River
By J. L. Young

A biting cold escorted a young woman to a door. She checked the surrounding alley before tapping a code on a keypad. The lock emitted a short buzz and a click. She opened the door to a den of noise. It took a moment for her mind to associate the noise with music and the sound changed shape.

She took to an office where she found a large man standing at the door. He graciously reached for the knob and opened it. Inside, Ra sat behind a desk counting money. He looked up with a toothy smile. “Oh, hi River.”

River stooped to kiss the man on the cheek. “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me tonight, Ra.”

Ra let the counting machine sit idle as his attention turned to River, a questioning look on his face.

River began sorting through a rack of costumes along the back wall. “I was enjoying a cup of coffee at the diner and some piece of shit moron came busting in with a piece of shit shotgun demanding money from the cash register.”

He gave a laugh, thinking she was joking while securing a paper strap around a stack of ones. He went with it. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“You know me. I would never go that far. Who’s got the pearlescent white romper? Damn, I was looking forward to wearing that.”

“Harmony, I think. Or maybe Nixy. Wear the catsuit, don’t forget the ears and tail.”

“Should I draw little whiskers on too?”

He shrugged, “Sure.”

“You just want to see my little booty in tight latex.”

Ra rested his elbows on the desk with a couple of stacks on his cheeks. “A girl can dream.” He waved at the door. “Now find something and get out there. Give somebody a lap dance. You’re distracting me with your badassery.”

River removed a garment bag from the rack, laid it across her arm, and took to the door. She turned and stuck her tongue out while she squeezed her eyes shut. Ra chuckled as River left the office.