Stepping Stone

(250 word limit flash)

“So you made it,” she said with indifference.

“Surprised I came?”

“As if I cared, Joe.”

“My name’s Stephan.”

“You’re just another Joe to me.”

“Yeah, and a dead man walking, right?”

Those blue eyes froze over into deep permafrost and bored through my skull into the distance. A strand of rebellious hair was daring to disturb her TV perfect, politicians face.

Her diamond hard blue eyes were back and focused, cutting hard into me.

“Skip the drama, you’ll be protected.”

“Will I? And what about Brandy?”

“Brandy? Your girlfriend?”

“Yeah.”

“Right. She’s seventeen and you’re what? 60?”

“Fifty-nine. Yeah and it don’t mean nothin.”

“Sure Joe, sure. We both know she’s climbing out the sewer.”

“Like you, you mean.”

Those cold eyes don’t blink.

“Just like me, Joe. Listen, you’re less than nothing, a stepping stone to me. One I can easily skip. Forget Brandy if you want to live.”

The bitch not only had me by the balls, she was twisting.

“Protection plus immunity; then you get the books.”

She smiled that famous cover-girl smile for the first time.

“You got it, Joe.”

Now she’s the State’s youngest female Senator and favours need paying.

So the ice-bitch withdrew my protection. And there’s no immunity from the Mob. Before they get to me, I have to rearrange that perfect face.

I’m one stepping-stone she really should have skipped.