also put you through the ruthless competition offered by your peers who wanted your next promotion for themselves? and you worked at it after hours with no overtime and through the night? till you proved yourself worthy to that unknown close to retirement manager in the corner office who was your ticket to board room meetings? which a few years later landed you with an incomprehensible title that sounds important? which in turn meant more zeros on your paycheck? it made you feel better about yourself didn't it? and to reward yourself you probably leased a nice two doored sports car? you think that's original? you think you are the only one on the planet who wants one? who can get one? well lets not get into that, but you probably think you are something, and felt it for a few years, until it got normal...boring, the usual...and then comes the need to be special again...the moment it was mentioned we will "utilize the services of a professional who can make our problems go away" I am sure you felt stunned...enthralled, wished you can personally be the one who goes to "utilize such services" and that's why you are here...all you want to do is feel important..

at a very high expense..

I wish i was your Father, I woulda just got you the fucking bicycle..."

Meeting Two: Horton & The Woman in Red Stilettos

His impeccably shiny cuff links glimmered across the place,attention to such detail only tells you how well dressed and well groomed this middle aged man is. He keeped his eyes fixed on the bartender as a comfortable space, he always did that when he was under the spotlight.

She was expecting an elaboration.

"look Selma, you have to understand, i will divorce her anyway you know these things take time".

"No, you understand you dick...I am not your Bitch...I am not a Bitch...you will not leave me high and dry after you took what you want.."

"That is why I am saying we should stop seeing one another, at least until I settle things with my Wife.."

"And what if you dont?"

"Then we dont keep a bad thing going..."

It took her a few seconds for her to fathom what he was implying. It shook her on the inside..like thunder booming all of her insides, she needed the few seconds to wait for everything to settle, then she can resume normal biological activity.

She resumed, more composed...she reached for her bag, and pulled out her phone, she said the following while she was fiddling with her phone, it looks like she was looking for something.

"you see,........................technology.........can...be a good thing..., back in the day...women in my position didnt...have anything to protect themselves with" she flipped the phone so he can see the screen...she gleamed in ecstacy when she saw the look on his face, she never saw his eyes so wide, they were big and wide enough that she can actually see the reflection of the images he is seeing now.

First he was shocked...

Then when the thought of how she had him grabbed from a very weak spot sunk in, the shock turned to fear,

and in an instant...

less than an instant actually...

the Fear turned into anger....

They were both old enough to be composed despite the provocation.

"Listen, I know exactly what you are, and i dont need to say it, I am sure you are smart enough to figure out what you are, what do people call the filth who do things like what you just did. Its sad really, it sad that you are weak enough to be a victim of circumstance, to let your past, your history and what you have gone through during your life dictate upon you what to become. You might have a noble cause, you crave security and provision much like any other woman. You were deprived of it with your first husband, instead of security he gave you imprisonment, and yes, he did provide you alright, he provided you with all sorts of cuts and bruises. The last straw was when he beat your second baby out of you. that was the last straw, and thats what everyone knows, ever since then and you have been conniving and plotting to get a man, a better one , one who will not beat you, one who will worship the ground you walk on, give you all you need and more. A mere creation of Fantasy, a man too good to exist, You must understand that men have limited means, if their means were unlimited they would provide endlessly, but an unchangeable fact is, they will always have limited means. Should you refuse to accept that, you will never be at peace...argue all you want, deny all you want, it will not change a thing, its like trying to scratch the wall with your nails. You think if you are nice enough, sexy enough they will fall and give you all you want. So you open your legs, you lift up your skirt.. but what you dont realize, that what they gave you before that, is all that they can ever give. So they dont budge, and you go on to the next one, theyre all standing in line, yes, they are drooling, yes they want you..you provide for them what their own wives should provide for...and then they label you as the Housebreaker when its the wives that shoulda taken care of their men...cause if they did their business.. you would be out of business. But what you dont get is, you would be silly to ever think they would give away what they had, what took them years to build and choose you over that...if it ever happens it would be that a good one of them is punishing himself and is trying to right his wrongs by taking you in, and losing what he held so dear as penalty for his infidelities, but you would be silly to think he wants you over them. You are nothing but an Orgasm..a minute of intense pleasure, then he goes back to his life again."

already in tears mid monologue, Selma sobs, sniffs and almost collapsing..her wrists weaken, she cant look him in the face anymore, and hides in her hair facing the table..

he lifts up her head from the chin..gently, looks into her eyes and says:

"You did that to yourself..

