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her outfit sexily. While she waited for her drink, her hand went to her collar which felt a bit tighter than usual. She didn’t dare loosen it; He placed it as tight as He wanted it to be this evening. She tugged at it a bit, to adjust it a bit more comfortably.
    “Maybe it shouldn’t be there. Ever think of it that way?” said a voice as dark as a cave and as smooth as the Devil. Nicole dropped her hand, lifted her head up and stared into the darkest eyes she’d ever known. They belonged to a 6’5" ex-professional football player with cinnamon skin, broad shoulders, and legs as thick as tree trunks, and waist-length, neatly-groomed dreadlocks.
    Marcus.
    “ Shit. ” Nicole turned away from him and focused on the bartender making her drink.
    “So you’re not happy to see me? Well, I’m happy to see you. You look good enough to eat, Luna.”
    “ Do not call me that. ”
    “I’ll call you whatever I want and you will respond. Isn’t that right?”
    “ No. ”
    “And yet, you just did. I trained you so well…” he said with a smirk. He took out a $10 bill and handed it to the bartender. “Her drink is on me,” he said.
    “ I can pay for it myself, Marcus. ”
    “What did you call me?”
    Nicole glared at him. She wanted nothing more than to punch him in his mouth, but she knew better than to ever disrespect David in such a way.
    “Oh, I see. You’ve not had any good direction in your life in quite some time, so you’re acting like any common, disrespectful girl out here. I see how you are. At least you are still fine as hell. You been working out? You’ve lost a lot of weight. You must not be eating good like you used to.”
    “ Don’t speak of my Sir in that way .”
    “Your ‘Sir’?” Marcus laughed loudly, mockingly. “Oh, please. Is that why you can pay for your drink yourself? No real man would let his girl pay for her own drinks. Come now, let me buy you a drink and let’s catch up. It’s been a few years, Luna.”
    “ My name is Star. ”
    Marcus raised the sleeve on his shirt and revealed a tattoo of a Moon with a feminine face, turning towards her. “Luna.”
    “Marcus… leave me alone,” she said, with the slightest hint of pleading.
    “No, Nicole.”
    “I think the lady asked you to leave her alone,” David interjected, having walking up behind Marcus silently. Marcus turned around, facing David with a dismissive smirk. David looked past Marcus and caught Nicole’s eyes. The hint of fear in her eyes flipped a switch in Him.
    “And you are?” Marcus asked David. Marcus was taller than David, and he looked down towards Him with annoyance, not knowing how He and Nicole were connected. David walked around Marcus to stand in front of Nicole. He pushed her behind Him, His right arm extended behind Him and resting on her hip. He grabbed Nicole’s drink from the bar with His left hand and took a slow sip. After placing the glass back down on the bar, returned Marcus’ mocking stare with His own declarative one.
    “I am the Man that will snap your neck where you stand if you even fix your mouth to utter another word to My Bitch again.”
     
     

M ARK O F T HE B EAST
     
    4:46 p.m.
    Nicole glanced at the clock on her computer, nervously anticipating the end of her work day. She originally planned to take a 5:30 p.m. conference call, but rescheduled it when he told her that he needed her home by 6:00 p.m. He said that he had something “special” planned for her.  The important call had taken two weeks to arrange, as it included several directors from agencies across the Northeast.  She hated having to reschedule, but she knew better than to tell him “No” once he made it clear that he had made plans.  She wasn’t exactly sure how things had gotten to this point, but she did the best she could give their dynamic. She worked it out so that the call would take place in the morning and now sat at her desk tapping her fingers, working out a plan.  She could leave