Chapter 7: When Worlds Collide

What is it really

That motivates you

You can't decide

So I'll be your guide

Who is the light and who is the devil

Now this is what it's like when worlds collide

10:30 p.m. The Funhouse Tower Room, Mr. Clav's office, Bridgeport

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"A shame. Such an ugly shame."  Mr. Gambino stared at the front entrance of the gaudy red room carefully debating if this was really what he wanted. How did this look? Him, a prominent business man, well polished, poised,  groomed, and clean, having come from old money seen with...with this. Clav a tacky, flashy, sleazy nouveau riche who obviously had no taste or class what so ever and had been breed by ill mannered twits! Or at least that was what his circle would say. And you know how that goes; No circle approval, no overall gain. Still Mr. Gambino couldn't help but to think in the back of his mind. As sleazy and ill breed as this man was he surely could use his profit.

"Mr. Gambino are you coming?" With no further thought he decided to go through with it. Why not take a gamble when it could have a huge payoff?

 Clav's office reminded Mr. Gambino so much of a whorehouse with all the women that ran rapid in the narrow and long space. Only difference was that the women were so much younger, a little too young, and the room smelled of wild berry incense instead of sweat and musk.

"Come Gambino sit down won't ya. Candy darling go fetch him a drink from a bar" Clav nodded his towards the red headed girl in all black.

"What will ya have good ol' Gambino." A drunken smile played on his face. It was also obvious that he hadn't bathed in a day or two.

"Cognac with a splash of scotch." With that he added. "And please call me Mr. Gambino."  This place had to be the luxurious scum of the earth. A high-end place, unknown to the regular world, owned by an amateur. This girls, not even real women. Pity was all he felt. The day my Eugenia was ever caught dead  in this place would be the day I would turn over in my grave.

 Clav changed his playfully drunken tune. Mr Gambino was different than the others. He wasn't some young fool who he could con easily out of bunches of money and they would be to foolish to notice. Mr. Gambino was much older and wiser. He was highly educated, refined, business savvy, and  knew his shit well. Clav had better play his cards right or his ass and his business was grass.

"So what proposition do you have in mind Mr. Gambino."

"I actually have a lot in mind Mr. Clav. I just need a little help from you."

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11:00 p.m. The Funhouse Play Room

There she stood, perched at bar waiting for something or someone perhaps. It didn't matter. All he knew was that he had to say something to her. If he didn't it would continue to eat him up inside. The wanting to know. The craving nagging feeling that he needed confirmation to know if she was truly okay. And only then would he be able to possibly forget about it.

 

Todd kept debating if whether or not he should make a move. The new guard Bruce that watched him like a guard dog does a house wasn't letting him out of his sight one bit. Plus he felt if he made one move it would get back to Clav. And he knew that would be a very bad move.

"Romeo Ms. Accardi is here to see you." Tonya the cute petite button-noised receptionist or party host as they were called told him.

"Thanks sweetie." He flashed her a smile that made her tiny chocolate face blush bright pink. "Hm" Todd thought to himself. "With all the things in my life falling apart I still manage to get women to smile."

"Lets go." Bruce trudged ahead making sure to keep a watchful eye on Todd. Well it seemed like Ava would have to wait. Todd really hated guards.

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Ms. Accardi waited patiently in her seat. Her bright amber eyes focused on the stairwell ahead. Mentally she didn't have a reason for coming here. Unlike most of women who came here to shell out wads of money on young lads and pour out there miserable lives to the toys she didn't need that. She was almost perfectly happy. Ignoring all the minor mishaps that she refuses to discuss with anyone her life was how she wanted it. She got to stay home, work less, and spend most of her time doting on her four children; one girl and three boys. Though it was mostly her boys since her daughter and eldest child had gone to live with their father two years prior. They sill kept in touch by phone and e-mail but just didn't see each other often.

Once a highly devoted and ambitious young journalist who climbed her way to the top by hard work and tears, she was lucky to have married very well and live a more than comfortable lifestyle. Now she only works on occasion and while she loves her job, she payed less attention to it when her first child was born. Though other things in her life have fallen apart she still holds them together miraculously like her momma had taught her.

"Mam I bring you Romeo." "Eee" she thought to herself. This man was frightening. With his huge build, washed out facial hair and hair, and huge glasses he looked  much like a mugger.

"O..okay" she said, her voice trembling.

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Thank you Ms. Accardi. Thank you. Todd silently thanked his Lovely who by purposely striking up a detailed conversion with Bruce that surprisingly distracted him gave him a few minutes to go try and find Ava. He had to be quick about it. Bruce would only distracted for so long. Luckily he found her outside of the club. She had her eyes fixated on the pool. What was she doing?

 There was a long silence before Ava finally looked his way. "Hey T...Todd can I talk to y...you?" she was nervous.

Todd placed his had on his neck to wipe the sweat that was forming. He had been wanting this moment for so long yet it made him nervous.

 "I ... I just want to say thank you. You know for helping you. It was really nice of you doing that for me. You didn't have to."

"Yeah but I wanted to." They both smiled. Apparently they both got to say what they wanted to.

Suddenly as if caught up in a moment they found themselves held tightly in each other's arms. The embrace lasted for a few seconds then they finally released. They found themselves blushing but didn't know what for. Maybe it was just understanding. Maybe it was something more.

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It was exactly one o' clock. Ms. Accardi was preparing to leave the club so she could get home to her boys when she someone out the corner of her eye.

"Carlotta!" Mr. Gambino shrieked. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Why are you here! Where are the boys?"

"No Valentino don't question me! Why are you here!"

"Don't worry about me."

"And don't worry about me. Goodnight!"

On the drive home Ms. Accardi pondered what he could have been doing there. If only she could have guessed.