I would marry you just because its the responsible thing...

I would marry you just because i am sick and tired of the home i have

They lost me, you found me..

I dont need you opening your legs so that i can pierce you...and make you feel vunerable, or violated,

I know what you are..

I understand what you are..

but with that stunt you pulled, I really dont think we stand a chance...

if its security and protection you seek...just be a dear and hand me that phone..."

Meeting Three: Vincent and the Boy with No Hair

"sorry i am late" he said, as he grabbed a seat in the food court...

"its okay dad, work getting the best of you as usual i assume..."

"story of my life...so tell me whats going on with yours?"

"hows mom?"

"shes better..i just texted the nurse, she says theirs slight improvement with her eye movement..tell me, do you need money?"

The Boy was infuriated...but kept it all in...he can't beleive his father, he can't beleive that his father doesnt see it, he doesnt see that his neglect for everything in his life at the expense of his job is making everything else crumble, he cant see that what happened that day a few months ago was a final and desperate call for attention, that he has become a "pervert" as his father called him out of his loathing for his dad, he refuses to share anything with his father, even his fathers sexual orientation. He resents his father for what he has done, and he hates the concept of a family and what it represents out of what his father has done to him and his mother..

Of course the mother wasnt as strong, she got a nervous breakdown when she found out her only child was gay, she went into a coma and is improving slightly...All his father cared about was work, he couldnt get time off to care for his love of 30 years and decided to get a nurse...he texts her three times a day, and just works works works...you would assume he runs a country, but in the end its just a biotechnology company that does medical research and sells it to whomever is interested, pharmaceuticals, universities, governments, etc...

He even tried to think about things objectively..could it be that maybe his father was escaping? fleeing from the hardships of life in his job...distracting himself from all the problems he has to face, that he has failed as a husband? a father? a neighbour and a friend?

His Blackberry is his only friend....his only family, his company is his only son...

He ignored all that and said...

"yes, i will be needing money to cover my operation"

"what operation?"

"my sex-change operation"

Meeting Four: Just a Couple of Regular Fellows (inspired by that scene)

{Int. coffeehouse, smoky bar occupying far side of establishment, full house, waiters passing by with trays, noisy clatter of cutlery...zoom in on table mid-room...table for two...two middle aged men seated across one another Bobby & Al}

Al: so, you workin on something big

Bobby: [grimace] yeah..a lil bit

Al: you know, someone lookin at us now, would probably think we are friends...a coupla regular fellas..but theres something you gotta get, if it comes down to you...or the cop you are about to turn your wife into a widow..you're goin down!

Bobby: I do what i do best, i take out scores..and you, you do what you do best, try to take out guys like me...

Al: and what makes you think i wont be able to take you out?

Bobby: a friend of mine once told me...never let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat once you feel the heat..coming from around the corner.

Al: so what do you got to give me?

Bobby: A guy, old school...washed out, he now works on dirty jobs for fortune 500 companies...calls himslef "Murk", the fuck wears sunglasses at night and chain smokes... hes taking out some guy thats supposed to testify infront of a grand jury, about some biotech company doing human genome cloning...theyre american but have all their cloning activites in Hamburg, if you squeeze him, he'll give you all hes done in the past 20 years, ...Mob hits, gun running, clombian coke..the guy's a veteran

Al: whats in it for him..

Bobby: give him immunity...hes got all the dough he needs...the guy is smooth, try to involve the feds as well...theres a guy over there.. his name's Hoit..hes worked up a case on the guy..has a keen interest, the guy took out his partner over a decade ago...he'll help you...

Al: what are your sources..

Bobby: did a job with him once, we met at a Damien King party..hes good to work with...

Al: King?

Bobby: nah...King's an asshole..I meant Murk... will you get the check?

Al: nah, your treat this time...

Meeting Five: The Boardroom

Gentlemen, after obtaining quorum, I now commence the board 6th and final board meeting of Lifetech-Roslin for the year 2008, in the presence of the following individuals:

1- Myself Dr. Eliot Campbell Chairman of the Board

2- Mr. Vincent Mead Managing Director

3- Mr. Horton Finch Financial Director

4- Mr. Samuel Taurel Executive Director

5- Mr. Sid Goode of external legal counsel

After discussing the items on the agenda we have unanimously adopted the following Resolutions:

Resolution one : approving the minutes of our last meeting held on the 1st of October 2008

Resolution two: approving the financial balances proposed by Mr.Finch for the year closing December 31st 2008 to be finalized by January 10th 2009 and sent to our financial auditors for approval

Resolution three: approving the appointment of Sid Goode, of Goode, Marshall and Partners as external legal counsel for Financial Year 2009

Resolution four: removing the sum of 15,000,000 USD accrued for pending litigation and releasing them back into capital since charges have been dropped

Resolution five: Alotting 1% of annual profit to Research & Development.

With that, the meeting conlcuded and I thank the Atendees for their participation, Thank you..Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Nex Moribus Levum

"I lost my eye twelve years ago, The world has been half as interesting ever since."

The statement took Salamar off guard, its been a while since hes been taken by quite simple words. He was a man of action, hence immune to words. However it wasnt what was said rather than how it was said.

Salamar decided to give the speaker a closer look. "Hardly your regular handicapped" he thought.

The speaker was a tall fair skinned woman with jet black hair, probably dyed, and a green left eye with a subtle yet effective beauty spot a few decimeters below. The right one was covered in a black velvet eye patch, with clear white stiches at the seams, probably a designer thing. She had nothing else that was familiar about her face to be described, other than probably she'd remind you of Yasmine Bleeth.

Salamar always felt uncomfortable in the presence of pretty people, however her handicap confused him. This uneasiness he feels, is it because she is pretty, or because she misses an eye?

Her being pretty places her above him, her with only one eye places her below him, so is she above him or below him. A logical thought passed through his head to say shes probably in his place, for both attributes cancel each other out, but if that is so....

then why is he feeling uneasy?

probably because all 23 eyes in the room were on him, waiting for him to talk...

"Hello my name is Salamar....and Im an Alcoholic.."

"Hello Salamar!..." They all said in unsion.

"I dont want anything new...new needs change, and change scares me...it bears the equal risk of both success and failure, I just want to stick with what i know...and what i know is alcohol..I tried Golf..I might get better at it with time, but for now Im not Tiger Woods, Im not even close..But I am good at alcohol, and being good at something feels good..

I hate alcohol, I really do...my Liver cant take it anymore, it brings me headaches and i want to stop it..

Im just too good at it to stop it...

I stopped it since i started coming here, and ive been detached from everything, couldnt care less about anything, ran over a guy when driving home one night, lost my job and spent all my money on it...but its still the only thing i am good at..."

Joel has been bothered with what Salamar had to say from the moment Salmar opened his mouth, he wanted to say something. He waited for the right moment when it wouldnt be perceived as an interruption, and after introducing himself for the 100th time to the same crowd and getting the similar "Hello Joel" back...he said the following:

"Salamar..you really dont need to keep on going at something you hate just because you are good at it, I think your problem is with accepting that you failed, you are being stubborn, and by doing so you are just falling deeper into an abyss, it will only make your ascent all the more weary and longer, cause you've fallen too deep.

You need to work on accepting failure, its okay to be a failure..its not okay to do nothing about it let alone deny it...we all learn from our mistakes, and we rise out of them better people".

Salamar in his prime wouldnt have let this go, and would have argued to the last of his breath...however he simply told himself he cant be bothered. His response was filled with Silence.

The meeting continued with the next three speakers, all through which Salamar didnt get his eyes off the one eyed girl (hereinafter referred to as "OEG"), who in turn had her one eye focused on the watch high up on the wall.

As the meeting concluded, oeg grabbed her black coat and headed for the door. Salamar followed, he wished he wasnt daydreaming throughout the meeting, only then he woulda picked up her Alias, and he simply cant just yell One Eyed Girl dead into the corridor to attract her attention..I mean it most certainly done the job but that would be downright offensive. He at least had adherence to that.

she stopped outside the building to hail a cab. He offered a ride, she reluctantly accepted.

They talked quite jovially for a first meeting, and he felt a feeling he has never felt before...

He felt like he was good at something other than Alcohol.

For the following few months..he enjoyed the meetings, and the coffee with oeg after the meetings..and he really got to know her quite well, her name is Sylvia, she lost her eye in one of the many bouts of domestic violence she had with her ex-boyfriend. the rest is history he knew from the meetings...

Sylvia has been cold and reserved, and nonetheless cynical ever since her accident with her eye. She considered having a prosthetic eye but then shed pass for normal. She wanted the world to know she wasnt normal.

"Sylvia?"

"what.."

"you make me happy.."

"ok"

" I really would like to repay the favor...I want to do something for you.."

"go ahead"

"yes, but what would make you happy?.."

"I am happy.."

"Yes, but i want to make you happier, i want to show you what you did to me, how you made me feel..."

"get a grip...what did i do...i did nothing"

"no you did, and i want to show you, what can i do to show you?"

"I dont know"

Her mind automatically shifted to something else, as if it resolved that this issue is closed, and she said with her eyes lighting up..

"you know what would be cool? Robbing a bank... I always think its cool to stick a gun to a tellers face and say, i am making a withdrawl..., Dont you think its funny?"

It this point Salamar didnt know wether to feel offended, or realize that he hit a jackpot.

"I'd crush the stupid fuck's head in if i were you" Said Douglas...

" come on, dont be too egotistical Doug.."

"whats egotistical about it, the guy deserves it...now go fill up my glass will ya?"

" I thought you quit..."

"that was ages ago..."

"didnt you do AA?"

"AA is for sissies and that was before the promotion"

Douglas smiled as if he finally proved he's a wiseass...handed his flute to Eric for a refill, and smiled cockily as he spotted a hardbody of a woman in the corner,

"Hey, can i get you something to drink?"

"sure..."she said, as she revealed a very expensive smile and a tiny triangle shaped tongue flickered from between her lips to dampen the side of her mouth..

He engaged himself with small talk and a few jokes, until Eric came over with two flutes, one of them was seemingly Eric's...yet, Doug just took both, gave one to the Girl who apparently is wearing a Vera Wang, to match his Hugo Boss grey suit.

"Did you know that Vera Wang originally does wedding dresses Eric?...oh sorry, Eric this is Jaimie with an i-e , frankly i know no other jaimies...Jaimie this is Eric, my best friend..

Eric internally choked at the introduction...

"so now im The Ego's best friend" he thought..

In less than a second, Douglas left both Jaimie and Eric to go schmooze and socialize to a high powered suit that just walked onto the main foyer..

Eric felt really awkward standing next to a superhardbody like Jaimie, he knew she will leave in 10 seconds if he doesnt reel her in.

"Look its okay, he does it all the time...thats Doug Mason for you...anyways, Im Eric..."

"And I am not interested..."

The next day, Salamar was scheduled for picking her up to go to the meeting.

Only today, they werent going to go to the meeting.

After driving a few blocks away from her house he handed sylvia a ski mask and shotgun...

"What the hell are those for?!" She exclaimed

"I thought you wanted to rob a bank..."

"Sal.. I said its cool to rob a bank , i didnt say i want to rob one.."

A look of utter dissapointment befell Salamar's face..

"So you just want to go to the meeting?"

"Is there any other option...?"

"yes, we can rob a bank..."

"You are crazy...!"

"only about you..."

"Sal, I dont love you...Sal , i dont love anyone.."

"I dont care Sil...I just love you...now will we go Rob that bank?"

She stayed silent until he parked infront of a big business type commercial bank...he shifted the gear into park and said he didnt come here all dressed up for nothing. She told him that hes on his own, she will wait for him in the car.

He got out of the car..regretting everything he did in his life.

He is just one big Fuck up..

two seconds later, Sylvia joined him with the shotgun and ski mask with a smile on her face...

* * *

Salamar's Sister has been worried sick about him for a few days now, shes been deseprately trying to hear anything about him. She called everyone, everyone who cared. Nobody has heard of him...nothing. She waited by the phone. Any lead was better than sitting like that with nothing.

Her Heart stopped and beat back to life when the phone rang...it was her best friend Sherry...

"Elsa, i think you should open the news on channel 1"

"...Have been identified as Salvatore Olp aka Salamar..an unemployed Business Development manager and Sylvia Sumner a troubled Social worker...after questioning people on scene the investment manager of the bank revealed that his efforts to releive the situation were instigated when he identified one of the assailants as a troublesome ex lover, who has a history of violence..further investigations have proven that the first assailant, Olp was refused a personal loan from the bank six months ago...and we have now Douglas Mason Investment Manager of The Bank for comment:

"Its a shame that society fails to help troubled people with fitting in..the result of which is this atrocity that has taken place today..I tried to calm sylvia down but it seems that she already had her mind made up...it was like she woke up this morning, with the intent to die..I am sure this troubled man manipulated Sylvia, and used our personal history for his own financial gain. Its a pity and a reassurance that he avoided Justice by his demise today.."

"When asked about further actions, the Investment manager replied by saying that, this matter is closed, and he will be having "a quiet night with his girlfriend Jamie"